On September 30, Viewpoint School welcomed acclaimed author Kelly Yang for a special visit hosted by the campus libraries. Throughout the day, Ms. Yang spoke at two assemblies for Lower and Middle School and joined members of the Middle School Literary Honors Society for a lunchtime discussion. Her visit offered students the opportunity to meet a widely celebrated author whose books are prominently featured in Viewpoint’s libraries.

Kelly Yang is the author of many books for children and young adults, including the No. 1 The New York Times bestselling author of the “Front Desk” series. Based on Ms. Yang’s childhood experience living and working in a motel as a first-generation immigrant from China, “Front Desk” was named "one of the best books of the 21st century" by Kirkus Reviews.

Ms. Yang’s books have earned multiple awards, including the Asian Pacific American Award for Literature, the California Young Reader Medal, and the Parents’ Choice Gold Medal. Her books have been featured on multiple “best of the year” lists, including Amazon’s Best Book of the Year, the School Library Journal Best Book of the Year, NPR Best Book of the Year, and Publisher's Weekly Best Book of the Year. She was recently awarded the Strega Prize for Children and Young Readers, Italy’s most prestigious literary award for young people.

In addition to emphasizing the importance of reading, Ms. Yang shared poignant tales of her experience as a new language learner, and spoke about her initial efforts to publish her work.  Viewpoint’s students engaged deeply with Ms. Yang, asking insightful questions and flocking to Viewpoint’s campus libraries to check out her books.

Ms. Yang’s story of perseverance had an impact on Viewpoint’s readers and writers, and they left inspired to pursue their dreams with determination and confidence.