New From Here by Kelly Yang – Book Review

Title: New From Here Author: Kelly Yang Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers Release Date: March 1, 2022

When the coronavirus starts to spread in Asia, the Wei-Evans family, an Asian American family living in Hong Kong, is faced with a dilemma: do they stay or leave? The kids, son Bowen, son Knox, and daughter Lea, struggle to understand the significance of the decision’s consequences. Their mother soon decides to move them all, with the exception of their father, back to the United States. Yet, moving to different country does not solve their problems. In fact, the family faces a different set of challenges, like new schools, loss of employment, no health insurance, and a rising tide of racism and hatred directed towards Asians. Now, the family must truly stick together, support one another, and embrace the best of each other to make this new life in America work.

New From Here paints a poignant and raw portrait of life during the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic. Author Kelly Yang adeptly captures the fear, the lack of understanding, and the surge of hatred and racism against Asian Americans across the United States. Yang also incorporates the minutia of the Wei-Evans’ day-to-day life, creating a moving portrayal of both the simple and the larger life struggles they face, especially Knox’s challenges with ADHD. Still, with the pandemic not yet completely in the rearview mirror in March 2022, readers may struggle with the emotions the novel conjures. For some, it could be a helpful avenue to explore those feelings. For others, it could all still feel too raw and real. Since COVID-19’s history is still being written, New From Here will leave most with many questions about the future and fate not only of the Wei-Evans family but also their own future. New From Here may eventually be a powerful middle grade novels for educators as the wounds of the pandemic heal. Only time will tell.

Thank you to Edelweiss+ and publisher, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, for an eARC of this book.

Classroom Applications

• Cross-curricular Study – Teach the novel in conjunction with a study of the events of the coronavirus pandemic.
• Book Club or Book Exchange – Share the novel with students that enjoy reading realistic fiction.

Nonfiction Connections

The list below outlines topics that will enrich your students’ understanding of the novel.

• COVID-19 Pandemic
• ADHD
• Effects of Pandemic in Asia
• Effects of Pandemic in the U.S.
• Anti-Asian Hate & the Pandemic

Book Companions

The following are great books to pair with New From Here. In parenthesis are the specific aspects students could explore when synthesizing across the texts.

• Fifty-Four Things Wrong with Gwendolyn Rogers by Caela Carter (Character Connections, Nonfiction Connections, Themes)
• Front Desk by Kelly Yang (Character Connections, Nonfiction Connections, Themes)

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