WEI TO GO!

A tween American girl travels to Hong Kong to prevent a company from taking over her father’s business and disrupting her life in Miao’s debut middle-grade book.

Twelve-year-old Ellie Wei Pettit lives with her younger brother, Kipp, and their parents in a suburb of Los Angeles. She’s part Chinese on her mother’s side, and she attends a Chinese heritage class at school. Her father’s design business, Avabrand, is at risk of a takeover by the Black Turtle Group, a Hong Kong–based firm. Ellie overhears her parents saying that if her dad loses his company, the family would likely have to move. At the urging of Mr. Han, her Chinese heritage teacher, she decides to appeal directly to BTG to leave her father’s business alone. Ellie convinces her mother, who has a conference in Hong Kong, to allow her to accompany her there. Kipp comes along, as well, and when Ellie confides to him her secret plan to stop the takeover, he becomes her partner in the effort. In Hong Kong, Ellie meets again with Mr. Han, who reveals that he knows the BTG’s CEO and gives her a note with cryptic clues about places around the city. Ellie and her brother visit such sites as the YMCA, the Peak Tram, and the Star Ferry before a climactic meeting. Over the course of this book, Miao crafts Ellie as a likable character who considers herself a “word enthusiast”; the young girl enjoys palindromes and encourages the use of gender-neutral terms, such as server instead of waitress. It’s engaging to follow the protagonist as she becomes immersed in Hong Kong culture; at various points, she eats an authentic Chinese breakfast and learns some Cantonese. Ellie’s family dynamics are sweet and relatable throughout the narrative. However, Mr. Han’s strange behavior, although it propels the plot forward, doesn’t make a lot of sense.

A pleasant travel adventure that will appeal to young readers interested in its Hong Kong setting.