#1 New York Times Best-Selling Author and Winner of the 2019 Asian Pacific American Award for Literature
Kelly Yang is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of over ten books for children, including the FRONT DESK series, FINALLY SEEN, NEW FROM HERE, and many more. FRONT DESK was named "one of the 30 most influential children's books of all time" (BookRiot). FRONT DESK is based on Kelly's real life childhood experience managing the front desk of a motel, while trying to learn English. FRONT DESK was awarded the 2019 Asian Pacific American Award for Literature, the Parents' Choice Gold Medal, was the 2019 Global Read Aloud, and was named an Amazon Best Book of the Year, a Washington Post Best Book of the Year, a Kirkus Best Book of the Year, a School Library Journal Best Book of the Year, a NPR Best Book of the Year, and a Publisher's Weekly Best Book of the Year.
Like Mia Tang, Kelly immigrated to America when she was 6 years old and did not speak a word of English. She overcame poverty to go to college at the age of 13 and law school at the age of 17. She is a graduate of UC Berkeley, where she majored in Political Science, and Harvard Law School. After law school, she gave up law to pursue her passion of writing and teaching children writing. She is the founder of The Kelly Yang Project, a leading writing and debating program for kids in Hong Kong. As a writing teacher for 13 years, Kelly helped thousands of children find their voice and become better writers and more powerful speakers. She is excited to teach even more children how to write through Write With Front Desk!
