Three Keys

Three Keys (September 2020) is the second novel by Asian American author Kelly Yang and the second title in her Front Desk Series. Her debut novel, Front Desk (2019), received numerous accolades and awards, including multiple Best Books of the Year lists. A third title in the series, Room to Dream, was published in September 2021.

The author grew up in circumstances very similar to her protagonist Mia Tang. After helping her own family in the hotel business, she graduated from college and law school. Rather than pursuing a legal career, Tang became a professional journalist and columnist before turning her attention to writing fiction for children and young adults.

Three Keys is classified under the categories of Children’s Prejudice & Racism Books as well as Children’s Friendship Books. It is suitable for students in Grades 3 through 7. All page number citations in this study guide are taken from the book’s Kindle edition.

The novel is set in Anaheim, California, in the fall of 1994 and follows the experiences of three immigrant children during the controversial time leading up to the passage of Proposition 187 in November of that year.