What This Book Is About
When COVID-19 hits Hong Kong in early 2020, ten-year-old Knox Wei-Evans and his family make the wrenching decision to move back to America. His mother packs up their life and flies with Knox and his siblings to California, while their father stays behind in Hong Kong to keep his job. But America in 2020 is not the safe haven they expected. Anti-Asian hate is surging, Knox's new classmates treat him like he's carrying the virus, and the family is crammed into a tiny apartment with barely enough money to get by.
Based on author Kelly Yang's own real experiences as a Chinese-American mother during the pandemic, New From Here is both a deeply personal story and an urgent one. Knox is funny, brave, and achingly real—a kid who loves basketball and writing, who misses his dad and his old life, and who refuses to let fear define him. The novel was an instant New York Times bestseller, a Reese's Book Club pick, and winner of the Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature. It's the rare middle-grade book that addresses racism, immigration, and family separation with both unflinching honesty and genuine warmth.
Available at Popular bookstores, Kinokuniya, and the Singapore National Library.
Why UWC Chose This Book
For students at UWC Singapore—many of whom have lived in Hong Kong, have family ties across Asia, or have experienced the disruptions of COVID firsthand—this book hits close to home in the best possible way. Knox's experience of being the "new kid" in a country that doesn't fully welcome him mirrors what many international school students feel when they relocate. The book validates those feelings while showing that identity is something you build, not something that is done to you.
The novel also confronts anti-Asian racism with age-appropriate honesty, making it an invaluable text for classroom discussions about discrimination, allyship, and standing up for what is right. UWC's commitment to diversity and intercultural understanding makes this book a natural fit—it gives students language and frameworks to discuss experiences that many Asian students in Singapore have lived through but rarely see reflected in the books they read at school.
Reading Level Guide
Too challenging at A1. Try Front Desk (also by Kelly Yang) at a lower reading level first.
Sweet spot. The conversational, first-person voice and low Lexile (630L) make it very accessible for A2 readers, while the themes give B1 readers plenty to discuss.
A quick, meaningful read at B2. Try Wonder or Born Behind Bars for more linguistic challenge.
Other UWC Recommended Books for This Grade
Not sure if this book is right for your child? Take our free 30-minute English assessment to find their CEFR level, then choose books that match.