New from Here

Kelly Yang's New from Here is a warm, funny story for 11 year olds about a boy whose family escapes the start of the pandemic, only to find they're the ones people are frightened of.

What happens

Knox lives in Hong Kong and he blurts things out. He can't help it. It drives his whole family mad, especially his big brother Bowen, who calls him Knot.

When news of a strange new virus breaks on Knox's tenth birthday, his mum decides to take him, Bowen and little Lea to the family's old house in California. Dad can't come. His job keeps him in Hong Kong.

That goodbye at the airport is a real lump-in-the-throat moment. Knox adores his dad (he's the one who does bedtime tickles and has never missed one of Knox's football matches). All Knox can manage to say is "Don't die."

The journey is tense and oddly funny at the same time. There are passengers in gas masks, a mum who counts every single face mask they own, and a strict family rule about not doing a number two on the plane.

Then an Uber driver finds out where they've flown in from. He dumps them in a car park, luggage and all, and it takes two buses and three trains to get home.

That's the heart of the book. Knox is American, Chinese and a Hong Kong kid all at once, and suddenly people are scared of him because of where he's come from. He wonders which parts of himself he's supposed to hide. It's a lot for a ten-year-old to carry, and his voice lets you feel it without ever getting heavy.

It's set right at the start of the coronavirus, so there's plenty of talk about hospitals and people dying, some upsetting racism and a mention of violent protests in Hong Kong. For some children it'll feel very close to home. For others it could be a gentle way into talking about a time they only half remember.

Knox is great company though. He's impulsive and soft-hearted, and he has a running battle with his brother that any sibling will recognise. Who hasn't been told to listen for a change?

What to read next

If they enjoy Knox, try Front Desk, Kelly Yang's story about Mia, whose family starts again in California by running a little motel.