Maizy Chen’s Last Chance: A Practice Discussion
Although the Newbery Committee will meet at the end of January 2023, to choose the most distinguished books for children published in the United States in 2022, the full Committee has already “gathered” twice (either digitally or in person) in 2022: once at LibLearnX to meet each other and be briefed of what to expect for their year-long service, and once during the ALA Annual Conference in June. At the June meeting, there is usually a chance to practice discussing a few books.
Here at Heavy Medal, we are also going to offer the opportunity for a practice discussion today about MAIZY CHEN’S LAST CHANCE by Lisa Yee. This title received five Heavy Medal nominations but did not make our final book list. It is not eligible for voting but will help us practice discussing! (And of course I have to say that Merci Suarez Changes Gears was the practice title in 2018 and then went on to win the medal).
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On the real Newbery Committee, members discuss each of the nominated books (minus any that may have been withdrawn by consensus), starting with an introduction by one committee member. We’ll follow that model in written form and then open it up to discussion.

MAIZY CHEN’S LAST CHANCE by Lisa Yee depicts an 11-year old Chinese American girl’s summer at her grandparents in the small town of Last Chance. Through honest and heartwarming narration, vivid descriptions, and relatable characters- Yee takes readers on a journey in Maizy Chen’s brain. Strong in all six Newbery criteria, delineation of characters setting stand out the most.
We are introduced to a wide cast of characters with varying personal struggles and quirks. Viewing everything from Maizy’s optimistic and opportunistic eyes made it even more delightful. I appreciated the struggles of friendship with Maizy’s grandfather (Opa) and Walker, the progression of Maizy’s mom and Oma, the deeper meaning behind the Lady (Mac)Beth’s actions, and the layers behind Caroline and the other “bullies.”
Mom and Oma are always arguing about the little things, like the way my mother stacks the menus or that my grandmother saves piles of unread magazines. No one talks about the time my grandparents came to the TV commercial set and left without even speaking to my mother. The strain between them is as thick as jook, the Chinese rice porridge Opa has for breakfast.
Chapter 17
Setting is also an integral part to this story, starting with the poignant name of LaSt Chance, which shows how much (and how little) the town has to offer- for Lucky, for Principal Holmes, for the Paper Sons in the photos… The recurring themes of the town being featured in Minnesota Don’t You Know, and how racism and bigotry exist there and anywhere may seem overdone, but I think they do not seem too forced. The Lucky stories also seamlessly connect the reader from present to past.
There’s much more I can expand on here but I’ll leave room in the comments for what everyone else has to say.
Heavy Medal Award Committee members and others are now invited to discuss this book further in the Comments section below. Please start with positive observations first; stick to positives until at least three comments have been posted or we reach 1:00 pm EST. Let the Mock Newbery discussion begin!
Filed under: Book Discussion, Heavy Medal Mock
About Emily Mroczek-Bayci
Emily Mroczek (Bayci) is a freelance children’s librarian in the Chicago suburbs. She served on the 2019 Newbery committee. You can reach her at emilyrmroczek@gmail.com.
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“It seems like everything here is also something else,” Maizy observes not long after arriving in Last Chance, Minnesota, after driving from L.A. with her mom. She’s talking about how storefronts do double duty (bank and library, bait & tackle shop and life insurance), but it’s an apt way to describe the town and its people as well.
Maizy loves her grandparents, and they love her, but they don’t know each other very well. Maizy’s grandfather is sick – that’s the reason she and her mom have finally come for a visit – and in spending time with him, Maizy gets to know him much better. Opa (in true melting pot fashion, they use the German word for grandfather, not the Mandarin one) tells Maizy the story of their ancestor Lucky, who came from China to San Francisco in the 1800s and ended up in Last Chance. He also teaches Maizy poker, and she applies these new skills and knowledge immediately to recognize people’s “tells,” i.e. when they may be hiding something or lying.
A little bit mystery, a lot of American and family history, and plenty of strong characters – Maizy foremost – make this book stand out. Maizy herself is not just an observer, but an active participant: she writes custom fortunes for customers at her family’s restaurant, the Golden Palace, nudging people in one way or another; she searches for the “paper sons” in photographs on the restaurant’s wall; and she confronts dishonesty where she finds it. Her determination, and Chinese heritage, might remind readers of Mia in Front Desk by Kelly Yang, although Mia’s family immigrated much more recently.
Immigration is a theme in this book, as both Lucky, Opa and Oma, and Maizy and her mom all face different treatment and racism because of their origins. Maizy’s grandmother explains why the Golden Palace has so many paper sons: “…it’s an honor to help someone….When you’re in a position to help, that means you’re in a good place in your own life.” Forgiveness is a theme as well; Maizy observes the rift between her mom and Oma and writes them the same fortune: “Fighting is easy. Forgiving is hard.”
Maizy really does make this book! I feel like it’s thanks to her that we get to know all the characters so well and I think that’s something young readers can really relate to- many really are more introspective than people think.
A couple of observations:
– I loved how Opa taught Maizy how to play Poker – and how Maizy uses her Poker skills to read a situation and people. When Maizy confronts Mayor Whitlock and notices his “tell” at Opa’s funeral, she realizes that she holds all the cards since she knows who was behind the hate crime with the Bud the Bear.
– Maizy’s tenacity and kindness: I loved how she typed out fortunes and put them into the fortune cookies for her family and others in the restaurant. She’s so observant and she is determined to know about the pictures hanging in her grandparent’s office – and connecting with a researcher to ask about the paper sons – and listening to Opa’s stories about them – was fascinating to read.
– My favorite quote from Opa: “People who talk the loudest are usually making up for weak cards.” You have Caroline the bully and her friend – who says the nasty comments to Maizy. They’re saying those things because they’re making themselves feel better. All they know how to do is to put others down.
Janee, you focused on something that stood out to me while reading this book: that of how the Poker has a dual purpose in the story. It is something that grows the relationship of Maizy and Opa. And it is how Maizy learns about others, their tells, their bluffs, and when to fold.
I know that this is not an official Newbery criteria, but one of the things that I love about Maizy Chen’s Last Chance is that this book has stayed with me. It has been one that I have compared other books to since I read it.
As others have pointed out, the characters are so well-done. Maizy’s mother and grandmother’s relationship stands out. It shows how two people can love each other so much, but not understand each other. I also like that they both clearly love Maizy, even if it is shown in different ways. It is a good conversation starter.
I think that’s an important point that it stayed with you Michelle! If a book gets lost in the shuffle for me, sometimes it means I missed something, but a lot of times it means it’s not quite as distinguished!
The choice to write shorter chapters was so smart. There was a lot going on plot wise, but the shorter chapters kept it fresh in my mind. I also appreciated the back and forth between the main plot and Lucky’s story and felt equally invested in both, which is not always an easy thing to do!
And I totally agree with earlier comments about Maizy’s character development. What really stood out to me was the way she integrated her conversations with Opa into solving present problems, but then didn’t always get it right (i.e., thinking that Principal Holmes wanted to date her mom and that Lady (Mac)Beth was stuck up and mean). I thought this made her a more relatable character, especially for the intended audience.
A sidenote: the audiobook for this was a delight!
Oh, Elizabeth, I am very intrigued by this as an audiobook! I can see it being a delight: Maizy truly was!
I also loved the audiobook. I felt the narrator captured Maizy perfectly!
There was a lot in this book that kept me turning the pages: the setting was interesting, the rewritten fortunes were charming, the Nancy Drew element near the end was suspenseful, the relevance to the treatment of Asian Americans in the U.S. today is important to me. What I loved best were the educational elements woven through: “paper sons” , poker game play, and bits of U.S. Chinese immigration history skillfully laid out by Lisa Yee in the dual timeline. (Kids will love the different font and included dates.) But I had just finished A Rover’s Story when I picked up Maizy Chen, so I found myself comparing the two. There are fewer characters in Rover and the rational thinking vs. human feelings theme enables the characters to frequently discuss how they’re feeling, so the reader knows it too and knows them better. To me, the characters in Rover felt like I met them at an intimate dinner party whereas the Maizy characters felt like I met them at a big loud (and fun!) party.
I also have to admit that Maizy’s optimism seemed strange to me at times. I kept thinking that a teen who had a very sick grandfather, was forced to spend her summer away from her friends, and had lost her cellphone would certainly be experiencing some kind of angst.
Rover’s Story is next on my list, Maura, so I am curious if I will come to the same conclusions.
It is interesting that you saw Maizy as optimistic. I hadn’t made that connection but once you said it, it got me to thinking. Maizy was slightly comparable to Pollyanna. Not to the nauseating level but she did see the good in situations, she didn’t appear to get down in the dumps. One could argue that made her not be relatable. However, I did not view her that way. I wanted to be friends with Maizy! But completely agree, most eleven year olds I know WOULD have felt some angst!
I agree so much with other commenters about what a wonderful book this is. I think the setting truly stands out and was brought to life through Yee’s descriptions of the town and the restaurant. What keeps me coming back to thinking about this story over and over is what a delightful character Maizy is. She is so curious and shows so much passion and interest in the world around her as well as being so invested in the people around her.
I am always a huge fan of books that incorporate historical elements and can educate the reader while entertaining them. I was really sad when this book didn’t make our final list. I think it’s a top contender for the Newbery this year.
Amanda, your comment very much mirrors my own (which appears to not have saved). I also was very sad to not see this in our final Heavy Medal List. I also see it as a HUGE contender for Newbery, in large part due to two criteria: setting and character.
Last Chance, Minnesota felt like it could have taken place in Any Small Town, USA. And by golly, how did anyone NOT crave Chinese food after reading this book?! This book made me picture my hole in the wall restaurant, the one man show where everything is cooked in a giant wok. I was delighted to visit Last Chance and it has stuck with me a few days later.
No character was wasted in MCLC. Even characters that I thought would be throwaway ones (like Lady Beth) had a point and a purpose. Characters like Werner were among my favorite (I also wanted a good bratwurst after reading it). Opa and his wisdom, under the guise of poker lessons, is wisdom that kiddos need today. I currently leave in a state where there is a lot of racism and phobias of different kinds. The line about “racists who appear kind are the most dangerous” hit me hard. Because it’s true. And that was what, I feel, occured often in MCLC. This book hit me hard and made me smile and made me think and made me cry.