A Hui Chinese Muslim tween living in a small town outside Seattle struggles to find balance between family obligations and her passion for film.If Lily Hong isn't making films with her best friends from Clarktown Middle School, Kelli and Lauren, or attending Hong Chinese Academy, her family's business located in the community center, she's competing with her nemesis, Max Zhang. But Lily's project for the upcoming Clarktown's Got Talent video competition is interrupted by the news that the community center is going to be sold to developers-Max's parents. To help raise the $100,000 needed to save the center, Lily's mom plans a traditional Chinese dance show featuring performances by the students of Hong Chinese Academy. Torn between creating her film and participating in the dance, Lily attempts to do both, but when she lies in an effort to appease everyone, she ends up alienating her friends. Eventually Lily cracks from the strain and spills everything to Max, who is surprisingly empathetic, though she later questions her trust in him. Ultimately, Lily must find a way to make amends with her friends and figure out what she really wants to do. Ma touches on friendship issues, racism, gentrification, and balancing family expectations with personal goals. There's a nice balance between the action-packed plot, the serious themes explored, and Lily's comedic antics. Lauren is cued Black; Kelli presents white.A delightfully adventurous romp with a lovably scrappy protagonist. (folktale, author's note) (Fiction. 8-12)

A Chinese American tween has a dream—and a plan—to save her family business in this humorous middle grade debut by Ma (the Daughters of Dynasty series). Twelve-year-old Lily Hong and classmate Max Zhang are “destined to be archenemies forever.” The two have been competing academically since they were in elementary school, and now they’re battling in Lily’s favorite activity: filmmaking. Lily, along with her best friends, puts her all into getting ready for an upcoming film competition. But when her parents’ financial troubles start affecting the Chinese school that they own, Lily endeavors to help save the business by supporting her family’s efforts to host a dance performance fundraiser. As Lily struggles to keep her family’s financial challenges a secret from her friends, she also juggles taking Chinese dance lessons, completing schoolwork, and preparing for the film competition. She soon discovers that Max is also keeping secrets, and if the two want to accomplish their goals, they’ll have to bury the hatchet and partner up. Strong character relationships and meticulously balanced interweaving plots make this a lighthearted tale that emphasizes how friendship—both expected and unexpected—can help save the day. Ages 8–12. (Jan.)