IT’S BOBA TIME FOR PEARL LI!

A celebration of amigurumi, boba, and creativity.

In California’s Silicon Valley, Taiwanese American rising seventh grader Pearl Li sometimes feels like she’s an outsider. While her parents, who have a financial software startup company, and her mobile app developer sister, a high school junior, love to talk about all things tech and coding, Pearl’s passions lie in arts and crafts, particularly crochet and making adorable amigurumi dolls. Amid the strip malls of Sunnydale, Boba Time is a refuge for Pearl. Owned by the exuberant Auntie Cha, it’s a welcoming place where Pearl feels full support for her creative endeavors. When competition from a flashy new Taiwanese dessert chain and rising costs—both business and personal—put the future of Boba Time in jeopardy, Pearl hatches a plan to raise money and help save it. But being a 12-year-old entrepreneur will take support from her parents or resorting to secrecy and half-truths. Chen’s ode to the pursuit of one’s passions effectively captures tween yearnings and misadventures they may bring. Pearl is a compelling protagonist, and the diverse cast of secondary characters brings additional emotional depth. Narrative parallels weave together themes: Several characters’ struggles with cultural and linguistic fluency mirror Pearl’s feelings of exclusion in her tech-centered family. Boba Time, with its more traditional ambiance and practices, and the handmade ways of fiber arts butt up against modern counterparts. The book’s genuine tone and appreciation of craft, culture, and community will capture readers’ attention.

A well-crafted tale filled with heart.