It's Boba Time for Pearl Li!

by Nicole Chen

Overview

Perfect for fans of Kelly Yang and Jessica Kim, this joyful, moving middle grade contemporary follows a big-hearted Taiwanese American girl as she aims to gain her family’s acceptance and save her favorite boba tea shop by selling her handcrafted amigurumi dolls. 

Pearl Li is ready to spend the summer before seventh grade hanging out with her two best friends, crocheting the cutest amigurumi dolls, and visiting her favorite tea shop, Boba Time. Its quirky owner, Auntie Cha, is the only adult Pearl can confide in about her art—if only her tech-obsessed family would understand her love of crafts! 

After Pearl learns of Boba Time’s financial troubles, she decides to sell her amigurumi to raise money for the shop. But as she navigates the ups and downs of running a business, Pearl realizes that monetizing her passion is more complicated than she could’ve ever imagined. Can Pearl save Boba Time before it’s too late? 

Featuring fun backmatter—including a delicious boba tea recipe—this is a heartfelt story about advocating for your passions and uncovering big truths about friendship, family, and entrepreneurship along the way.  

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780063228627
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	03/05/2024
Pages:	368
Sales rank:	297,929
Product dimensions:	5.12(w) x 7.62(h) x (d)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Nicole Chen writes books celebrating the diversity reflected in families all over the world. Her experience growing up Taiwanese American, combined with the Catalan and Spanish influences in her home now, fuels her desire to tell stories that reflect a multicultural American identity. Nicole lives in Menlo Park, California, with her Andorran husband and their young daughter. She is the author of It's Boba Time for Pearl Li! and Lily Xiao Speaks Out. Visit Nicole online at storiesbynicolechen.com.

Editorial Reviews

01/02/2023

When her favorite boba shop faces closure, a Taiwanese American 12-year-old tests her business savvy, challenging her tech-oriented family’s objection to her creative passions. While her busy parents concentrate on their startup, Pearl Li anticipates a summer of crocheting adorable amigurumi and hanging out at Boba Time with her two best friends: Priya, who’s of Indian descent, and Cindy, who moved recently from Hong Kong. The shop and its charismatic Taiwanese owner, Auntie Cha, are staples in their California town, so when Boba Time experiences financial difficulties thanks to a popular Taiwanese dessert chain’s opening, Pearl seeks to secretly raise money by selling her creations. But despite her awareness and resentment of her parents’ time-sucking startup, doing business is a lot harder than Pearl thinks, especially with her parents vocally doubting the idea. She quickly encounters the ups and downs of entrepreneurial life, seeking to prove to herself and her family that her passion is valid. As Pearl and the people around her move toward appreciation and learn from one another, Chen (How We Say I Love You) writes an upbeat story of being true to oneself while embracing one’s culture and developing empathy. Back matter includes a glossary of business terms and a boba tea recipe. Ages 8–12. Agent: Jamie Weiss Chilton, Andrea Brown Literary. (Feb.)

Publishers Weekly

The book’s genuine tone and appreciation of craft, culture, and community will capture readers’ attention. A well-crafted tale filled with heart.” — Kirkus Reviews

“An upbeat story of being true to oneself while embracing one’s culture and developing empathy.” — Publishers Weekly

From the Publisher

A darling debut that tackles the themes of family acceptance and following your passions with honesty and heart!”

Jessica Kim

2022-12-24
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. (glossary, recipe) (Fiction. 8-12)

Kirkus Reviews