The Key Collection — Andrea Cheng

An intergenerational and cross-cultural story of love and friendship.

The lines around Ni Ni's eyes were deeper than before. Her hair was thin and grey. I wanted to tell her that she didn't have to move. She didn't have to move at all. Nobody would make her. We could explain to Auntie Helen that she was not ready. Not yet. Not for a long while.

Xiao Jimmy's Grandma Ni Ni is his favorite person in all the world. Ni Ni cooks delicious jiao zi, teaches Jimmy Chinese characters, and always has wonderful stories and fascinating objects -- like the key collection -- to share with him. So when Jimmy learns that Ni Ni must move far away to California, he feels he's losing his best friend. In time, however, Jimmy discovers there are ways to bridge distance, and to make new friends in the process.

This warm and reassuring novel explores a special relationship that crosses cultures and generations, and holds strong when tested.