It’s Boba Time for Pearl Li!

Perfect for fans of Kelly Yang and Jessica Kim, this joyful, moving middle-grade contemporary standalone debut novel 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.

A heartfelt story about advocating for one’s passions and uncovering big truths about friendship, family, and entrepreneurship along the way. Featuring fun backmatter, including a delicious boba tea recipe!

Pearl Li is ready to spend the summer before seventh grade hanging out with her two best friends, crocheting the cutest amigurumi dolls, and frequenting 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. Will she be able to stop Boba Time from closing and prove to her parents that her passion for crochet is worthy and serious?

Nicole Chen is a Taiwanese American author based in Menlo Park, CA. It's Boba Time for Pearl Li! is her first novel, and she’s also the author of the picture book How We Say I Love You.