Readers assume I love to fish because my first novel, Crossing the Pressure Line, is about Clare, a 12-year-old who desperately wants to catch a musky.
I don’t love to fish.
My second novel, Marvelous Jackson, centers on Jack, a 13-year-old who throws himself into making brownies, scones, and cookies as a way of finding a sense of purpose and reconnecting with his late mom. You must enjoy baking then, right? I get asked.
Nope.
But I love it when other people do!
It’s fascinating for me to watch the creative process unfold in the kitchen, especially on competitive reality programs like The Great British Baking Show and Cupcake Wars. I get fired up by the steam, the heat, the energy, and the noise. How do the bakers come up with their ideas? I wonder. How do they remember what measurements to use if they can’t refer to a recipe? Do their treats taste as yummy as they look?
In Marvelous Jackson, Jack tries very hard to get from his small hometown in northern Wisconsin all the way to Chicago, Illinois, so he can audition for the big-hearted, world-famous Marvelous Midwest Kids Baking Championship television show. Does he snag a coveted spot? I’m not going to tell you (read the book, which launches September 10!), but as far as middle-grade fiction goes, Jack is in terrific company. Turns out there are a ton of kids who find joy in kneading dough and decorating cakes.
Following are five recommendations of novels that celebrate kids in the kitchen. Like Marvelous Jackson, these stories are perfect for the budding bakers in your life.
Pie in the Sky by Remy Lai
Eleven-year-old Jingwen and his little brother Yanghao have immigrated to Australia on the heels of their father’s untimely death. The boys are struggling, so Jingwen turns to the one thing he knows will make him feel better: baking. His dad had planned to open a bakery called Pie in the Sky, and Jingwen wants to make every single cake on the proposed menu, from chocolate raspberry torte to tiramisu. Except Jingwen’s mom has forbidden him from using the kitchen while she’s at work. Will he and Yanghao obey her? (Spoiler alert: sneakiness is way more fun!) Remy Lai’s delightfully illustrated story is both tender and entertaining as it touches on sibling dynamics, the challenges of mastering a new language, and finding peace amidst sorrow.
The $150,000 Rugelach by Allison and Wayne Marks
What happens when two extremely different 11-year-olds are paired up for a baking competition? Boisterous Jack adores any dish that’s over-the-top, while Jillian is the shy new girl who prefers simple treats like her late mother’s chocolate rugelach. When Phineas Farnsworth III — Jack’s longtime idol and the owner of the Farnsworth Baking Supply Company — announces that kids are welcome to apply for the 75th annual Bakerstown Bonanza, Jack and Jillian have no choice but to join forces, even as their wildly disparate tastes threaten to derail their efforts. I love this charming story about teamwork, listening to one’s instincts, and fighting for what’s right.
All You Knead Is Love by Tanya Guerrero
Guerrero’s heartfelt and satisfying novel kicks off with 12-year-old Alba boarding an airplane for Barcelona, where she’s going to spend the summer with her grandmother. Alba’s mom hopes to extricate herself from an abusive marriage, and she wants Alba to get a break from New York City. In her new Spanish neighborhood, Alba discovers a vibrant sense of community, starting with the bakery around the corner. Thanks to Toni the baker, Abuela Lola, and the Chinese family downstairs, Alba embraces the joys of sourdough bread, omelets, torrijas, café cortado, and hot sauce. She grows increasingly confident in the kitchen and finds that every bite of homemade food is like a hug she’s urgently needed.
Roll With It by Jamie Sumner
Twelve-year-old Ellie’s life has been turned upside down. Her grandfather is grappling with Alzheimer’s in Oklahoma, so Ellie’s mom packs up their Nashville home and relocates them to Grandpa and Mema’s so they can lend a hand. Although Ellie adores her grandparents’ cozy trailer, she has to adjust to being the new kid at school, which is super tricky because of her cerebral palsy and wheelchair. She copes by retreating to Mema’s happy yellow kitchen and making Linzer cookies, apple galettes, challah, and blackberry lemon pie. When she decides to enter the Eufaula Bake-Off (have tissues handy), Ellie is bolstered by new friends and a deep sense of belonging. I couldn’t agree more with her hard-won wisdom: Food is the universal hello.
Measuring Up by Lily LaMotte, illustrated by Ann Xu
Taiwanese-born Cici is the beating heart of this touching graphic novel. At age 12, Cici leaves her small town and beloved grandmother for Seattle, where her parents say she’ll receive a better education and more opportunities. Not only does she struggle to fit in, but she becomes laser-focused on raising money to fly her A-ma to Seattle for her 70th birthday. After applying for a local cooking competition so she can win the cash prize, Cici is bummed to find that she’s got a lot to learn in the kitchen. Thanks to a trusty Julia Child cookbook and a new sense of courage, Cici earns her stripes with dishes like caramel custard, potato pancakes, and spaghetti Bolognese. But — in a sweet twist — the recipes that mean the most to her are the ones she learned in Taiwan.
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