by Rebecca
Food unites us. Meals are the centerpieces of ceremonies, celebrations, and even conflict resolustons. And what better way to draw young readers into the world of reading than to entice them with the aroma of a great book! When I first began exploring recommended reads for the theme of "Cooking Around the World", I was overwhelmed by the sheer volume of options. Carol and I hope you enjoy the variety of savory and sweet delights represented by this edition's titles!
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Featured Author:
 The concept for Simone LaFray was conceived at a large family dinner when my niece asked me to give her a spy name. Who would have thought that such a random occurrence would have become an award-winning middle-grade series with two books published and the third to be released later this year? Simone is a Junior Spy with the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs following in the formidable footprints of her spy mother, while her father is a world-famous chocolatier and proprietor of a perfectly quaint patisserie in Paris. A charmed life that is about to be turned upside down.
Art and food are some of the ongoing themes within this series. I find food a particularly good theme as it hits all the senses. Simone works in her family’s patisserie and many of those scenes are rooted in comfort and tradition. A French patisserie is a near overload of sights, smells, sounds, and tastes that immediately translates to the reader and evokes a sense of whimsy and near fantasy. In Simone LaFray and the Chocolatiers’ Ball (Book #1), this sanctuary becomes a casualty of Simone’s dual persona and the anonymity she once enjoyed vanishes. There is only one place for the LaFray’s to redeem their name and catch a thief. . . the Chocolatiers’ Ball.
Writing this series has been among the most gratifying things of my life. Planned for six books, it will span the globe and features a neurodivergent heroin with extraordinary capabilities who succeeds because of who she is, not in spite of it. The reaction to the series has been overwhelming and for all of you aspiring writers out there, start today. Believe in your ideas, keep drafting, be persistent, and don't give up. Inspiration and a book deal may be only a meal away.
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Featured Illustrator:
Roberta Malasomma
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Roberta was born in Naples, Italy. In 2013, she earned her bachelor’s degree in graphic design at the Academy of Fine Arts. Using her passion for drawing, Roberta followed her dreams and started illustrating children’s books. Her favorite illustrators are Beatrix Potter and Helen Oxembury..
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One Student Talks About Three Books
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By Natalie Heitz
Family Style: Memories of an American from Vietnam by Thien Pham was an interesting book. It was a graphic novel with several chapters, each of which was titled with the name of a food. Each chapter was a different story, and every story was centered around the food that it was named after. It starts with young Thian crossing an ocean to get to a refugee camp and going all the way to adult Thian finally getting his citizenship. Each food in each story has a specific importance, representing things like hope, love, new beginnings, and more. I would recommend this book for ages eight to fourteen, specifically if they like graphic novels.
Fry Bread: A Native American Family Story by Kevin Noble Maillard is a cute little picture book about a traditional Native American food called fry bread. I recommend it for ages three to seven, as it speaks in words that are simple and easy to understand. There is also a section in the back with a more complicated writing style, which is good for parents and older readers. The story talks about the culture of fry bread, which reminds me of the Nigerian puff-puff. Each page begins with the sentence, “fry bread is…” with various things. Some examples include “fry bread is sound” and “fry bread is nation.” Overall, this was an interesting short read.
I greatly enjoyed reading The Anti-Racist Kitchen edited by Nadia L. Hohn. It gave me a new perspective on the lives of people from other cultures. Every recipe came with a story, each of which had an important lesson.
 Some of my favorites were, “Don’t change things about yourself to fit in,” and “Ignoring a problem doesn’t make it disappear.” These stories show how cooking and sharing stories help us understand each other. One author said, “Our stories have power. They can change hearts and turn bullies into friends.” After reading, I made fried bologna and puff-puff. Both were delicious! This book is good for anyone twelve and up, and I recommend it for young adults and parents in particular.
My name is Natalie M. Heitz. I am a rising 8th grader at James Madison Middle School. My hobbies are swimming, petting my dogs, writing, and reading. I love all kinds of fiction books, especially fantasy and mystery. If you like YA fantasy, I recommend the Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas.
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by Carol Baldwin
PAIR FOOD with WRITING
FOR FUN and FLAVOR
- Print out this list of food adjectives. (scroll to the bottom, "How to describe different flavors.")
- Assemble small bites of foods from different countries/ethnicities. (Examples: pepperoni, olives, fried rice, hamburger pickle, matzoh, beans, empanada, dates, biscuits, cheerios, bean sprouts, anchovies)
- Ask students to smell, savor, and consider the texture of each one.
- Ask students to describe each food item using at three adjecives.
- Ask students to record their reactions and memories associated with any food item.
- Student's choice: write a haiku, an I AM FROM POEM, a free verse poem from the POV of the food, or a fictional character eating food from another country.
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We love to hear from our readers!
You can contact us through the newsletter or individually at the following social media platforms.
We're also both available for school visits.
Rebecca W Wheeler
Carol Baldwin
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Does a Teen Reviewer
Live in Your House or
Attend Your School?
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We're always looking for teen or tween reviewers. If you know someone who might be interested in reading and writing a short synopsis of three books, please email us.
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To S.P. O'Farrell for being our author expert.
To authors S.P. O'Farrell, Dr. Lisa Curry, and Sara Arnold for donating Simon La Fray and the Chocolatier's Ball, Bokky for Breakfast, and The Big Buna Bash.
To Natalie Heitz for being our teen reviewer.
To Nancy Sutin for proofreading.
To Sleeping Bear Press for donating Ice Cream Everywhere and The Girl Who Loved Poutine.
To Roberta Malasomma for her illustration.
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Congratulations to the April book winners.
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- Cathy Ogen won Build a Train
- Marci Whitehurst won Prairie Boy
- Lindsay Moretti won A Grand Idea
- Sue Stutz won Nick and Tesla
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If you're having trouble emailing us, try using CHROME browser.
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PLEASE SHARE
TALKING STORY
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If you share TALKING STORY either on social media or via email, we will enter your name in our giveaway. Please complete this google form by July 15, 2024, indicate your book preference and we will add your name to the hat!
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Did you know there is a TALKING STORY Facebook Group? We would love for you to participate and find out what other writers, educators, and librarians are saying.
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Complete this google form and we'll enter your name to win one of the four books below.
US addresses only.
Enter by July 15
(Or better yet, enter now!)
BONUS!
If you forward Talking Story
to a friend or share this now, we will give you an extra chance to win a book.
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by Carol
I enjoy teaching writing to teens and adults. Recently, I conducted a "Food, Memories, and Writing" workshop. After sampling a variety of food (see the "Extend and Connect" activity below) a teen wrote the following haiku.
Ode to Olives
by Elliott Kurta
Athena’s promise
Briny as the Aegean Sea
Swollen crabapples.
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PICTURE BOOKS AND BOOKS FOR YOUNG READERS
****
BOOKS FOR MIDDLE GRADES and OLDER READERS
By Lisa Greenwald
By Sandhya Menon
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Please share our books
with your librarians!
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