The role of food in our lives is both mundane and profound. Food can be a source of nourishment, comfort, bonding, cultural expression, psychological or financial stress, political activism, moral judgment, and more. Each day, we make countless decisions about whether and what we choose to eat, many of them shaped by childhood experiences and larger societal forces that we may not be consciously awareness of—as the renowned food writer Bee Wilson explores so thoroughly and evocatively in her adult title First Bite (2015). These 2024 titles approach the topic of food from different and intriguing perspectives that reflect the developmental needs of teen readers.
The Baker and the Bard by Fern Haught (Feiwel & Friends, March 5): Juniper (the baker) and Hadley (the bard) work together at an inn that’s famous for its baked goods. One day, a customer offers a bag of jewels in exchange for 100 galettes—but they must “shimmer and glow in the dark.” The friends embark on an adventure in the forest, seeking the special luminescent pink oyster mushrooms they need in this warm and cozy graphic novel.
What’s Eating Jackie Oh? by Patricia Park (Crown, April 30): In this deftly nuanced work, Jackie’s happiest memories involve helping her Korean immigrant grandparents in their deli. But the opportunity to compete in a teen version of her favorite TV cooking competition highlights conflicts that cut to the heart of her selfhood and purpose; her parents want her to pursue a career with greater security, while the show’s producers continually pigeonhole her based on her ethnicity.
The Great Cool Ranch Dorito in the Sky by Josh Galarza (Henry Holt, July 23): This debut, inspired by the author’s own experiences with disordered eating, is a sensitive, complex, and insightful portrait of a teenage boy who’s at war with his feelings and his own body. Brett tries to mute his pain—his self-loathing over his weight, his anxiety over his mother’s lung cancer, and conflicts with his best friend—by binge-eating junk food. His character arc will resonate with many readers.
Guava and Grudges by Alexis Castellanos (Bloomsbury, Sept. 3): For immigrant families, food traditions often support powerful intergenerational bonds. In this charming Cuban American rom-com, the Ybarras and the Moraleses are inextricably bound together through a yearslong feud that originated in a dispute over stolen recipes. Aspiring pastry chef Ana Maria and Miguel, who uses his food-photography skills to help her with a scholarship contest, are caught between their families’ tensions and their feelings for each other. (Read an interview with Castellanos.)
A World of Flavor: A Celebration of Food and Recipes From Around the Globe by Gabrielle Langholtz, illustrated by Tània García (Phaidon, Oct. 22): Developing the confidence to try new foods and acquiring the skills to prepare a variety of interesting and healthful meals for oneself are critical foundations of adulthood that help open new doors. This bright, inviting, and accessible work offers readers a bite-size overview of food history that describes commonalities and differences among world cuisines and will launch teens on a lifelong journey of curious eating through appealingly diverse recipes.
Laura Simeon is a young readers’ editor.
