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Book Reviews, Middle-Grade Book Reviews · May 19, 2020

Review | A Place at the Table

Book Review | A Place at the Table

Summary: A Place at the Table

In A Place at the Table, Sara’s has moved from her smaller Islamic school to the larger neighborhood middle school. Unfortunately for her, her Pakistani mother has also started teaching after-school cooking classes (in addition to her catering business) at the school. Sara is forced to attend those since her mother won’t let her stay home alone — despite the fact that she’s in sixth grade. Many of the kids in the class are rude and make fun of her mother’s dishes while pretending not to understand her accent. But one student, Elizabeth seems to enjoy learning to cook.

Elizabeth’s British mother is dealing with depression after the death of her mother and is struggling to adapt to American culture and her husband’s Jewish customs. On top of that, Elizabeth is the only girl at home, her best friend is pulling away from her, and she’s worried about her parents’ relationship seemingly falling apart. Sara and Elizabeth form an unlikely friendship when they discover that both their mothers are studying to pass the American citizenship test.

The Good

This book was so good! The best part though? All the yummy food Sara’s mother, Elizabeth, and Elizabeth and Sara make in the course of the story. I loved Elizabeth’s character more and found Sara a bit too grumpy and annoying in the beginning. But again, the dual-perspective narration in this story helps you get into the girls’ minds and see their individual struggles even before they eventually confide in each other. It’s also wonderful that Sara makes such beautiful art!

There is some real friendship drama in this one as both girls struggle to find a sweet spot in the midst of all the chaos in their lives. The authors also tackle racism and microaggressions as well as the effect of a parent’s depression on her children. I also liked that both girls’ relationships with their faith are not glossed over but part of their lives. Sara maintaining her friendship with Rabia (from islamic school) even while navigating a new friendship with Elizabeth also reminds us that we can have more than one close friend.

Overall: A Place at the Table

A Place at the Table is a strong collaborative effort with more than just a stunning cover. This book has strong themes of food, unlikely friendships, culture, family, handling racism and standing up for what is right. It also does a good job at portraying a parent with depression, in the vein of Tae Keller’s The Science of Breakable Things (which I loved). If you’re looking for an immersive middle-grade book (I couldn’t put this one down!) that will make you salivate, then this is your pick!


Buy This Book

A Place at the Table

Other Dual Perspective Books

  • Dough Boys by Paula Chase
  • That’s What Friends Do by Cathleen Barnhart
  • Ms. Bixby’s Last Day by John David Anderson

More Books About Female Friendships

  • Keep It Together, Keiko Carter by Debbi Michiko Florence
  • The Long Ride by Marina Budhos Tamar
  • The Prettiest by Brigit Young

Have you read this book or any books by Saadia Faruqi or Laura Shovan? I loved Shovan’s Takedown and can’t wait for Faruqi’s A Thousand Questions! Which other middle-grade books about food are your favorite?

*This book is out August 11, although the original scheduled pub date was May 29. I received an ARC of A Place at the Table from co-author, Laura Shovan, in exchange for an honest review.

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Posted In: Book Reviews, Middle-Grade Book Reviews · Tagged: dual POV, Female friendships, food books

About the Author

Afoma Umesi is the founder and blogger at Reading Middle Grade. She's a writer and editor with a deep love for children's literature. Her favorite genre is contemporary realistic fiction, but she'll never say no to a graphic novel. Read More…

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Comments

  1. Jenna @ Falling Letters says

    May 20, 2020 at 3:31 pm

    Glad to hear you enjoyed this! I’ve read Faruqi’s Yasmin stories and I’m looking forward to her middle grade writing. This book reminds me a little of Save Me a Seat by Gita Varadarajan and Sarah Weeks.

    Reply
    • Afoma Umesi says

      May 24, 2020 at 1:18 am

      Yes! SAVE ME A SEAT is an excellent readalike for this book. I know you’ll enjoy this 🙂

      Reply
  2. Completely Full Bookshelf says

    May 25, 2020 at 9:18 pm

    This sounds like a great book! Like the previous commenter, I was also reminded of Save Me a Seat. I’ve actually been looking at a few food-related books (apparently I love reading about food), so this sounds perfect for me! It’s a shame that the release date was pushed back. Thanks for the great review!

    Reply
    • Afoma Umesi says

      May 28, 2020 at 4:38 am

      Yes, COVID has really caused a lot of changes for the publishing industry. I’m looking forward to its new release date now. Thank YOU for reading 🙂

      Reply

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👯‍♀️ TWINS in middle grade literature 💕 

I love seeing more twins in middle grade books. For a long time, the only twins I knew in middle grade lit were the Sweet Valley High girlies. Then, I got a glimpse of twin life with Issa and Jessie in @karinaisreadingandwriting’s THE VANDERBEEKERS. 

Since then, we’ve seen more depictions of twins, including Varian Johnson’s TWINS (a graphic novel about twin sisters Francine and Maureen entering 6th grade), MIRROR TO MIRROR by Rajani LaRocca, and Hope and Gordon in THE WINTERTON DECEPTION (review to come)!

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Besides the wonderfully imaginative and powerful storyline, loved the visuals and the diversity representation in this graphic novel. The main character has a bad leg and gets around with a walking stick, which is something rarely depicted in graphic novels (and it’s barely even discussed—it just is!).

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🩰throwback Thursday - meet one of my favorites 🩰throwback Thursday - meet one of my favorites

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This book focuses on Monique (Mo) and Rasheeda (Sheeda)’s friendship and how it changes over a summer when both girls are drawn into different pursuits. Mo is off at a ballet intensive with Mila, while Sheeda is stuck at church (with her church “friends”) feeling like she has no life.

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🇲🇽Twins on opposite sides I’d seen this b 🇲🇽Twins on opposite sides

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Twins Luisa and Fernando find their paths diverging as they’re entering sixth grade. Luisa will be attending middle school in the US just across the border from Fernando’s school in Mexico. There, they come to face to face with different, but equally pressing challenges that threaten to tear them apart.

I really enjoyed this book. The side by side depictions of both kids parallel lives, the way the illustrations celebrate Mexican culture, living, and traditions, and the heartwarming way the twins find their way back to each other. 

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If you’re looking for a meatier middle grade book perfect for kids ages 9-12 (and older, really—love the cover!) looking for books that balance levity and relatability with real issues like toxic masculinity, parental addiction, friendship issues, and crushes.

#mglit #middlegrade #middlegradebookies #kidlit #booksforkids
❤️ a protagonist for the times Willow (Lolo) ❤️ a protagonist for the times

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I really enjoyed Lolo’s story. It’s strongly reminiscent of classics like Ramona and Lolo’s voice leaps off the pages. The setting is also an unmistakable part of this story and the story feels drenched in summer. My heart went out to Lolo who always feels like she’s the reason why everything’s gone awry. I also laughed plenty at her way of seeing the world. 

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#mglit #books #bookstagram
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