Lasagna Means I Love You
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Book Summary:
Mo is grieving the loss of her grandmother, the only parent she's really known, and writes letters to her grandmother in a journal over the course of the story. Before she died, her grandmother encouraged Mo to find a hobby to keep her going, and Mo discovers she enjoys cooking. She begins to collect special family recipes from different people, and showcases them on social media (the recipes are included for readers to try, too). In the meantime, she's trying to build a relationship with her new foster parents, who are a lot wealthier than her grandmother, and their routines and expectations are very different. Book Review: This is a story about identity and family that explores class, traditions, inter-generational friendships, and adoption. The family recipes echo Mo's search for a family, but also the truth of relationships - I'm Sorry Lemon Bars show that not all family times are perfect, and that's okay. There's also an authentic exploration of class and behavior that is rare in middle grade books - it's not that the wealthy people are perfect or greedy, and it's not that the less affluent are ignorant or perfect, and Mo doesn't have to be perfect - individuals have different agendas and make different choices. It's a book worth reading. "I know I should be grateful, but a big part of me feels like I'm looking at all this nice stuff through a glass wall. Like I'm not actually here at all." |
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