Summer Reading 2025

Ty rocks out with friends in this new book in the Geisel Honor-winning series! Join Ty on his imaginative adventures in Ty's Travels: Showtime, a My First I Can Read story by acclaimed author and illustrator team Kelly Starling Lyons and Niña Mata. Music, imagination, and play are highlighted, making this perfect for sharing with children ages 3 to 6. Rap-a-tap-tap! Thrum, thrum, thrum! Plink-a-plink-plink! Ty loves playing the instruments, but something's missing--his friends! With the help of his vivid imagination, Ty and his friends are onstage in a band making great music together. With simple, rhythmic text and joyful, bright art, this My First series is perfect for shared reading with a child. Books at this level feature basic language, word repetition, and whimsical illustrations, ideal for sharing with emergent readers. The active, engaging stories have appealing plots and lovable characters, encouraging children to continue their reading journey. Author Kelly Starling Lyons was selected as the 2021 Piedmont Laureate!

For any child who loves making art! This Level One I Can Read story by Laura Driscoll, illustrated by Catalina Echeverri, blends narrative with nonfiction, introducing many different kinds of working artists to the young reader. Papa takes me to an art show and I get to meet a painter and a sculptor. Then we go to Papa's workspace. He's a hand-lettering artist. He takes me to meet the other artists in the building and I get to see how they work. Maybe I will be an artist when I grow up! Over the course of an exciting day with Papa, our young narrator interacts with a potter, a photographer, an animator, a graphic designer, an illustrator, a cartoon artist, and even a muralist!  Art and artists are everywhere. There are loads of ways to make art--and making art doesn't just have to be a hobby.  I Want to Be an Artist is a vibrant addition to the I Can Read series that introduces young readers to important community helpers. Includes a glossary. painter sculptor hand-lettering artist potter graphic designer photographer illustrator animator cartoonist botanical illustrator muralist

Experience the world from a puppy's perspective via the video camera on its head in this fun and exciting Pre-Level 1 Ready-to-Read book in the Critter-Cam series! Through a video camera positioned on the puppy's head, readers will follow along from the puppy's point of view as it tries to catch a ball, follow birds, and dig, but gets a surprise instead! Go, Puppy, go! Dan Yaccarino's bright art and Margie Palatini's simple text create a dynamic world that beginning readers will want to visit over and over again!

Poppy, Branch, and the Trolls are back in this all-new leveled reader based on the movie DreamWorks Animation's Trolls Band Together--dancing and singing into theaters November 17, 2023! Poppy and Branch return for an all-new chapter in DreamWorks Animation's blockbuster musical franchise Trolls Band Together! Get ready for an action-packed all-star, rainbow-colored family reunion as the Trolls go on an epic quest to help Branch reunite with his missing brothers--spreading music, joy, friendship, and good times along the way! Perfect for boys and girls ages 4 to 7, this Step 3 Step into Reading leveled reader introduces fans, new and old, to Poppy, Branch, Bridget, and all the new characters from Trolls Band Together and it's a great way to learn to read! Step 3 readers feature engaging characters in easy-to-follow plots about popular topics. For children who are ready to read on their own.

Rappy the Raptor's class has to write poems about their favorite things for Poetry Week, and the best poet will win a cupcake! Will Rappy discover he's a poet and he didn't even know it Beginning readers will love rapping along to this Level Two I Can Read tale as Rappy, his classmates, and even their teacher, Mrs. H, rap about everything from flying kites and pillow fights to snow days and mayonnaise! Rappy and His Favorite Things is a Level Two I Can Read book, geared for kids who read on their own but still need a little help.

Drew and her mischievous doodles are back--and planning a heist-in-reverse at the Art Institute of Chicago--in the sequel to Doodleville, which Lincoln Peirce calls "a masterpiece." Drew never meant for this to happen. She didn't mean for her doodle Mike to steal the centuries-old hat. She didn't mean for Levi to steal the centuries-old baby (when he was supposed to be returning the coveted hat!). And she definitely didn't mean to send the Art Institute of Chicago into a downward spiral of art-on-art combat.   She just wanted to fix a simple mistake!   Now everything's gone wrong, and it's mayhem at the museum. Drew is sure she's going to become public enemy #1, wanted posters and all.   But it turns out Drew and her art club might be the museum's only chance at resolution and restoration. Can they fix it before centuries worth of masterpieces are destroyed forever?

From New York Times bestselling author Gale Galligan, a fun, high-energy graphic novel about friendship, family, and the last hurrahs of middle school.Cory's dance crew is getting ready for a major competition. It's the last one before they graduate eighth grade and go their separate ways to high schools all over New York City, so they have to make it count! The group starts to have problems as their crew captain gets increasingly intense about nailing the routine, and things go from bad to worse when Cory's parents ground him for not taking his grades seriously. He gets stuck with a new tutor, Sunna, who he dismisses as a boring nerd... until he catches her secretly practicing cool yo-yo tricks. Cory wants to learn the art of yo-yo, and as his friendship with Sunna grows, he ends up missing practice and bailing on his crew -- and they are not happy about it. With mounting pressure coming from all sides, how is Cory supposed to balance the expectations of his parents, school, dance, and his new friend?

*A Kirkus Reviews Best Book of 2018!* All Summer Long, a coming-of-age middle-grade graphic novel about summer and friendships, written and illustrated by the Eisner Award-winning and New York Times-bestselling Hope Larson. Thirteen-year-old Bina has a long summer ahead of her. She and her best friend, Austin, usually do everything together, but he's off to soccer camp for a month, and he's been acting kind of weird lately anyway. So it's up to Bina to see how much fun she can have on her own. At first it's a lot of guitar playing, boredom, and bad TV, but things look up when she finds an unlikely companion in Austin's older sister, who enjoys music just as much as Bina. But then Austin comes home from camp, and he's acting even weirder than when he left. How Bina and Austin rise above their growing pains and reestablish their friendship and respect for their differences makes for a touching and funny coming-of-age story.

A young girl in middle school will do whatever it takes to meet her favorite author-even if it means joining her school band! A contemporary graphic novel about making your dream come true-and the friends you make along the way. When Scout learns that her favorite author is doing an exclusive autograph session at the end of the year, she's determined to be there! She officially needs a plan...and when she finds out that her school's band is heading to the same location for their annual trip, an idea takes shape. Being a band kid can't be that hard, right? As it turns out, learning how to play an instrument when you can't even read music is much, much, MUCH tougher than expected. And it's even harder for Scout when her friends aren't on board with her new hobby. Will she be able to master the trombone, make new band friends, and get to her favorite author's book signing? Tackling everything seems like a challenge for a supergenius superfriend supermusician-and she's just Scout.

A semiautobiographical middle-grade graphic novel about frenemies, fitting in, and finding your voice.Cecil Hall and his family have just moved from Florida to Massachusetts, near Boston. Cecil is anxious about making friends because he doesn't know where he'll fit in. His older sister, Leah, thinks he should befriend the other black kids at his new school, but Cecil isn't sure how he'd go about doing that. He wants to be known for his comics-making talent, anyway. But the few kids who are impressed by Cecil's art aren't always nice to him. When one of his drawings is misused and gets him into serious trouble, can Cecil stand up for himself and figure out who his real friends are?

Rising star Kat Fajardo's debut middle-grade graphic novel about a girl who would rather do anything other than celebrate her quinceañera! A funny and heartfelt coming-of-age story about navigating the expectations of family and cultural tradition. Sue just wants to spend the summer reading and making comics at sleepaway camp with her friends, but instead she gets stuck going to Honduras to visit relatives with her parents and two sisters. They live way out in the country, which means no texting, no cable, and no Internet! The trip takes a turn for the worse when Sue's mother announces that they'll be having a surprise quinceañera for Sue, which is the last thing she wants. She can't imagine wearing a big, floofy, colorful dress! What is Sue going to do? And how will she survive all this "quality" time with her rambunctious family? Miss Quinces/Srta. Quinces is the first graphic novel published by Scholastic/Graphix to be simultaneously released in English and Spanish editions!

From New York Times bestselling author-illustrator Kayla Miller comes a graphic novel about friendship and finding where you "click" in middle school, perfect for fans of Smile and Real Friends. Olive wants to get in on the act . . . . . . Any act! Olive "clicks" with everyone in the fifth grade--until one day she doesn't. When a school variety show leaves Olive stranded without an act to join, she begins to panic, wondering why all her friends have already formed their own groups . . . without her. With the performance drawing closer by the minute, will Olive be able to find her own place in the show before the curtain comes up? New York Times bestselling author-illustrator Kayla Miller has woven together a heartfelt and insightful story about navigating friendships, leaning on family, and learning to take the stage in the most important role of all. Read more about Olive & friends in the World of Click books! Click Graphic Novels: Click Act Camp Clash Crunch Break Stuck Besties Graphic Novels: Besties: Work It Out Besties: Find Their Groove Besties: Prank War

A New York Times bestseller! The Last Kids on Earth are creating THEIR OWN COMIC BOOK! From worldwide bestselling author Max Brallier comes a full-color graphic novel spin-off series based on the #1 New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling Last Kids on Earth! Jack, Quint, June, and Dirk are about to face a challenge unlike any they've faced before . . . At their local comic book store, the kids make a startling discovery: they've read every last issue of their favorite comic, Z-Man, and no new issues are coming...ever! (Thanks a lot, apocalypse.). Nooo! Our heroes have but one choice: continue Z-Man's legacy by writing and illustrating THEIR OWN COMIC BOOK! Step one? Knock off their beloved Z-Man and cast themselves as super rad, super goofy, superhero protectors of the mysterious city of Apocalyptia. What could possibly go wrong? Just about everything! Fans are sure to love this hilarious, action-packed, four-color graphic novel series by the creators of The last Kids on Earth.

From Raina Telgemeier, the #1 New York Times bestselling, multiple Eisner Award-winning author of Smile and Sisters!Callie loves theater. And while she would totally try out for her middle school's production of Moon over Mississippi, she can't really sing. Instead she's the set designer for the drama department's stage crew, and this year she's determined to create a set worthy of Broadway on a middle-school budget. But how can she, when she doesn't know much about carpentry, ticket sales are down, and the crew members are having trouble working together? Not to mention the onstage AND offstage drama that occurs once the actors are chosen. And when two cute brothers enter the picture, things get even crazier!

Everyone knows the most stressful day of middle school is picture day! And that's exactly where thisyearbook-worthy graphic novel series opener begins- with reinventing yourself, drama, popularity, and the friends who see you through. Seventh-grader Viv never looks forward to picture day. It's just another day where she wears a boring braid and no one notices her. (Her two best friends, Milo and Al, don't count, of course.) But enough is enough. This year, she's taking matters into her own hands. Literally. Viv grabs a pair of scissors, her phone for live-streaming, and, well, bye-bye braid. Suddenly Viv is an over-night influencer at Brinkley Middle School. Everyone wants her help planning their next big moment-from haircuts, to dance proposals, activist rallies and mathlete championships. She hardly even has time for her friends anymore. It's exactly how she dreamed of reinventing herself...right? In the tradition of modern classics like Vera Brosgol's Be Prepared, Svetlana Chmakova's Awkward,and Kayla Miller's Click, Picture Day brings answers to perennial questions of what it means to be true to yourself-and a true friend. Look for the whole Brinkley Yearbooks series- PICTURE DAY . TRYOUTS . SCHOOL DANCE (Coming August 2025!)

Bestselling author Alice Hoffman delivers a stunning novel about one of contemporary history's most acclaimed figures, exploring the little-known details of Anne Frank's life before she went into hiding. Anne Frank's The Diary of a Young Girl has captivated and inspired readers for decades. Published posthumously by her bereaved father, Anne's journal, written while she and her family were in hiding during World War II, has become one of the central texts of the Jewish experience during the Holocaust, as well as a work of literary genius. With the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands, the Frank family's life is turned inside out, blow by blow, restriction by restriction. Prejudice, loss, and terror run rampant, and Anne is forced to bear witness as ordinary people become monsters, and children and families are caught up in the inescapable tide of violence. In the midst of impossible danger, Anne, audacious and creative and fearless, discovers who she truly is. With a wisdom far beyond her years, she will become a writer who will go on to change the world as we know it. Critically acclaimed author Alice Hoffman weaves a lyrical and heart-wrenching story of the way the world closes in on the Frank family from the moment the Nazis invade the Netherlands until they are forced into hiding, bringing Anne to bold, vivid life. Based on extensive research and published in cooperation with the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam, When We Flew Away is an extraordinary and moving tour de force. Perfect for Alice Hoffman fans and readers of every age. "Adding new poignance to a story whose ending we already knew, Alice Hoffman has deftly recreated the child Anne Frank with all her wit, mischief, and uncertainties. This fictionalized account of the increasingly desperate years that preceded the famous diary breaks readers' hearts one more time. But it reminds us of how important it is to remember and honor all that was lost." -- Lois Lowry, Newbery Award-winning author of Number the Stars "We can highly recommend Alice Hoffman's novel of Anne Frank's life, set in the dramatic and terrible circumstances of those first war years. We hope it will persuade young readers that contributing to a better world is both necessary and possible." --Ronald Leopold, Executive Director, Anne Frank House

It's the beginning of eighth grade, and Nat Beacon is nervous. Not only will she be the New Kid, but the New Kid in a Wheelchair. And the school year starts off rocky: No one seems friendly, and she can't get to the cafeteria without help. But there are a few bright spots. Namely, her best friend, Hudson, her boyfriend (swoon!), Malik, and her very favorite thing: theater. This year, there's a middle-school theater competition, and any production that wins their regional competition will get the chance to perform-on a real Broadway stage! Nat couldn't be more excited. This is her chance to make it big and prove she belongs at her new school! Nat wows the director and gets cast in the school production: Footloose! But rehearsals are super stressful. Dance diva, Skye, wants more complex choreography, Malik keeps flaking for band practice, and Hudson gives Nat the cold shoulder, leaving Nat confused and alone. Nat starts to wonder whether she can really carry the show to Broadway and whether, without her friends, it's worth doing theater at all.Full of heart, friendship, and so much song, Cut Loose! by Tony Award winner Ali Stroker and Stacy Davidowitz is an uplifting story about embracing your strengths, standing out, and standing up for what you believe in.

A new novel from Angela Cervantes that uses the story of Frida Kahlo to help readers discover the true power of heritage, art, and family.A room locked for fifty years.A valuable peacock ring.A mysterious brother-sister duo.Paloma Marquez is traveling to Mexico City, birthplace of her deceased father, for the very first time. She's hoping that spending time in Mexico will help her unlock memories of the too-brief time they spent together. While in Mexico, Paloma meets Lizzie and Gael, who present her with an irresistible challenge: The siblings want her to help them find a valuable ring that once belonged to beloved Mexican artist Frida Kahlo. Finding the ring means a big reward -- and the thanks of all Mexico. What better way to honor her father than returning a priceless piece of jewelry that once belonged to his favorite artist! But the brother and sister have a secret. Do they really want to return the ring, or are they after something else entirely?

This bewitching first novel is a puzzle, wrapped in a mystery, disguised as an adventure, and delivered as a work of art. When a book of unexplainable occurances brings Petra Andalee & Calder Pillay together, strange things start to happen: seemingly unrelated events connect, an eccentric old woman seeks their company, & an invaluable Vermeer painting disappears. Before they know it, the two find themselves at the center of an international art scandal. As Petra & Calder are drawn clue by clue into a mysterious labyrinth they must draw on their powers of intuition, their skills at problem solving, and their knowledge of Vermeer. Can they decipher a crime that has left even the FBI baffled?

This new mystery from bestselling author Blue Balliett is now available in After Words paperback!When Calder Pillay travels with his father to a remote village in England, he finds a mix of mazes and mystery . . . including an unexpected Alexander Calder sculpture in the town square. Calder is strangely drawn to the sculpture, while other people have less-than-friendly feelings towards it. Both the boy and the sculpture seem to be out of place . . . and then, on the same night, they disappear! Calder's friends Petra and Tommy must fly out to help his father find him. But this mystery has more twists and turns than a Calder mobile . . . with more at stake than first meets the eye.

A Children's Book Book Council Spotlight selection! A heartwarming middle-grade debut with autism representation and a musical flair. Maya lives and breathes musicals. When her chance to finally be a part of the summer musical program at the community theater comes up, Maya is convinced she will get the lead. After all, who knows The Drowsy Chaperone better than she does? However, things don't turn out exactly the way Maya's planned, and the summer turns out to be jam-packed with problems: dealing with her best friend's move, her parents' busy jobs, and--since her autism diagnosis--the ongoing puzzle of how to be Maya in Public. But perhaps most important of all, Maya has to figure out how to play the part that truly feels like her own.

A2018 Pura Belpre Author Honor Book The First Rule of Punk is a wry and heartfelt exploration of friendship, finding your place, and learning to rock out like no one's watching. There are no shortcuts to surviving your first day at a new school-you can't fix it with duct tape like you would your Chuck Taylors. On Day One, twelve-year-old Malo (Maria Luisa, if you want to annoy her) inadvertently upsets Posada Middle School's queen bee, violates the school's dress code with her punk rock look, and disappoints her college-professor mom in the process. Her dad, who now lives a thousand miles away, says things will get better as long as she remembers the first rule of punk- be yourself. The real Malo loves rock music, skateboarding, zines, and Soyrizo (hold the cilantro, please). And when she assembles a group of like-minded misfits at school and starts a band, Malo finally begins to feel at home. She'll do anything to preserve this, which includes standing up to an anti-punk school administration to fight for her right to express herself! Black and white illustrations and collage art by award-winning author Celia C. Perez are featured throughout. "Malo rocks!" -Victoria Jamieson, author and illustrator of the New York Times bestselling and Newbery Honor-winning Roller Girl

Dan Brown meets Jason Bourne in this riveting middle-grade mystery thriller. When a young boy is discovered in Washington DC's National Gallery without any recollection of who he is, so begins a high-stakes race to unravel the greatest mystery of all: his identity.       As the stakes continue to rise, the boy must piece together the disjointed clues of his origins while using his limited knowledge to stop one of the greatest art frauds ever attempted. Digitally interactive, this breathtaking museum mystery offers QR codes woven throughout the book that bring renowned paintings to readers' fingertips.

When suburban Claudia Kincaid decides to run away, she knows she doesn't just want to run "from" somewhere, she wants to run "to" somewhere -- to a place that is comfortable, beautiful, and, preferably, elegant. She chooses the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. Knowing that her younger brother Jamie has money and thus can help her with a serious cash-flow problem, she invites him along. Once settled into the museum, Claudia and Jamie find themselves caught up in the mystery of an angel statue that the museum purchased at auction for a bargain price of $225. The statue is possibly an early work of the Renaissance master, Michelangelo, and therefore worth millions. Is it? Or isn't it? Claudia is determined to find out. Her quest leads her to Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, the remarkable old woman who sold the statue, and to some equally remarkable discoveries about herself.

A violin and a middle-school musical unleash a dark family secret in this moving story by an award-winning author duo. For fans of The Devil's Arithmetic and Hana's Suitcase. It's 2002. In the aftermath of the twin towers -- and the death of her beloved grandmother -- Shirli Berman is intent on moving forward. The best singer in her junior high, she auditions for the lead role in Fiddler on the Roof, but is crushed to learn that she's been given the part of the old Jewish mother in the musical rather than the coveted part of the sister. But there is an upside: her "husband" is none other than Ben Morgan, the cutest and most popular boy in the school. Deciding to throw herself into the role, she rummages in her grandfather's attic for some props. There, she discovers an old violin in the corner -- strange, since her Zayde has never seemed to like music, never even going to any of her recitals. Showing it to her grandfather unleashes an anger in him she has never seen before, and while she is frightened of what it might mean, Shirli keeps trying to connect with her Zayde and discover the awful reason behind his anger. A long-kept family secret spills out, and Shirli learns the true power of music, both terrible and wonderful.

Fans of Kate DiCamillo and Katherine Applegate will fall in love with this tug-at-your-heartstrings middle-grade novel about one girl who is desperate to find the "perfect home" as she moves from one town to the next with her Grandmother. Eleven-year-old Jubilee Johnson is an expert at three things: crafting, moving, and avoiding goodbyes. On the search for the "perfect place," she and her Nan live by their Number One Relocation Rule--just the two of them is all they need. But Jubilee's starting to feel like just two is a little too close to alone. Desperate to settle down, Jubilee plans their next move, Hope Springs, Texas--home of her TV crafting idol, Arletta Paisley. Here she meets a girl set on winning the local fishing tournament and a boy who says exactly the right thing by hardly speaking at all. Soon, Jubilee wonders if Hope Springs might just be the place to call home. But when the town is threatened by a mega-chain superstore fronted by Arletta Paisley, Jubilee is faced with skipping town yet again or standing up to her biggest bully yet. With the help of her new friends and the one person she never thought she'd need--her Momma--will Jubilee find a way to save the town she's come to love and convince Nan that it's finally time to settle down?

Sunny tries to shine despite his troubled past in this third novel in the critically acclaimed Track series from National Book Award finalist Jason Reynolds. Ghost. Patina. Sunny. Lu. Four kids from wildly different backgrounds, with personalities that are explosive when they clash. But they are also four kids chosen for an elite middle school track team--a team that could qualify them for the Junior Olympics. They all have a lot of lose, but they all have a lot to prove, not only to each other, but to themselves. Sunny is the main character in this novel, the third of four books in Jason Reynold's electrifying middle grade series. Sunny is just that--sunny. Always ready with a goofy smile and something nice to say, Sunny is the chillest dude on the Defenders team. But Sunny's life hasn't always been sun beamy-bright. You see, Sunny is a murderer. Or at least he thinks of himself that way. His mother died giving birth to him, and based on how Sunny's dad treats him--ignoring him, making Sunny call him Darryl, never "Dad"--it's no wonder Sunny thinks he's to blame. It seems the only thing Sunny can do right in his dad's eyes is win first place ribbons running the mile, just like his mom did. But Sunny doesn't like running, never has. So he stops. Right in the middle of a race. With his relationship with his dad now worse than ever, the last thing Sunny wants to do is leave the other newbies--his only friends--behind. But you can't be on a track team and not run. So Coach asks Sunny what he wants to do. Sunny's answer? Dance. Yes, dance. But you also can't be on a track team and dance. Then, in a stroke of genius only Jason Reynolds can conceive, Sunny discovers a track event that encompasses the hard hits of hip-hop, the precision of ballet, and the showmanship of dance as a whole: the discus throw. As Sunny practices the discus, learning when to let go at just the right time, he'll let go of everything that's been eating him up inside, perhaps just in time.

One lie snowballs into a full-blown double life in this irresistible story about an aspiring stand-up comedian. On the outside, Yumi Chung suffers from #shygirlproblems, a perm-gone-wrong, and kids calling her "Yu-MEAT" because she smells like her family's Korean barbecue restaurant. On the inside, Yumi is ready for her Netflix stand-up special. Her notebook is filled with mortifying memories that she's reworked into comedy gold. All she needs is a stage and courage. Instead of spending the summer studying her favorite YouTube comedians, Yumi is enrolled in test-prep tutoring to qualify for a private school scholarship, which will help in a time of hardship at the restaurant. One day after class, Yumi stumbles on an opportunity that will change her life: a comedy camp for kids taught by one of her favorite YouTube stars. The only problem is that the instructor and all the students think she's a girl named Kay Nakamura--and Yumi doesn't correct them. As this case of mistaken identity unravels, Yumi must decide to stand up and reveal the truth or risk losing her dreams and disappointing everyone she cares about.

"A dazzling debut novel about resilience, courage, home and family."--Rebecca Stead, Newbery Award-winning author of When You Reach Me SoHo, 1981. Twelve-year-old Olympia is an artist--and in her neighborhood, that's normal. Her dad and his business partner Apollo bring antique paintings back to life, while her mother makes intricate sculptures in a corner of their loft, leaving Ollie to roam the streets of New York with her best friends Richard and Alex, drawing everything that catches her eye. Then everything falls apart. Ollie's dad disappears in the middle of the night, leaving her only a cryptic note and instructions to destroy it. Her mom has gone to bed, and she's not getting up. Apollo is hiding something, Alex is acting strange, and Richard has questions about the mysterious stranger he saw outside. And someone keeps calling, looking for a missing piece of art. . . . Olympia knows her dad is the key--but first, she has to find him, and time is running out. Lauded by critics in five starred reviews, All the Greys on Greene Street has been called "a remarkable debut" and "a triumph."

A timely, accessible, and beautifully written story exploring themes of food, friendship, family and what it means to belong, featuring sixth graders Sara, a Pakistani American, and Elizabeth, a white, Jewish girl taking a South Asian cooking class taught by Sara's mom. Sixth graders Sara and Elizabeth could not be more different. Sara is at a new school that is completely unlike the small Islamic school she used to attend. Elizabeth has her own problems: her British mum has been struggling with depression. The girls meet in an after-school South Asian cooking class, which Elizabeth takes because her mom has stopped cooking, and which Sara, who hates to cook, is forced to attend because her mother is the teacher. The girls form a shaky alliance that gradually deepens, and they make plans to create the most amazing, mouth-watering cross-cultural dish together and win a spot on a local food show. They make good cooking partners... but can they learn to trust each other enough to become true friends?