We did similar things throughout my childhood: I had two bread-baking stints in grade school. The first went along with a picture book I got from the library. There was a mouse who, while trying to make bread, fought with the yeastie beasties that were making her bread rise. (I’ve never been able to find that book again! If you have any ideas, let me know!) My mom and I made a modified version of that mouse’s bread. Later, inspired by an old children’s book from the 1960s, Ginnie and the Cooking Contest, I got into bread-baking again. (And yes, since I know you are wondering: you are correct, I was homeschooled.) I have always loved the idea of pairing a piece of media with the food that goes along with it, whether it’s making the recipe in the back of a novel or copying a meal featured in a movie. I think for kids, it’s an especially good way to make a reading experience more immersive. You don’t just read the book, you actually get to experience the tastes and smells that the characters do. It can be a bonding moment between adults and kids: maybe you read the book together and then cook the meal, or even just cook something that goes along with your favorite kid’s current interest. I’ve been thinking about this more and more as some new middle grade books for food lovers have started to pile up on my desk, so I’ve had a lot of fun pairing them with the perfect cookbook to make the perfect read-and-cook-along combination.
Zany Ice Creams
First up, I have a laugh-out-loud funny middle grade book about ice cream paired with a quirky ice cream cookbook.
The Family Restaurant
Maizy gets to spend more time in her family’s midwestern restaurant in Maizy Chen’s Last Chance, so I thought I’d pair it it with Xi’an Famous Foods, Jason Wang’s book about his family’s family-run chain of Western Chinese restaurants in New York.
Fairytale Food
Evie Baker loves two things: stories and baking. So I thought I’d pair this fairytale with Nadiya Hussain’s fairytale baking book.
Feel-At-Home Food
Cici just moved from Taiwan to Seattle and is having trouble finding her footing, so I thought a book of home-style Taiwanese cooking would help her gain confidence in herself.
Project Bake
Alice is used to helping her dad, a culinary historian, prepare elaborate bakes and recreate meals from the past. I thought Alice would appreciate Claire Saffitz’s detailed instructions in Dessert Person. I hope you’re inspired to start cooking along with your middle grade reading! If you’re looking for more foodie books for middle grade kids, check out this round-up! If you want to cook with your kids with a little less fiction, here’s a round up of some of the best cookbooks for kids.
