A Place at the Table
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?
- ISBN
- 9780358118923
Shelved by 1 Litcadian
Reviews
- inspiringMedium-paced
Started June 8, 2025 · Finished June 10, 2025
Light, fun, inspired. A Place at the Table is a reminder that we all might be diffrent, but that doesn't make us less human than the other. It's a good story that's not heavy on the drama, but it still talks about the challenges of being an immigrant in a country that has deeply rooted problem in racism. I love how the children in Poplar Springs came to love genuine cooking despite its "exoticism" because good food is good food.