Recommended Reads from Mindy Bilyeu, Adult Services Librarian
Praisesong for the Kitchen Ghosts: Stories and Recipes from Five Generations of Black Country Cooks
by Crystal Wilkinson (Non-fiction)
Years ago, when O. Henry Prize-winning writer Crystal Wilkinson was baking a jam cake, she felt her late grandmother's presence. She soon realized that she was not the only cook in her kitchen; there was an abundance of ancestors stirring, measuring, and braising with her. These are her kitchen ghosts, five generations of Black women who arrived in her region of Appalachia and made a life, a legacy, and a cuisine.
Taste of Home: Mediterranean Favorites
by Taste of Home (Non-fiction)
Take your taste buds on a mouthwatering trip with Greek, Tuscan, Moroccan and other vibrant flavors inspired by the sun-kissed coastal region of the Mediterranean Sea. Easy-to-find ingredients, familiar cooking methods and step-by-step instructions make quick work of getting a delicious meal on the table in no time flat. It’s a snap with this sensational collection of tried-and-true favorites.
Food Gifts: 150+ Irresistible Recipes for Crafting Personalized Presents
by America’s Test Kitchen (Non-fiction)
Food fosters connection, and there's no more meaningful way to connect with others than to give a personalized food gift that you’ve prepared and packaged yourself. Elle Simone Scott, food stylist and ATK cast member, turns her talents to expanding the boundaries of what food gifts are and when they can be given, proving along the way that food is one of the best (and best-looking) gifts you can give.
Let’s Get Physical: How Women Discovered Exercise and Reshaped the World
by Danielle Friedman (Non-fiction)
A captivating blend of reporting and personal narrative that explores the untold history of women's exercise culture – from jogging and Jazzercise to Jane Fonda – and how women have parlayed physical strength into other forms of power. It was only in the Sixties that, thanks to a few forward-thinking fitness pioneers, women began to move en masse.
Good for a Girl: A Woman Running in a Man’s World
by Lauren Fleshman (Biography)
Fueled by her years as an elite runner and advocate for women in sports, Fleshman offers her inspiring personal story and a rallying cry for reform of a sports landscape that is failing young female athletes. Every step of the way, she has seen how our sports systems – originally designed by men, for men and boys – fail young women and girls as much as empower them.
Swimming to the Top of the Tide
by Patricia Hanlon (Non-fiction)
The Great Marsh is the largest continuous stretch of salt marsh in New England, extending from Cape Ann to New Hampshire. Patricia Hanlon and her husband, Robert, built their home and raised their children alongside it. Immersing herself, she experiences, with all her senses in all seasons, the vigor of a place where the two ecosystems of fresh and saltwater mix, merge and create new life.
A Most Beautiful Thing: The True Story of America’s First All-Black High School Rowing Team
by Arshay Cooper (Non-fiction)
The moving true story of a group of young men growing up on Chicago's West side who form the first all-black high school rowing team in the nation, and in doing so not only transform a sport, but their lives. Arshay spends his school days in the home-ec kitchen dreaming of becoming a chef. And then one day as he's walking out of school, he notices a boat in the lunchroom, and a poster that reads "Join the Crew Team."
Recommended Reads from Katie Ross, Youth Services Supervisor
I’m Hungry!/¡Tengo Hambre!
by Angela Dominguez (Juvenile Spanish Picture Book)
A hungry dinosaur wants something to eat. A bluebird offers some suggestions like Ice Cream?/¿Helado? The dinosaur always answers no. When bluebird is just about to give up trying, dinosaur supplies the answer. Young readers will devour the humor and vocabulary in this bilingual offering.
Markets: A World to Discover
by Josep Sucarrats (Juvenile Non-fiction)
Travel the world and experience one of the oldest forms of commerce: markets. In this richly illustrated and informative book, readers experience the world’s most famous food markets such as the Boqueria Market in Barcelona, Spain and the Grand Bazaar of Istanbul.
Measuring Up!
By Lily Lamotte, illustrated by Ann Xu (Juvenile Graphic Novel Fiction)
Cici and her parents emigrated to the United States from Taiwan. Cici really misses her A-má (her grandmother) and wants to fly A-má to Seattle to celebrate her 70th birthday. Cici decides to enter a cooking contest to win the money. As she competes in the competition, she learns from Julia Child to “have the courage of her convictions” and cook the Taiwanese food she knows so well, but with her own twist.
See How We Move! A First Book about Health and Well-Being
by Scot Ritchie (Juvenile Non-fiction)
Follow the members of the Flying Shark swim team as they get ready for the big competition! As the team goes through practice, readers learn about the importance of safety equipment, the role of exercise and the mind-body connection. Helpful tips encourage kids to exercise and fuel their bodies with healthy food.
José Feeds the World
by David Unger (Juvenile Non-fiction) Learn about chef José Andrés and how he came to organize the World Central Kitchen. With the World Central Kitchen, Andrés helps those affected by natural disasters by providing food. Readers will be inspired to think about ways they can help those in need.
The Recipe-a-Day Kids Cookbook
by Food Network (Juvenile Non-fiction)
Find 365 different recipes – one for each day of the year. Recipes include snacks, main course options and desserts. Suitable for experienced and beginner kid chefs.
