Tag Archives: Diet

Elem. – Nana’s New Soul Food

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Power, Will. Nana’s New Soul Food: Discovering Vegan Soul Food. Illustrated by R. Gregory Christie. Crown Books for Young Readers, 2024. 978-0-593-62539-8. Unpaged. $18.99. Grades K-3.

An unnamed African-American boy narrates this positive tale of his grandma’s medically necessary dietary changes. Though he loves her “soul food,” he is committed to finding “new soul food” for her, and so, with his mother, they scour the West End market to find treasures.  They purchase foods like wraps stuffed with couscous and kale; mushroom gravy; nut blend cheese; veggie burgers; air-popped fries; juice; various fruits, and even donuts. The boy’s belief in the food choices quietly grows from “So much healthy food/(Momma says delicious food–I say healthy food)/in the West End” to subtle but important change of “So much healthy good/(Momma says healthy food–I say delicious food)/in the West End.” The reader, like the boy, may feel the same way. The illustrations show vendors with various colorful foods, and the boy’s hopefulness is apparent as they share the foods, and finally, hugs with his grandma. Readers will be left feeling that changes are possible with the support of family. 

THOUGHTS: Excellent pairing of author and illustrator work to present an uplifting and colorful story. This could be used to discuss what ‘healthy’ means and how diet is influenced by family.  

Picture Book

YA – Fat Chance, Charlie Vega

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Maldonado, Crystal. Fat Chance, Charlie Vega. Holiday House, 2021. 978-0-823-44717-6. 343 p. $18.99. Grades 7-12.

Fat Chance, Charlie Vega is an homage to every brown girl who has experienced fat shaming. The main character of Crystal Maldonado’s debut novel, sixteen-almost-seventeen Charlotte “Charlie” Vega struggles with self-acceptance. An unabashed nerd, the Connecticut teen excels at her studies, likes her after school job, and has a kind and loyal best friend, Amelia. On the down side, she still grieves for beloved Puerto Rican father, butts heads with her recently slimmed-down mother, and feels diminished next to the perfect Amelia. A striving idealist and aspiring writer, Charlie longs for the ever-allusive storybook romance. When popular, athletic Cal invites her to the homecoming dance, Charlie is on Cloud 9 and is humiliated when she discovers Cal expected her to deliver Amelia as his date. She finds a ready ear to share her troubles in her kind and understanding class and job mate, Brian Park, who is Korean-American. As her relationship with Brian develops and deepens, Charlie’s self esteem increases. She and Brian are sympatico; he is a thoughtful boyfriend and even his two moms like her. Bolstered with this newfound confidence, Charlie is able to feel secure about her appearance, despite her mother’s insistence on protein shakes and popularity. Talking (and making out) with Brian feels so good, Charlie neglects her bff who is also in a new relationship with a girl from the soccer team. In a rare argument, African American Amelia reveals Brian asked her out in the past. Charlie once again feels second best and takes steps to guarantee a miserable life and fulfill her belief that she just isn’t good enough. Through listening to the positive feedback from her supportive network of co-workers, family, and friends, Charlie comes to believe that she is deserving of love, no matter what her physical appearance. The casual, almost chummy, tone of the language, the inclusion of references to current celebrities and trends, and the relatable theme will make this novel a winner.

THOUGHTS: No matter what gender one identifies with, Fat Chance, Charlie Vega picks up the despair of rejection and invisibility and the thrill of feeling chosen and desired. Though skirting any graphic description of sex, Maldonado woos the teen reader with the building up of her feelings in the make out sessions with Brian. Charlie’s volatile relationship with her well-meaning but issue-ridden mother can be the script for many students dealing with a parent who mixes up wanting the best for one’s child and creating a safe, accepting space. In addition, Charlie’s devotion to writing and Brian’s interest in art make for interesting reading while the humor-infused narrative makes the serious theme smoother going down. Author Maldonado blends diverse gender roles and races seamlessly in an accessible book.

Realistic Fiction          Bernadette Cooke, School District of Philadelphia