416 pages |Paperback

From the author ofThe Poet Xwinner of the Michael L. Printz Award, Pura Belpr Award, National Book Award, and Boston Globe/Horn Book Awardcomes a dazzling novel in prose about a girl with talent, pride, and a drive to feed the soul that keeps her fire burning bright. A Walter Award Honor Book and a Golden Kite Award Honor Book. Now in paperback!

Ever since she got pregnant freshman year, Emoni Santiagos life has been about making the tough decisions, doing what has to be done for her daughter and her abuela. The one place she can let all that go is in the kitchen, where she adds a little something magical to everything she cooks, turning her food into straight-up goodness.

Even though shes always dreamed of working as a chef after she graduates, Emoni knows that its not worth her time to pursue the impossible. Yet despite the rules shes made for her lifeand everyone elses rules that she refuses to play byonce Emoni starts cooking, her only choice is to let her talent break free.