Chinese Menu: History Myths and Legends Behind Your Favorite Foods
Grace Lin
Little Brown Books for Young Readers
From fried dumplings to fortune cookies, here are the tales behind your favorite foods.
Do you know the stories behind delectable dishes—like the fun connection between scallion pancakes and pizza? Or how dumplings cured a village’s frostbitten ears? Or how wonton soup tells about the creation of the world?
Separated into courses like a Chinese menu, these tales—based in real history and folklore—are filled with squabbling dragons, magical fruits, and hungry monks. This book will bring you to far-off times and marvelous places, all while making your mouth water. And, along the way, you might just discover a deeper understanding of the resilience and triumph behind this food, and what makes it undeniably American.
Award-winning and bestselling author Grace Lin provides a visual and storytelling feast as she gives insight on the history, legends, and myths behind your favorite American Chinese dishes. Chinese Menu makes the perfect gift book for anyone who loves good food—and an even better story.
Top Story
Kelly Yang
Scholastic Press
Mia Tang is at the top of her game!
She’s spending winter break with Mom, Lupe, Jason, and Hank in San Francisco’s Chinatown! Rich with history and hilarious aunties and uncles, it’s the place to find a great story—one she hopes to publish while attending journalism camp at the Tribune. But this trip has as many bumps as the hills of San Francisco . . .
1. Mia’s camp is full of older kids, with famous relatives, fancy laptops, and major connections! Can she compete with just her pen and passion?
2. Lupe’s thinking about skipping ahead to college! Will Mia ever get a chance to just chill with her best friend?
3. Jason’s crushing hard on a new girl. For the first time ever, Mia is speechless…and jealous. Can she find the courage to tell Jason—gulp—that she has a crush on him?
Even for the best writers, it’s not always easy to find the right words. But if anyone can tell a top story, it’s Mia Tang!
Tryout
Christina Soontornvat
Graphix
When cheerleading tryouts are announced, Christina and her best friend, Megan, literally jump at the chance to join the squad. As two of the only kids of color in the school, they have always yearned to fit in—and the middle school cheerleaders are popular and accepted by everyone. But will the girls survive the terrifying tryouts, with their whole grade watching? And will their friendship withstand the pressures of competition?
Hilarious and highly relatable, The Tryout by two-time Newbery Honoree Christina Soontornvat and shining new talent Joanna Cacao will make you laugh, cry, and cheer!
Gigi Shin Is Not a Nerd
Lyla Lee
Aladdin
Measuring Up
Lily Lamotte
HarperAlley
For fans of American Born Chinese and Roller Girl, this full color, contemporary heartwarming graphic novel proves food always has a way of bringing people together no matter the distance, by debut talent Lily LaMotte and Ann Xu.
Twelve-year-old Cici has just moved to Seattle from Taiwan, and the only thing she wants more than to fit in is to celebrate A-má’s 70th birthday together. Since she can’t go to A-má, Cici cooks up a plan to bring A-má to her and surprise her parents—by winning the grand prize in a kids’ cooking contest to pay for A-má’s ticket!
There’s just one problem: Cici only knows how to cook Taiwanese food. And after her pickled cucumbers are mistaken for worms at lunch, she’s determined to cook something American. Channeling her inner Julia Child, she cooks her way closer to the prize money—that is until she starts to lose herself in the competition. But Cici can’t let A-má down, even if it means combining her newfound American identity with the flavors of home.
Cici navigates the blending of her Taiwanese culture and her new American identity with heart and bravery. Measuring Up combines the popularity of MasterChef Junior with the immigration and identity struggles of American Born Chinese, and the girl power of Roller Girl.