Hot, Sour, Salty, Sweet

April 1, 2008
Gr 5-8-Ana Shen daydreams about how her junior-high graduation day should go: Jamie Tabata will ask her to the dance and will confess that he likes her. However, her dreams don't include a plumbing disaster resulting in the dance being canceled, popular classmate Amanda Conrad flirting with Jamie, or both sets of Ana's grandparentsone Chinese, one African Americancooking together. But that is what she gets when she impulsively invites Jamie and his parents to graduation dinner at her house. Her grandmothers don't get along and the evening could be a disaster. Ana tries to smooth things out as the meal comes together, but it's not easy. Her father reassures her that the differences in her family are like different flavors in Chinese cookinghot, sour, salty, sweetthat together make something delicious. After dinner with Jamie's stern, judgmental father (and the surprise appearance of Amanda) Ana realizes that her family isn't the only one with problems. Ana is a winning heroine, a real teenager trying to cope with frustrating situations through patience and humor, and sometimes losing both. The supporting characters are strongly drawn, and reminiscences shared by the grandparents shed light on their younger days and add depth to the story. Fans of Phyllis Reynolds Naylor's "Alice" books (S & S) or Meg Cabot will enjoy discovering Ana."Terrie Dorio, Santa Monica Public Library, CA"

Copyright 2008 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 1, 2008
Much of Smiths novel takes place in a busy kitchen and around a crowded dinner table, so the titles promise of food certainly bears out. Ana Shen spends the afternoon of her graduation from junior high helping her parents and grandparents prepare a feast to which she has invited best friend Chelsea and her family, and her crush, Jamie, and his family. Ana is usually the family peacekeeper, but today nobody is cooperating. Her Chinese and African American grandmothers are blatantly competing for her attention, and her grandfathers have retired to separate parts of the house. Ana herself frets about her rival for Jamies affection, about the shape of the pot stickers shes making, and about her familys combativeness. Its all a lesson in multiculturalism, but by making Ana conscious of that, Smith smooths out the didacticism. Some events are strained (a revelation that Jamies dad may be an abusive husband); but the charactersadults as well as kidsare usually well drawn, and Anas realistic concerns will keep readers interested in her story.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2008, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2008
Ana's junior-high graduation dinner is a fine mess of cultures and prejudices: her grandmothers--one African American, one Taiwanese--compete for best grandma, and the Japanese American father of Ana's crush doesn't want him dating a black girl. The book's short time period is crammed with events and points of view, but Smith's food-centered narrative has plenty of humor and heart.

(Copyright 2008 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)