by Kirby Larson
First published 2024
Tess Medina kneads dough in her new kitchen, trying to recreate the recipes her father taught her before he died. Baking connects her to him, but every bite of her creations sends stabbing pain through her abdomen. She ignores the agony and brings her treats to school, hoping to make friends. Her skills catch attention from classmates who form a team to help her prepare for the Jubilee Flour Junior Baker West Coast competition. Tess believes winning will make her father proud and prove her worth as a baker. As the competition approaches, her pain intensifies. She stops eating most foods, barely consuming anything while continuing to bake for others. Her body screams warnings she refuses to hear. The physical torment eventually becomes unbearable, forcing Tess to face the chronic illness she has been hiding from everyone, including herself.
Genres: fiction, family-life, contemporary, food-and-drink
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, second-chance
272 pages · Hardcover · Scholastic Press