Guest Post: Author Anna Staniszewski’s Top Three Food-Centric Novels

Author Anna Staniszewski’s brand new book, The Prank List (the sequel to the absolutely hilarious Dirt Diary) comes out next month, and I’m excited that she took the time out of her busy  schedule to stop by to share a guest post with us. Take it away, Anna!

Top Three Food-Centric Novels by Anna Staniszewski

Since part of my newest book, The Prank List, takes place in a pastry class, I thought it would be fun to highlight a few other books that prominently feature food.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl

This is an obvious one, but I couldn’t leave it off the list. Not only is this book hilarious, but it’s full of mouth-watering candy. I’m pretty sure I get a new cavity every time I reread it. (Indiebound link)

Everything on a Waffle by Polly Horvath

I love this heartwarming story full of quirky characters and unusual meals. Lasagna on a waffle? Why not? (Indiebound link)

The Truth About Twinkie Pie by Kat Yeh

I’m cheating a little by putting this one on the list since I haven’t had a chance to read it yet, but I managed to snag an Advance Reading Copy (ARC) of this book at Book Expo America last week and it sounds wonderful–plus, it’s full of delicious recipes, including one for Twinkie Pie. (Indiebound link)

What are some of your favorite food-centric books?

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About the Author:

Born in Poland and raised in the United States, Anna Staniszewski grew up loving stories in both Polish and English. Currently, she lives outside Boston with her husband and their crazy dog. When she’s not writing, Anna spends her time reading, daydreaming, and challenging unicorns to games of hopscotch. She is the author of the

My Very UnFairy Tale Life series and the Dirt Diary series. Her newest book, The Prank List, releases on July 1st from Sourcebooks. You can visit Anna at www.annastan.com.

#PollyHorvath #guestpost #middlegrade #annastaniszewski #RoaldDahl #booklist #TheDirtDiary #KatYeh #TheTruthaboutTwinkiePie #CharlieandtheChocolateFactory #food #Everythingonawaffle #MG #ThePrankList

Open Mic: Riffs on Life Between Cultures in Ten Voices, edited by Mitali Perkins

I really wish I could hand this book to myself about 20 years ago. I found echoes of my own childhood experiences in every single one of these characters. I laughed, I cried, my heart went out to these kids and teens who were just figuring out who they were and whether they even liked themselves, never mind whether anyone else did. Mitali Perkins’s foreword to the collection is spot on. Yes, I connected with some stories more than others, but I think that’s natural with any story collection. This book will stay with me for some time. (I may have to buy a 2nd copy since I bought this one to give away to a teenager in my family.)

#mitaliperkins #openmic

Picture Book Recommendation: Grandma and the Great Gourd by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

Grandma and the Great Gourd: A Bengali Folktale Retold by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, Illustrated by Susy Pilgrim Waters

This is a retelling of a traditional folktale about a crafty grandma who uses a giant gourd to outwit the wild jungle animals who want to eat her. I hadn’t heard this tale before, but loved it. The text is fun to read aloud with plenty of noises to make and repetitive text, accompanied by absolutely stunning illustrations. Preschooler Monkey was a little bit scared about poor grandma (“Don’t read that part!”) but rest assured there is a happy ending! We were both intrigued by the idea of a gourd so giant it could hide a person. Very cute.

#bookreview #picturebookreview #picturebook #grandmaandthegreatgourd #preschoolermonkey #folktales #susypilgrimwaters #chitrabanerjeedivakaruni