A Place at the Table

There are so few young adult novels that demonstrate positive relationships between Muslim kids and Jewish kids. This one succeeds masterfully.

The main characters in the story come from very different backgrounds and seem to share little in common. Their friendship grows slowly, and eventually they learn to trust one another. This story shows both the risks and rewards of such a friendship. With taking risks, there can be no reward.  

This is an engaging book about friendship, immigration, culture, and family. The story follows two middle school girls that find a connection through cooking. Both are the daughters of immigrants and find much-needed support in each other as they navigate middle school, family struggles, and racism. This book is especially appealing to foodies as it is filled with cooking too!

A timely, accessible story exploring themes of food, friendship, family, and what it means to belong, featuring sixth-graders Sara, a Pakistani American, and Elizabeth, a white, Jewish girl taking a South Asian cooking class taught by Sara's mom. I loved watching these two very different girls develop into friends. Beautifully written—and delicious!

Sara is Pakistani American; Elizabeth is Jewish. When the two girls become partners in a South Asian cooking class, there are inevitable missteps e.g. — Elizabeth invites Sara to go trick or treating, not realizing Halloween is taboo for Muslims. I especially like the part when the girls establish ground rules for their friendship. One of the rules is that you can ask the other person anything you’re curious about. What better way to learn? As a bonus, young readers will be introduced to some delicious new foods!

I love this accessible and engaging story which weaves together themes of religious and racial identity, food, and family with the complex friendship between two sixth graders Sara, a Pakistani American, and Elizabeth, a white, Jewish girl. The book was also written by two authors with similar backgrounds which gives the book a feeling of authenticity. Growing up, I rarely read about characters I could relate to on a cultural level even somewhat and would have appreciated this book. The characters both have compelling and difficult issues going on—Sara’s new at school after leaving her small Islamic school community. Elizabeth’s… show more.