Read, Discuss, and Do with MARI IN THE MARGINS

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By Marci Whitehurst The best books make readers feel like they aren’t alone. They’re seen. Understood. Our very own  Rebecca J. Gomez  accomplishes this flawlessly in Mari in the Margins , her new middle grade novel in verse, published by Bandersnatch Books. It releases May 14 th !  Here’s a snippet about the novel, which you’ll surely want to READ:   For Marivel Jiménez, life in her big family is full of chaos. Feeling overlooked by her parents and overshadowed by her siblings is frustrating, and it's even worse to have the constant attention of her annoying, mischievous three-year-old sister, Susana.  Caught between her need to be noticed and her dream of having time to herself, Marivel pours herself into poetry and, eventually, art journaling. When she hears of a school-wide poetry contest, she sees winning as a chance to escape the margins of her family and finally be seen. Doesn’t that sound amazing? That’s because it is. I was honored to read the book ahead of its release—and
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13 Picture Books that Include Recipes

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by Rebecca J. Gomez

Who doesn't love a picture book that includes a recipe? Not only are they fun to read together, but they have great Read, Discuss, Do! activities built right in. Honestly, I can't think of a better way to spend a day than with some reading and cooking together as a family. With that in mind, here are 13 (a baker's dozen!) picture books that come with recipes.

To read: Any book that includes a recipe at the end.

To discuss: 

  • What was your favorite part of the story?
  • Does the recipe included in the book sound good to you? Why or why not?
  • Have you ever cooked or prepared a snack before? Talk about your experience.
  • What is your favorite food? Have you ever read a book that features it?

To do: Make the recipe from the back of the book together. Or, if you're short on time, buy it premade and enjoy it as a family. A bonus idea for the really ambitious: have a book themed food tasting party using foods from several different books (cooking them yourself is totally optional).

And now, for the list!

How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World by Marjorie Priceman, a delightful book that takes the reader on a journey around the world to find the ingredients for apple pie, with a recipe for apple pie at the end!




Bear and Chicken by Jannie Ho is a darling friendship story about a chicken who is concerned that the bear who rescued him from the cold is planning to make him into soup! Try the soup recipe for yourself. No chicken needed!




Whopper Cake by Karma Wilson, illustrated by Will Hillenbrand is a fun rhyming romp that will have everyone hungry for cake, which you can make by following the recipe for a slightly smaller whopper cake included in the book.





Federico and the Wolf by Rebecca J. Gomez, illustrated by Elisa Chavarri. This is a gender-swapped retelling of Little Red Riding Hood, with Mexican flair. It includes a recipe for salsa de gallo in the back!



Bee-bim Bop! by Linda Sue Park, illustrated by Ho Baek Lee is a darling book with fun language and plenty of repetition, making it great to read aloud with a little one. Follow story time up with some fun in the kitchen making your own bee-bim bop!





Every Color Soup by Jorey Hurley, a simple yet bold concept book about food and color, and includes a recipe your little ones can help you with.




A Fine Dessert by Emily Jenkins, illustrated by Sophie Blackall is a book about the history of Blackberry Fool, a dessert made with whipped cream and blackberries. The recipe is very simple, and takes much less work than it did one or two or three hundred years ago.





Applesauce Day by Lisa Amstutz, illustrated by Talitha Shipman, a colorful, pleasant read about a family's tradition of making applesauce together every year. Read the book and try making applesauce with your family (it's easier than you may think).




Ugly Pie by Lisa Wheeler, illustrated by Heather Solomon is a charming book about a bear's search for ingredients to make the pie he's been itchin' for: Ugly Pie! Try the pie recipe yourself and see if ugly can be delicious!




Chicks and Salsa by Aaron Reynolds, illustrated by Paulette Bogan, a spicy romp about chickens who are tired of chicken feed! Have a little fiesta with your little ones with one of the recipes at the back!





Cook-a-Doodle-Doo! by Janet Stevens and Susan Stevens Crummel, illustrated by Janet Stevens is a clever story featuring a descendant of the Little Red Hen, showing how cooking with a group of friends can be a rewarding challenge. And who can resist a recipe for strawberry shortcake?



Bread Lab! by Kim Binczewski and Bethany Econopouly, illustrated by Haylin Cho is a lesson in bread making disguised as a story of a young girl and her aunt spending the day cooking together. Try to avoid craving fresh baked bread as you read! Then again, crave all you want and then follow the directions to make bread yourself.





How to Feed Your Parents by Ryan Miller, illustrated by Hatem Aly, a fun family story about a little girl who is determined to get her picky parents to broaden their palates! Includes a recipe for quiche at the end. Yum!



I hope you look for some of these books and have a happy time reading and cooking with your family.

Have you read any of these books? If so, did you try the recipes? We'd love to know the results. Did we miss a favorite? If so, let us know in the comments!

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