Melanie Dulaney's Reviews > Taco Tuesdays: A Wish Novel

I’ve read several of the middle grade “romance” books in Scholastic’s Wish series and have not been terribly impressed—too giggly girl, sappy first love for me. However, sixth grade girls love them so I have purchased quite a number for my library. Taco Tuesday has a romance side, but it also contains a realistic look at the heartache of parents who are separated and contemplating divorce, dealing with fellow students who just irritate you and finding a way to put aside the irritations of a know-it-all older sibling!

Going into 7th grade Dulce’s family has owned a Mexican themed restaurant for generations, featuring mostly recipes handed down from mother to daughter but with the arrival of a chain taco place with cheap food and plenty of flash, Fidelia is in trouble. Dulce is torn between resenting that she must work at the restaurant all summer instead of the usual sleeping late, hanging out with friends or attending camps and her love of the eatery and all the memories and traditions wrapped up in it. Older sister Flor, a high school student who is taking classes in restaurant management already, is full of ideas for making Fidelia more popular-more tacos and less of the traditional and delicious family recipes and even hosting a cooking camp for tweens and teens.

Julian is new to Dulce’s California town and is angry to have been dragged from the busy, full of life New York City he has always known and the fact that his recently separated parents are selling the brownstone he loves. An embarrassing incident between Julian and Dulce results in his meeting of two fellow skateboard fans, Tanner and Luke, and sets the stage for Julian and Dulce’s enemies to something more storyline.

Cooking camp, family woes, friendship, a lot of cooperation and working together round out this romance for younger readers, making it a solid selection for libraries serving 5th-7th grade. Text is free of profanity, violence (except for a messy collision between a taco and a customer) and the only physical contact is pretty tame kiss. Representation: Main characters are Caucasian and Hispanic with their friend group and the cooking class filled with a variety of personalities and skin tones.

Thanks for the eARC, Edelweiss.