Thanksgiving is just around the corner, which means many of us are thinking about … food! That’s why this column features food books for girls! Feast your eyes on these books, full of mouth-watering food descriptions, recipes, and fascinating food facts!
The Complete Cookbook for Young Scientists
Why do gluten-free flours behave differently than standard flour? How does gelatin work? Why do some cheeses melt better than others? Cooking is science, and the recipes in this book include the “why” as well as the “how.” When you’re done cooking skillet pizza, mirror cakes, chocolate popcorn, and more, eat your experiments!
There’s No Ham in Hamburgers: Facts and Folklore About Our Favorite Foods
Where did hamburgers get their name, if they’re made with beef instead of ham? How was ice cream invented before we used ice? This book full of food facts, history, recipes, and more will have you looking at your favorite foods — from chicken fingers to pizza — in a brand new way!
Pocket Change Collective: Food-Related Stories
Professional chef Gaby Melian shares the impact food has had on her life, from growing up in Argentina to selling street foods in New Jersey. “Food rescued me so many … times — not only because I sold food to survive. I cook to entertain; I cook to be liked; I cook to be loved,” Gaby writes. Her book shows that while we all need food, the choices we make about food can be a form of activism, too.
Veggie Power
If you’re interested in adding more greens (and purples, and oranges!) to your plate, this book is just the inspiration you need. Each page features a beautiful vegetable illustration, paired with information about the plant’s health benefits, how you can eat it, when it’s in season, and more. Yum!
The Ice Cream Machine
How many stories can you tell about ice cream? This book collects six, all with the same title, and all with a unique perspective on a favorite treat. In one, a girl and her sister compete against an actual pig in an ice cream eating contest; in another, an evil ice cream seller terrorizes local kids. Each story includes a black-and-white illustration by a different artist.
More Food Books for Girls
Eat This Book: Knowledge to Feed Your Appetite and Inspire Your Next Meal by Stacy Michelson explores 99 of the world’s most beloved, delicious, and misunderstood meals through illustrations.
In Eleanor Amplified and the Power of Mind Control by John Sheehan, Eleanor goes undercover to learn that a school’s new organic lunch program might be part of an evil plot putting the whole city in danger!
Nina Soni is inspired by her mom’s landscaping work to grow a garden and start a business selling vegetables in Nina Soni, Master of the Garden, book 3 of the Nina Soni series by Kashmira Sheth.
Think you know the true story of Thanksgiving? Maybe not — History Smashers: The Mayflower by Kate Messner, reveals that the pilgrims didn’t meet any Native Americans until months after landing, and that they almost stayed permanently at a detour point before reaching Plymouth Rock.
What about you? Do you have favorite books about food (or Thanksgiving)? Have you read any of the books above? Let me know in the comments below!