Combining a love of reading with a story about the love of making and eating food is a satisfying way to entertain the imagination.
Here’s a list of books featuring teens with a passion for cooking, teens whose family business is food, and teens whose part-time jobs involve making and selling comestibles.
In these titles, food provides the motivation for personal growth and maybe . . . a little romance! Devour one today.
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Seventeen-year-old Lila Reyes, furious when her parents send her to the English countryside to recover from grief and heartbreak, unexpectedly falls in love with a teashop clerk–and England, itself. You can also check out this title as eBook on OverDrive/Libby or as eAudio on OverDrive/Libby.
A collection of interconnected short stories that explore the intersection of family, culture, and food in the lives of thirteen teens. You can also check out this title as eBook on OverDrive/Libby or as eAudio on Hoopla.
A wealthy dual citizen of Mexico and the United States rebels against his family’s strict plans for his future in the aftermath of his older brother’s tragic death, an event that compels him to secure a job with his favorite celebrity chef, a relationship that becomes complicated when he falls for his boss’s daughter. You can also check out this title as eAudio on Hoopla.
High school seniors Bảo and Linh, whose feuding families own competing Vietnamese restaurants, conceal their budding romance, as well as Linh’s desire to become an artist. You can also check out this title as eBook on OverDrive/Libby or as eAudio on OverDrive/Libby.
Seventeen-year-old Amelia has looked forward to her last summer before college working at the Meade Creamery, but when the owner of the local landmark passes away her nephew has big changes in mind. You can also check out this title as eAudio on OverDrive/Libby, as eBook on OverDrive/Libby or as eAudio on Hoopla.
Clara Shin lives for pranks and disruption. When she takes one joke too far, her dad sentences her to a summer working on his food truck, the KoBra, alongside her uptight classmate Rose Carver. Not the carefree summer Clara had imagined. But maybe Rose isn’t so bad. Maybe the boy named Hamlet crushing on her is pretty cute. Maybe Clara actually feels invested in her dad’s business. What if taking this summer seriously means that Clara has to leave her old self behind? You can also check out this title as eBook on OverDrive/Libby or as eAudio on OverDrive/Libby.
Told in two voices, Penelope, whose dream of taking over her family’s restaurant has been destroyed, and Xander, a new, undocumented, employee seeking his father, form a bond. You can also check out this title as eBook on OverDrive/Libby or as eAudio on OverDrive/Libby.
Teen mother Emoni Santiago struggles with the challenges of finishing high school and her dream of working as a chef. You can also check out this title as eAudio on OverDrive/Libby, as eBook on OverDrive/Libby, as eAudio on Hoopla or as eBook on Hoopla.