This was such a cute story that won’t work your brain too much. Great lessons here about embracing your culture and celebrating it, the struggle to fit in that we have all felt at times, being proud of your roots and carrying on family traditions.
Loved the magical aspect of it & loved the food descriptions- they made me very hungry, & now I want to try some of the foods mentioned in this novel that I haven’t tried before. I think young kids will enjoy this one a lot, & it will help reiterate that you don’t need to erase where you come from just to fit in in a new community, even if it’s pretty lacking in diversity.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for a free ebook in exchange for a honest review!

I read this novel to review for NetGalley but this review is my own.

I really enjoyed The Takeout by Tracy Badua. This novel is a middle school drama about a preteen Mila whose family and family friend owns a food truck. This connects perfectly with current times because food trucks are all the craze but also being foodies and explore new foods is also huge with American society currently. Mila is always under pressure to fit in with peers. She tries her hardest to tame down her true identity to not seem so out there and different from a clique of girls. I loved this aspect of the book while also trying to save the food truck. She learns more about herself and that she has to believe in her true identity, everything she loves, to succeed. The author does a very good job in the character development of Mila and her preteen dramas while being from a different culture than her peers.

I definitely recommend this book to use in middle school as a way to signify embracing each other’s cultures and letting differences shine.

Tracy Badua is such a wonderful voice in middle grade and I adored this foodie mystery with a touch of folk magic. I loved Mila as a character and a narrator - I really related to her desire to help her family as well as her conflict between staying true to herself and trying to impress her friends. I adore books with messy family dynamics, a focus on community, and a focus on food, and this book had them all.

I loved the representation of Mila navigating her Filipino-American identity through conversations with her older sister, her mom (who is in the Philippines taking care of her parents), her grandma who is more in favor of assimilation with the mostly white community, and her dad, who sacrificed everything to run a food truck. I also really loved the banter and evolving friendship between Mila and her new friend Ajay. But the real show stealer was Whirligig the rat. I adore quirky animal companions in middle grade.

I really enjoyed the mystery/conflict where Mila is taking down the twin foodie TV stars who have stolen her family's recipes and are opening a new restaurant in town. I felt Mila's anger at not being take seriously and cheered for her to hone in on her own magic skills. Overall, this is a fun and engaging book for kids and adults to read, but know that you will want lumpia by page 5!

Moving mid-year to the little town of Coral Beach, California from Los Angeles was about as uncomfortable as twelve-year-old Mila expected, but it is made worse by the fact that her mother and sister did not make the transition with her. So, Mila tries her best to fit in with the classy, uniform girls in town while helping her dad at his Indian/Filipino fusion food truck, the Banana Leaf. Excitement arrives in the form of twin celebrity foodies Chip and Chaz Darlington, whose mysterious new restaurant promises to bring much-needed tourism to Coral Beach. But when it becomes obvious that the Darlingtons’ recipes mimic those found at the Banana Leaf, Mila pours her heart into proving their wrongdoing in order to protect her father’s cherished business.

This contemporary middle grade novel expertly places readers squarely in Mila’s world, complete with her discomfort with the Filipino culture from which she hails and her innate passion for food. Concise chapters give the story a solid forward momentum, and with each realization, readers become eager to discover exactly how Mila goes about achieving her goal. Throughout the story, a variety of colorful and unique characters are introduced, and Mila’s friend Ajay is a particularly memorable inclusion. His specific passions and personality are exactly what Mila needs to progress in her mission, and their friendship blossoms in an endearing and charming way.

Middle grade readers will appreciate the enjoyable blend of pop culture and social dynamics incorporated into this novel, especially as Mila navigates her way through it all. Discussions of Filipino culture and cuisine present Mila’s background in an accessible way, even if readers are not familiar with those details themselves. Particularly intriguing is the fact that Mila’s sister practices her albularyo skills and makes potions and tinctures that improve people’s lives. This addition creates a feeling of magic realism while embracing Filipino culture in a positive and uplifting way. Celebrating the tenacity of one girl who chooses to bravely stand up in the face of adversity, this book is an excellent and inspiring addition to library collections for middle grade readers.

Contemporary and magical. Tight writing. Fast-paced with a good storyline that kept me engaged throughout. There was also great character development and diverse characters.

This book celebrates self-identity and cultural identity and champions small businesses, singing praises to the little man.

A very good book about self-discovery, family, friendship, and the power of perseverance.

Fantastic Middle Grade Novel!
Very relatable characters
Loved the mystery and magic aspect
Delicious Food
Self Acceptance
Friendships

I have read a lot of books lately with middle grade friendship like this. There is so much to learn from middle grade friendship. Whether it's someone who moved or just different changes happening.
I liked the family food truck and the bits of magic.
I liked that Mila worked really hard to make sure her family and they're recipes were protected.
I liked that the friend group accepted her for who she is.

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC!

I loved this book! A fast-paced, exciting story with relatable and lovable characters. Young readers will root for Mila as she solves a mystery and tries to save her family’s food truck. You’ll definitely be hungry after reading this book! Highly recommend.

Mila and her father have moved to a very well off, white area of Southern California, to run their food truck. The food sold is a fusion of East Indian and Filipino food. They are doing ok, until some celebrity chef decide to take their menu and offer it as their own.

Mila has to prove that they didn’t just come up with their concept on their own, but how. And what will it mean to her “friends” that she has been trying to make. They love the chefs.

It is a very clever way of talking about race and culture, as a way of being true to yourself. Mila wants to fit in, so hides those bits of her that would be the other and would be different. It is a common thing to do. Fitting in seems like the only option, sometimes, though it kills a little bit of your soul.

The story flows well. Authentic voice. Fun solution to how to get the chefs out of their hair, and keep their food truck going, by introducing folk potions that can while not be truth serums, but be other things..

<em>Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.</em>

I really enjoyed reading this book, it was what I was hoping for with this type of book. I was invested in the characters and what was going on with the story. The plot of the book is a well done children's story that works not just for children, it's a book everyone will enjoy. I was glad I got a chance to read this, especially that I enjoyed the way Tracy Badua wrote this.

"I said I can’t!” My hands clench. Memories of every time I tried again—and again and again—bombard me. Catalina and Mom seem so sure that I can do it, that all I have to do is believe. But they don’t have the pressure of the entire family business on their shoulders."

What happens when a celebrity chef’s new restaurant steals your family’s business recipes and threaten to destroy your family’s business? Mila’s dad and his best friend run a fusion Filipino-Indian food truck called The Banana Leaf. Mila lives, breathes, and works at the Banana Leaf. She loves it with her entire being. When celebrity chef twins, the Fab Foodie brothers open a new restaurant nearby Mila is excited, she loves their show.... but when she goes to the soft opening and tries some of their food... its the exact same food as the Banana Leaf’s! Mila is shocked and when she tries to call them out or get someone to notice her dad shuts her down immediately and the brothers deny even knowing her family’s food truck... but she knows there is something fishy going on here and she’ll do anything to prove it because her family’s business is on the line... even if it means resorting to a little bit of magic and mischief. This was a really cute read and I loved how brave and smart Mila is. She is afraid of ostracizing herself from her new friends and her community and when even her own father and grandmother won’t help her or do anything to save the business she is willing to step up herself to get it done. This was a fun read and definitely had me craving some fusion food! (Seriously drop the recipes Mila, I’m dying to try your recipe).

*Thanks Netgalley and HarperCollins Children's Books, Clarion Books for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*