A Place at the Table, written by Saadia Faruqi and Laura Shovan, reviewed by Amanda Davies

 

Summary:  Sara and Elizabeth are both sixth graders. While Elizabeth, who is white, Jewish, and half British, starts school knowing that she can depend on her old friends who will be at school with her, Sara, who is brown, Muslim, and Pakistani,  doesn't know anyone and feels left out and alone. Until cooking club. When Elizabeth and Sara end up as cooking partners, they begin to learn that even though they have differences, they actually have a lot in common. Sara learns that Elizabeth is overwhelmed by her mom's depression and the death of her grandma. Elizabeth learns that Sara worries about her parents finances and the racism she and her family experience. They also discover that both of their moms are studying for their American citizenship test. As they navigate the difficulties of middle school friendship, the impact of racism, and joys of sharing cooking and food, they discover how powerful forgiveness can be.

Straight Talk for Librarians:  Sara and Elizabeth's characters alternate narration throughout the books. Like Reynolds and Kiely's powerful All American Boys, this gives the authors the opportunity to authentically share the thoughts, feelings, and conflicts experienced by each character. The book does an outstanding job illustrating what it means to stand up for your friends and against racism. Faruqi and Shovan name racism as racism without tiptoeing around it. While a secondary character's acceptance of her own racist behaviors may come off as too tidy, it feels appropriate for the grade level.