One Hundred Spaghetti Strings: A Heartwarming Story About Cooking, Family, and Sisters for Kids (Ages 8-12)

“One Hundred Spaghetti Strings is one hundred percent satisfying. A perfectly blended concoction.” ―Julie Sternberg, acclaimed author of Like Pickle Juice on a Cookie

This brave and heartwarming middle grade novel for young chefs and readers who love emotional stories will leave your belly rumbling and your heart full. Because when life hands you lemons, it’s time to get cooking! Perfect for fans of Sarah Weeks, Leslie Connor, and Lynda Mullaly Hunt.

Since Steffy was little, she and her older sister, Nina, have lived with their beloved Auntie Gina. But when the girls’ dad comes home to live with them, everything changes. So Steffy does what she does best: She cooks her way through the hardest year of her life.

Sometimes it feels like everything but the kitchen sink is being thrown at her―too many ingredients that don't quite work. And all Steffy wants is for her family to be whole again. Can her recipes help bring them back together?

Perfect for aspiring foodies, One Hundred Spaghetti Strings also includes over twenty recipes―which Steffy cooks throughout the book―so aspiring young chefs can try them out when they’re done reading!

• A Heartfelt Family Drama: When Steffy and Nina’s dad suddenly returns, the beloved aunt who raised them has to move out. Steffy turns to her mom's old cookbook to navigate the turmoil and try to piece her changing family back together.
• A Relatable Coming-of-Age Story: Eleven-year-old Steffy must face the hardest year of her life, dealing with a sister who is pulling away, a father she barely knows, and the challenge of growing up when everything feels uncertain.
• Powerful Sisterhood: Steffy and her older sister, Nina, have always had each other. But with a new family dynamic that tests their loyalties, their powerful bond is challenged like never before.
• Includes 20+ Kid-Friendly Recipes: Young readers can bring the story to life! Follow along with Steffy and try your hand at making everything from banana bread to gnocchi with the actual recipes from the book.

Gr 4–6—The start of fifth grade marks the beginning of big changes for Stephanie Sandolini. Beyond new clothes (hello, training bra), routines, and classes, the biggest change of all is that her aunt Gina is moving out and her dad is moving back from California to care for her and her older sister Nina. Steffy doesn't know what to think about her father's return, so she does what she knows best: she cooks. Along the way, she comes up with a plan to prepare favorite recipes for her mom, who lives in a nursing facility after an accident caused a traumatic brain injury. Steffy enters a community contest called Chefs of Tomorrow. Nails gets the middle school voice just right in this gentle novel that touches on some important issues. The cooking framework that anchors much of the book makes for short chapters that have a lot of impact and effectively drive the action forward. The recipes mentioned in the narrative are included in an afterword, so readers can create some of Steffy's dishes for a more interactive experience. VERDICT Recommended for upper elementary and middle school library collections, this novel will appeal to readers who enjoy realistic fiction with strong female protagonists.—Kelly Kingrey-Edwards, Blinn Junior College, Brenham, TX