 With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo ISBN: 978-0062662842 Publisher: Quill Tree Books Copyright Date: 2019 Reading Age: 13-17 Reading Level: Grades 8-9 Awards: Golden Kite Award for Young Adult Fiction, Audie Award for Narration By The Author, The Amelia Bloomer Book List Genre: Young Adult Contemporary Fiction Subgenre: Bildungsroman Plot Summary Emoni brings magic into the kitchen. She instinctively knows what spices will bring out the complexities of each dish. If cooking were her only responsibility, that would be enough, but when Emoni was a freshman in high school, she got pregnant. Now she juggles being a mother on top of being a high school student and working a part-time job. When she chooses a cooking elective because it is her passion as opposed to a safe business-oriented class, will she be able to justify the choice to her grandmother and Babygirl as well as herself? Emoni has never shirked hard work, and she is about to find out just how challenging professional cooking can be. Critical Evaluation Through lyrical prose interspersed with delicious-sounding recipes, Elizabeth Acevedo takes readers on a journey of growing up set in a high school culinary course. Emoni loves many things—her daughter, her grandmother, her distant father—but her only true passion is cooking. One of the best aspects of the story is how normal Emoni's life is even though she is a young mother. There is no moralizing about the fact that she had a child as a teen. While she may think about how her life would be different if she had not have gotten pregnant, the character loves her child and celebrates Babygirl's existence in her day to day experiences. Emoni is a great example of how a person can have many responsibilities and still find joy and fulfillment. Unlike the Poet X, this story is written in prose, but the cadence of the sentence structure flows almost like it is poetry or song, lending it to pleasurable listening as an audiobook as well as enjoying it in its print form. The characters are fleshed out well, and even those not in the main focus of the story are people readers finds themselves caring for. This is a book about a teen discovering what she wants out of life. It is also a book about cooking, and the recipes included in each section of the book emphasize that well. Reader’s Annotation Emoni has always loved to cook. Some of her first memories are of cooking, so when she is accepted into a culinary class, can she juggle it, working a part-time job, and being a single mother in order to make her dreams come true?  About the Author
ELIZABETH ACEVEDO is the New York Times-bestselling author of The Poet X, which won the National Book Award for Young People’s Literature, the Michael L. Printz Award, the Pura Belpré Award, the Carnegie medal, the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award, and the Walter Award. She is also the author of With the Fire on High—which was named a best book of the year by the New York Public Library, NPR, Publishers Weekly, and School Library Journal—and Clap When You Land, which was a Boston Globe–Horn Book Honor book and a Kirkus finalist. She holds a BA in Performing Arts from The George Washington University and an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Maryland. Acevedo has been a fellow of Cave Canem, Cantomundo, and a participant in the Callaloo Writer’s Workshops. She is a National Poetry Slam Champion, and resides in Washington, DC with her love. (Author photo and About from here.) Booktalking Ideas Discuss the book while preparing a meal in the kitchen. Talk about a challenge that at the time seemed insurmountable but that now seems like an important aspect of your life. Connect this challenge to Emoni's own struggles of trying to be a good mother while also being a good high school student. Challenge issues: LGBTQIA+, underage drinking, teen pregnancy Challenge Issue Resources: Nevada County Library Selection Policy Selection of materials is based upon a number of criteria that include:
The Library selects materials in accordance with the guidelines stated by the American Library Association in its Library Bill of Rights, and Freedom to Read Statement and Freedom to View Statements. The Library supports diversity of expression and views in its collection in an attempt to provide patrons with a foundation for making informed decisions and formulating personal opinions. The Library does not exclude items because of the race, nationality, social, political, or religious views of the authors. The presence of controversial materials in the collection does not represent the Library’s endorsement of the opinions expressed therein. Although some materials selected may contain language and/or illustrations that may be offensive to some patrons, the Library cannot undertake the task of pleasing all individuals by censoring such items. Active Listening Skills Staff should listen calmly to the patron’s concerns without judgement or commentary. They should acknowledge the public’s right to challenge materials and help the patron find an alternative item that will fit their needs. Nevada County Library Reconsideration form Any citizen may challenge materials. If the citizen chooses to submit a written Request for Reconsideration of Library Materials, Library staff will collect reviews and accumulate data on how the material conforms to the selection policy. An ad hoc review committee consisting of the Library Director, Branch Manager, one other librarian, and a citizen appointed at the discretion of the Library Director will review the material, judge whether it conforms to the Selection Policy and submit its report in writing to the Nevada County Board of Supervisors. Concerned parties will be notified of the final decision in writing. ALA Strategies and Tips for Dealing with Challenges to Library Materials ALA Bill of Rights on Intellectual Freedom The American Library Association affirms that all libraries are forums for information and ideas, and that the following basic policies should guide their services. Why Included With the Fire On High discusses something that used to be a taboo subject, and still is in some places—teen pregnancy. It discusses it in an unapologetic way and shows that one mistake, even a big one, doesn't have to derail an entire life. Emoni has made decisions in the past that have changed the trajectory of her life, and she is not going to shirk those responsibilities. Told with heart and a love of cooking, Emoni's coming-of-age story illustrates how each of us needs to choose the path that will bring us fulfillment—even if that path is not the traditional one. With a diverse group of characters who all tend to act the age they are, this is an approachable book for teens that will leave the reader with hope—and hungry for some Puerto Rican cuisine. |