March 20, 2023
Inspired by her years growing up in her parents’ Orange County bakery, 17-year-old debate captain Rubi Ramos loves to invent recipes, but her parents want her to pursue what they consider to be a more practical career. They encourage her to give up baking and, instead, attend prestigious Alma University to become a lawyer. Rubi wants to make her Afro-Cuban father and Cuban mother happy, so she’s devastated when she’s waitlisted at Alma. To make matters worse, her parents mistakenly think she got in and, not wanting to break their hearts, Rubi doesn’t set them straight. As Rubi strives to solve her predicament, white debate teammate Madeline proposes a trade: if Rubi gives up her captain status, Madeline will use her connections to get Rubi off the Alma waiting list. Rubi agrees; she then secretly enters a baking competition, which distracts her from Alma preparations. But when Madeline intentionally schedules an important Alma interview on the same day as the baking competition final, Rubi must choose between her two passions. Propulsive chapters, plenty of high-stakes tension, and candid conversations about racism and classism fill Parra’s lively debut. Foodies will relish detailed descriptions of Rubi’s scrumptious Cuban-inspired creations, while romance buffs will swoon over the budding romance between Rubi and her surfer boy math tutor, who cues as white. Ages 12–up.