Elliott is struggling with 6th grade. His best friend moved away, his dad and his new wife are expecting a baby, he almost failed 6th grade earlier in the year, and his new friends decided they didn’t want him in their end of the year project. Further complicating things is that Elliott always feels like a disappointment to his dad because of his ADHD and, particularly, “The Incident.” In fact, “The Incident” is why Elliott has to see a therapist every week and why Elliott may not get to go to Culinary Camp this summer after saving the money for it.
Cooking is the one area in life where Elliott excels and can focus. He enjoys cooking without recipes, and pleasing others with the food he makes. But he doesn’t bake because a YouTube chef he admires considers baking to not be real cooking. However, he pairs up with the popular and very smart Maribel Martinez for the big project, and she declares they’re making gluten free pies because he likes to cook, and she has Celiacs and wants to prove to her friends that gluten-free food can taste good. And Elliott realizes that if they can make enough money selling their pies, he might have enough money to pay his dad back for “The Incident” and go to Culinary Camp.
This book deals focuses on the main character having ADHD and how that affects his life, but Celiac Disease is also discussed at length. Also explored is the relationship between Elliott’s divorced parents and Elliott’s struggle to connect with his dad and stepmom. And included at the end of the book is the recipe of the pie Elliott and Maribel make. This book is highly recommended, and perfect for those in 4th-6th grade.
