A deliciously charming and heartwarming novel, all wrapped up in a warm tortilla. Tacos. Burritos. Guacamole. Estefania "Stef" Soto is itching to shake off the onion-and-cilantro embrace of Tia Perla, her family's taco truck. She wants nothing more than for Papi to get a normal job and for the taco truck to be a distant memory. Then maybe everyone at school will stop calling her the Taco Queen. But when her family's livelihood is threatened, and it looks like her wish will finally come true, Stef surprises everyone (including herself) by becoming the truck's unlikely champion. In this fun and heartfelt novel, Stef will discover what matters most and ultimately embrace her identity, even if it includes old Tia Perla. Gr 3–6—Estefania "Stef" Soto just wants to be a typical seventh grader. She wants to have friends. She wants to fit in, and she wants a bit of independence from her overprotective immigrant parents. Stef knows enough not to expect to be able to take a city bus to school, the way her former friend Julia does, but even a school bus is deemed too risky by her parents. Her papi insists on picking her up every day in Tia Perla, his beat-up taco truck. Each day, he asks, "¿Aprendiste algo?" (Did she learn something?) Then they find a spot for her father to drum up business while Stef does her homework. Deep down, she's proud of her parents and knows they are working hard to provide for her, but she's also resentful of the ease with which some of her classmates, especially Julia, get things—like tickets to see Vivian Vega in concert. Even if she could earn the money for tickets, she knows her parents would never let her go. This earnest debut features a relatable narrator, stalwart friends, and caring parents who are working hard and struggling. The subplot involving a pop idol threatens to veer into after-school special territory but avoids doing so. The core of the story—friendship and the importance of family—wins out, leaving tweens with a satisfying, gentle read. VERDICT A worthy addition to library shelves; hand this to younger middle grade readers looking for family-centered realistic fiction.—Brenda Kahn, Tenakill Middle School, Closter, NJ "The core of the story—friendship and the importance of family—wins out, leaving tweens with a satisfying, gentle read."― School Library Journal "[A] well written novel about family and pride and would be a great addition to the library."― School Library Connection "[An] engaging glimpse of food-truck culture through the Soto family's sacrifices, values, and hardships. Once readers get past the drama, they'll cheer for Stef Soto, her family, and Tia Perla."― Kirkus Reviews "This cheery, relatable story features short and sweet chapters with plenty of Spanish words and phrases sprinkled in and a cheer-worthy main character in Stef, a happy, funny girl who adores art above all."― Booklist "Young readers will feel a kinship with Stef as she struggles to spread her wings in this engaging and relatable middle-grade novel about growing up."― Horn Book "Stef's fresh, honest voice will resonate with a broad swath of readers, as will the relatable struggles she negotiates."― Publishers Weekly "Spanish words and humorous banter pepper the dialogue, and the dual stories of the threatened family business and Stef's issues with classmates make a nice, age-appropriate balance that validates Stef's experience while pointing to a world beyond middle school politics. Readers will be happy to snack on this...."― The Bulletin Jennifer Torres is the author of Vega's Piece of the Sky ; Stef Soto, Taco Queen ; The Fresh New Face of Griselda ; and other books for young readers. She writes stories about home, friendship, and unexpected courage inspired by her Mexican American heritage. Jennifer started her career as a newspaper reporter, and even though she writes fiction now, she hopes her stories still have some truth in them. She lives with her family in Southern California.
