Sweet and Sour

Reach for this book when your middle-schooler is nursing a long-standing grudge or feels the sharp, lingering sting of a friendship betrayal. It is an essential read for children who are struggling to reconcile the person their friend used to be with the person who hurt them, especially when that friend returns and expects things to go back to normal. Amai is thirteen and has spent two years fueling her anger toward her former best friend, Zach, who humiliated her before moving to Japan. Now that he is back for the summer, Amai is focused on revenge, but she soon discovers that people and memories are rarely one-dimensional. Through themes of Japanese-American identity and the shared language of food, the story explores the heavy weight of holding onto anger. It is a realistic, compassionate guide for navigate the 'sweet and sour' transition from childhood playmates to more complex adolescent relationships.