With the Fire on High

Elizabeth Acevedo's "With the Fire on High" tells the story of Emoni Santiago, a resilient high school senior who became a mother in freshman year. Emoni shoulders significant responsibilities, caring for her young daughter and helping her abuela, which often means putting her own aspirations aside. However, in the kitchen, Emoni discovers a magical touch, transforming simple ingredients into extraordinary meals. This novel explores her journey as she grapples with societal expectations, financial constraints, and the internal conflict of pursuing her passion for cooking versus fulfilling her duties. It's a powerful coming-of-age story about self-discovery, family love, and the courage to chase seemingly impossible dreams.

With her daughter to care for and her abuela to help support, high school senior Emoni Santiago has to make the tough decisions, and do what must be done. The one place she can let her responsibilities go is in the kitchen, where she adds a little something magical to everything she cooks, turning her food into straight-up goodness. Still, she knows she doesn’t have enough time for her school’s new culinary arts class, doesn’t have the money for the class’s trip to Spain — and shouldn’t still be dreaming of someday working in a real kitchen. But even with all the rules she has for her life — and all the rules everyone expects her to play by — once Emoni starts cooking, her only real choice is to let her talent break free