With the Fire on High

Bibliographic Information:  

• Title: With the Fire on High  
• Author: Elizabeth Acevedo  
• Publisher: HarperCollins   
• Copyright Date: 2019  

Genre: Teen, cooking, novel  

Awards or Honors: Best book of the year by the New York Public Library, NPR, Publishers Weekly, and School Library Journal.  

Reading Level: Teenager  

Plot Summary: Emoni is a teenager going to high school while also being a mother to Emma. Her busy schedule also includes working as a caterer, although her dream is to be a cook. She lives with her ‘Buela and is friends with Angelica and her teacher Ms. Fuentes, at school. She begins taking a Spanish Cooking class at school with Chef Ayden, with the goal of going to Spain at the end of the class. Her father lives in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and he visits yearly. She begins talking with a boy named Malachi and realizes she likes him. As she deals with her child, family, boys, and a job, she must contemplate her future and figure out if she wants to chase her dreams of being a chief or be realistic and take any job. She goes to Sevilla, Spain, on her class trip and begins a relationship with Malachi. She gets into Drexel University and decides to follow her dreams and go to the university’s culinary school.   

Author Background: Elizabeth Acevedo is a best-selling author who has written The Poet X, Clap When You Land, and With the Fire on High. She has a degree in Performing Arts from George Washington University and an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Maryland. She has been a National Poet Slam Champion and now lives in Washington D.C. During the pandemic, she has done virtual events. She grew up in a family of storytellers. Growing up, she dabbled in singing, rapping, and writing poem (Acevedo, 2020).   

Critical Evaluation: The writing is told from the perspective of Emoni. The dialog is meant for teenagers. The dialog feels natural and accurate, as the characters talk similarly to people I grew up with. The chapters also included recipes for various Spanish dishes, which are unique and would be of interest to people who like to cook. The book is catered to teens and does an excellent job of not babying them. The book realizes that many teens are going through adult issues, even if they are young. The book recognizes and celebrates that teens face issues and can sometimes handle those issues better than adults.   

Creative Use Library Program: I would use this book to create a cooking program day for teens. The book provides recipes for various Spanish dishes at the beginning of the book. The book also focuses on how the main character dream about cooking. We would first read the book and then have teens pick their favorite recipes from the book. Our library would buy the cooking ingredients and provide time during an afternoon to teach people to cook their favorite dish from the book. Students could then try each other dishes and have fun eating while learning about how to cook. Students can take home what they cook.   

Book Talk: Emoni is a teenage mother to her baby girl, Emma, trying to balance work, school, boys, and the craziness of life. Her dream is to be a chief, but all she has right now is a cooking class at school and work at a burger joint. After going to Sevilla, Spain, on a class trip, she realizes she faces a choice. Will she settle back and be comfortable, or will she chase her dreams for her and her baby girl?  

Potential Challenge Issue: There are no potential challenge issues.   

Reason for Inclusion: I included this book because it was a highly rated book by the public on my public library booklist page. The book also is diverse and shows the life of working women of color. The book also has a plot that supports and highlights working-class people and their decisions.   

Acevedo, E. (2019). With the Fire on High. [eBook edition]. HarperCollins. https://dalycity.bibliocommons.com/item/show/2808105076?active_tab=bib_info  

FAQ. (2020). Elizabeth Acevedo. Retrieved on Dec. 1, 2020, from http://www.acevedowrites.com/faq