In a Pickle (Ellie's Deli #2)
September 17, 2024 by Andrews McMeel Publishing
September 17, 2024 by Andrews McMeel Publishing
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
Ellie should be able to relax now that her Bubbe's deli, Lukshen, has been saved from being redeveloped by Nina's father, but there is still a lot going on. She's behind in her school work, and her advisor has called her parents and wants her to come in early in the morning for tutoring. Not only that, but she has agreed to help Ava's cousin Charlie find a venue for her bat mitzvah celebration after the venue her mother booked closed down. Ellie wants to help everyone, but it's not working out the way she would like, and making her very stressed. Adding to this stress is the drama that Nina seems to bring with her to every relationship. She seems dedicated to pitting friends against each other and accelerating the drama by asking why no one likes her. When Nina's father has a meeting at Lukshen, the answer to one of Ellie's problems becomes clear: he wants the deli to turn unused upstairs space into an event center. Charlie could hold her party there, and one of Bubbe's friends is a retired event planner who would be glad to help. The only problem? Architects are getting involved, so it looks like the upstairs won't be ready for a year, and Ellie needs it in a MONTH. Even though she is spending more time on her schoolwork (and, not surprisingly, doing better!), she has a lot of anxiety and frequently finds herself using the calming techniques that she knows. After Nina is suspended for mean social media posts, she makes some progress in how she treats others, she still has a lot of work to do. She finally tells her mother and grandmother that she needs some help, and they are able to work with Charlie's mother to have the perfect place for the celebration.
Ellie should be able to relax now that her Bubbe's deli, Lukshen, has been saved from being redeveloped by Nina's father, but there is still a lot going on. She's behind in her school work, and her advisor has called her parents and wants her to come in early in the morning for tutoring. Not only that, but she has agreed to help Ava's cousin Charlie find a venue for her bat mitzvah celebration after the venue her mother booked closed down. Ellie wants to help everyone, but it's not working out the way she would like, and making her very stressed. Adding to this stress is the drama that Nina seems to bring with her to every relationship. She seems dedicated to pitting friends against each other and accelerating the drama by asking why no one likes her. When Nina's father has a meeting at Lukshen, the answer to one of Ellie's problems becomes clear: he wants the deli to turn unused upstairs space into an event center. Charlie could hold her party there, and one of Bubbe's friends is a retired event planner who would be glad to help. The only problem? Architects are getting involved, so it looks like the upstairs won't be ready for a year, and Ellie needs it in a MONTH. Even though she is spending more time on her schoolwork (and, not surprisingly, doing better!), she has a lot of anxiety and frequently finds herself using the calming techniques that she knows. After Nina is suspended for mean social media posts, she makes some progress in how she treats others, she still has a lot of work to do. She finally tells her mother and grandmother that she needs some help, and they are able to work with Charlie's mother to have the perfect place for the celebration.
Strengths: Like the first book, Ellie's Deli, this has a delightful combination of friend drama, illustrations, and RECIPES. I loved the setting of the neighborhood and the deli, and the fact that Ellie enjoyed hanging out there, talking to her grandmother's friends. The friend drama with Nina is so spot on; there's always that one girl who just seems to delight in stirring the pot and getting everyone upset. I've never understood it, but Ellie and her friends deal with it pretty well, talking to each other and getting some help from adults. Like Greenwald's Absolutely, Positively Natty, Ellie is having some realistic problems controlling her emotions and her reactions to other people, but she still has lots of positive interactions and has some fun! Her family is generally supportive, and her sisters appear just enough for us to understand her dynamics with them. I hope that Ellie is able to grow up and run the deli!
Weaknesses: Admittedly, this is a strange complaint: the recipes, while very interesting, don't always correspond to the food being mentioned in the text. It's not a problem, but when rugelach was mentioned towards the end of the book and there wasn't a recipe, it occurred to me that I wanted recipes for things that Ellie was making or eating!
What I really think: I think we need to order up a middle grade trend on family run food shops! What titles can you recall that would go along with Badua's The Takeout, Oh's Haru, Zombie Dog Hero, Granillo's Cruzita and the Mariacheros, Leali's The Truth About Triangles, Kuo's In a Beautiful Country, Chari's Karthik Delivers, and Hiranandani's How To Find What You're Not Looking For?
What I really think: I think we need to order up a middle grade trend on family run food shops! What titles can you recall that would go along with Badua's The Takeout, Oh's Haru, Zombie Dog Hero, Granillo's Cruzita and the Mariacheros, Leali's The Truth About Triangles, Kuo's In a Beautiful Country, Chari's Karthik Delivers, and Hiranandani's How To Find What You're Not Looking For?
Great title for a MG book set in a deli! I'd add Alechia Dow's JUST A PINCH OF MAGIC to your list of family run food shops (we could make a subcategory for 'magical bakeries', haha).
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