A La Carte

Seventeen-year-old Lainey dreams of becoming a world famous chef one day and maybe even having her own cooking show. (Do you know how many African American female chefs there aren't? And how many vegetarian chefs have their own shows? The field is wide open for stardom!)

But when her best friend -- and secret crush -- suddenly leaves town, Lainey finds herself alone in the kitchen. With a little help from Saint Julia (Child, of course), Lainey finds solace in her cooking as she comes to terms with the past and begins a new recipe for the future.

Peppered with recipes from Lainey's notebooks, this delicious debut novel finishes the same way one feels finishing a good meal -- satiated, content, and hopeful.

Read an excerpt!

A La Carte by Tanita S. Davis was published by Knopf Books for Young Readers, a division of Random House, Inc.

Hardcover edition released June 10th, 2008

ISBN-13: 978-0-375-84815-5

ISBN-10: 0-375-84815-0

A La Carte by Tanita S. Davis

Lainey's Pretty Decent Granola Lainey's Replacement Reese's Mushroom Meatballs

Hungry? Use these recipes to whip up something tasty!

Lainey's Pretty Decent Granola

Lainey's Replacement Reese's

Mushroom Meatballs

What people are saying about A LA CARTE:

All Things Girl says, "it's representative of the best of the YA genre: strong, realistic characters, and a story that is compelling to people of all ages.

Booklist notes, "Davis's first novel shows much promise for good things to come."

The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books calls it "refreshing," and says "readers will be glad to see [Lainey] really start to cook."

Chicago Parent calls it a "great book to fill an afternoon."

Kirkus Reviews calls A LA CARTE, "Davis's debut offering is as delightful and fulfilling as the handwritten recipes-in-progress included at the end of each chapter."


Trivia time: Soy to the World was actually a real store -- that sold tofu and soy milk -- in Honolulu, Hawaii. It's closed now (wah!), but there's a candle store by the same name that makes candles out of soy products. The candles smell great, and they're supposed to be better for the environment, which is a win. http://www.soytotheworld.info

Julia Child
Learn more about Julia Child, one of Lainey's idols!