Attain All You Knead Is Love Originated By Tanya Guerrero Delivered In Leaflet

loved the side characters, the baking elements, the setting, and the exploration of tough issues, Reading about the way Alba has grown up in an abusive household made me sick and angry, despite the fact that most of it is shown offpage.
This book is a great example of how really heavy issues can be handled in a way that is appropriate for a younger audience while not sugarcoating anything.


I do think I wanted a little more discussion/exploration regarding Alba's mother: I think there is a way to acknowledge what she went through as a victim without completely ignoring the way she emotionally neglected her daughter, and I'm not sure this book quite engaged with that.


Overall though, a really solid story that handled a lot of issues really thoughtfully, and one I'd definitely recommend.


CW: Child abuse, domestic abuse, emotional neglect/abuse, anxiety/panic attacks,stars, rounded up to

Overall, very good, The descriptions of food started out very good, and then kind of died off as the book got to about the halfway point and onward.
Some elements were not necessary in a middle grade novel, If you are looking for one more middle grade book to finish off your middlegrademarch reading This book just came out and it was fabulous!! It was the first book I read for our springbreakathon readathon over spring break.
It's filled with diversity, culture, and delicious food!!

The story follows a twelveyearold girl named Alba who is sent away by her mom to live with her estranged grandmother in Barcelona.
She is mad at her mom for sending her away, mad at her dad for being an angry drunk, and just feels all around unloved and a bit overwhelmed by her new surroundings.


But once in Barcelona, she forms a close relationship with her grandmother, meets an old friend of her mom's who teaches her to bake, and makes new friends that like her for who she is, not what she looks like.
When the bakery that has become a safe place for her is threatened with closure, Alba is determined to find a way to save it.
Her and her friends decide a new look and a few new gluten free options may be just what is needed to save the bakery.
And while she's at it, she may be able to bring her family together again,

This is a darling story of finding ones chosen family, accepting yourself, and baking,
I really liked this middle grade novel! Following Alba around Barcelona was so much fun! I loved the way the author used bread making to help Alba deal with her stress.
I also loved the relationship between Alba and her grandmother, The whole book was just so heart warming and lovely! I'm not sure I've ever read a book set in Barcelona, so I found the setting of ALL YOU KNEAD IS LOVE to be unique and refreshing.
The blend of Spanish and Filipino cultures is a fun story element, giving the story an original flair, I also enjoyed the novel's emphasis on community, family, acceptance, and forgiveness/second chances, Although it deals with some tough subject matter, overall the tale is hopeful and empowering,

I didn't love Alba, who spends most of the story acting selfcentered and victimy, She's sympathetic, but I got tired of everything being about her own pain and suffering, She does grow over the novel, becoming more likable in the end, but I still didn't care for her much.
The other characters in the book are colorful and fun, which helped balance out Alba's more annoying qualities,

As far as pacing goes, ALL YOU KNEAD IS LOVE feels slow and overly long, The plot Alba's quest to save the bakery doesn't really start until around pageand even then, it really doesn't cause THAT much conflict.
As a result, the story gets dull in places, sagging with too much detail and too many unnecessary scenes, I hung in there, but I'm not sure a middle grader would,

All in all, then, ALL YOU KNEAD IS LOVE ended up being just an average read for me.
While there were a lot of things I liked about the novel, there were a number of things that irritated me, dampening my overall enjoyment of the book.
A Maine Student Book Award Nominee for

When Alba is forced to move halfway across the world to live with her grandmother in Spain, shes feeling abandoned, adrift and unloved.
While there, she learns so much about herself and her new community, This was a beautiful story about found family and finding yourself, ALL MY LOVE. This middle school book managed to make me ravenous, break my heart, heal my soul, and make me come come thisclose to booking a flight to Barcelona.
I dont know if Ive read a MG book that hit me so hard on all levels this one blew me away.
The culture, the relationships, the setting, the BREAD I also very much appreciated the gender nonconformity element, The depiction of remembered domestic abuse is heartbreaking but not traumatic for the reader and the arc is incredibly healing.
I cant recommend this highly enough for kids and adults like me who want to travel in pages and feel all the feelings.
I was fortunate to read an advanced copy of ALL YOU KNEAD IS LOVE and I want to shout from the rooftops for everyone to get their hands on this absolutely brilliant upper middle grade tourdeforce.
Its sensitive, funny, emotionally complex, and extraordinarily well written, and its just so vivid in every waycharacters, sense of place, food descriptions !, and emotional nuance.
stars, deserves every award, wow, It is one of my favorite books I've ever read, I can't wait to have a finished hardcover on my shelf, cozy beside all the other favorite books I love with every bit of my heart and look to for comforting rereads.


There is so much to love about it:

Its a brilliant character study that also has a satisfying and wellpaced plot.
Alba, the main character, is a complicated, deeply endearing person who has been through a very difficult childhood in a home where there is domestic violence.
Over the course of the book, she gets to know her grandmother, discovers she loves baking bread, develops friendships and a possible crush, navigates a complicated situation with her mother, and figures out who she wants to be and that its ok to risk feeling hopeful.
I love that she is gender nonconforming, and confident about herself in that way beyond stressing about comments from her mother sometimes.


In fact, ALL of the characters are wonderful and complex and feel realeven the minor ones,

Guerrero also completely nailed the voice and feeling and tension of being almostin a way that seriously took my breath away.
How did she do it! Its like she has a photographic memory of the emotions of that age and did such an amazing job of showing it on the page.
VIVID.

Some writers are just really, really talented at evoking a sense of place, They are able to make the setting its own character in the story, This is very hard to doand Guerrero does it, Wow. I felt like I was in Barcelona and discovering its local communities along with Alba, I loved this aspect of the book so much, Can Guerrero please write about ten or twenty more books like this set in different places A world tour I will happily read all of them ormore set in Barcelona or the Philippines, there are many more stories!

On top of the masterfully depicted setting, she also does an incredible job at food descriptions.
I got so hungry reading this book! Wonderful meals are described and made!

I started pulling quotes partway through the book because at a sentence level, there were so many wonderful ones.
Here are two no spoilers:

“My stomach was filled with so many butterflies, I could have called it a butterfly conservatory and sold tickets.
"

“But the truth is, if you dont love yourself, it doesnt matter how much someone tries to love you.
They can try and try and try, but at the end of the day, itll be for nothing, "

I wish I had this book when I wasand older, I would have read my library copy five times in a row and cried because I couldnt buy a ticket and go hang out with Alba in Barcelona.
I would have saved up my money and hoped it went into paperback so I could buy it, I would have loved it as much as I do now, and I encourage everyone to get this book for themselves and the kids in their lives.
This book touches on various issues, from dealing with familys abandonment, finding oneself, finding new family, to forming a new friendship and saving a bakery shop.


It was done well, It captures the voice of ayearold perfectly: angsty, moody, angry, confused, but also energetic, easy to start new things, fierce, and kind.
I currently have ayo so I know exactly what it's like to be a tween, or to live with one.
Reading Alba's story is like reflecting on my own kid's journey, It's raw and in some part, painful, but it's all a part of growing up, Love that the author didn't shield the readers away from the real issues in the real world, There was a hint of abuse in the story background, enough to show us the trauma it caused, but elegant enough to still give our young readers hope.
This is the true meaning of MG genre, isn't it To give our young children hope and courage so they can march out there and leave their marks in the world.


If you're a Primary/Secondary teacher, or parents with tween, this is a perfect book for your children.
I don't rate MG books often I'm extra choosy with MG, but when I do like an MG book, trust me it's good! Thank you to Edelweiss and the publisher for an eARC of this book.


I loved the author's debut book, How to Make Friends With The Sea, so I was delighted to get a chance to read this book before its publication date.
There are many things I enjoyed about this upper middle grade story, including all the BREAD!

Alba's mother unexpectedly sends her to live with her estranged grandmother in Spain for a while.
Feeling rejected, Alba is surprised to arrive in Barcelona and find a welcoming and loving grandmother who accepts Alba's short hair, rock band Tshirts, and desire to dress for comfort rather than fashion.
Alba also befriends a baker whom she later discovers was her mother's childhood best friend, He mentors her in the kitchen and gives Alba an opportunity to focus on learning the art of breadmaking while providing support Alba never received from her own father.
Just when Alba thinks her life is turning around, her mother shows up and announces that she's left Alba's father, who has been abusing her for several years.
Alba struggles with learning about her mom's past, reconciling that with the parent that's raised her, and finding a way to move forward with the one her mother now wants to be.
In the midst of all this, the bakery that Alba loves is threatened with closure, and she desperately wants to find a way to hold on to a place that matters so much to her.


I loved Alba's grandmother, Abuela Lola, and her strong, loving presence in Alba's life, Alba blossomed in her home, and the supportive community of people with whom she was connected offered Alba the acceptance and support she so desperately needed.
I also really enjoyed how much culture there was in this story, and how beautifully it was described, The streets of Barcelona really came alive for me with the sights, sounds, and smells that were described, Food was a integral part of the story, and not only did Alba connect to her Filipino heritage, but Spanish and Chinese dishes play important roles in fostering community.
I appreciated that Abuela Lola asked Alba shortly after she arrived what gender she identified with, and Alba communicated that she identified as a girl but dressed the way that made her comfortable.


I think young readers will find many ways to relate to Alba and her trust issues, while also finding hope from her story.
.I just loved this story! It makes me want to travel to Barcelona and learn to bake bread, Alba's discovery of her real family is moving and lovely, David Bowie fans will enjoy the references to his music, and Spanish novices will enjoy parsing out the phrases, which are whimsically mixed with Tagalog! This book is such a gift.
It is so beautiful and powerful, It took my heart and wrapped it in a sweater knit by Abuela Lola and fed it sourdough bread and showed it around Barcelona and then put it back into my body feeling soooo goood.
Ahhh, this book.

The thing I loved most was the characters, They are all diverse, kind, and genuine, I love them ALL. And Alba!! She is so real,

Also, the writing in this story is beautiful, The intricacies of the people, the city, Albas thoughts it is all so warm and inviting,

This book is magic, Pure magic. I loved it with all of my heart,
Tweleve year old Alba doesn't want to leave New York to go live with estranged grandmother in Barcelona even though life at home isn't great with her dad's abusive comments towards her and her mother.
But soon Alba finds that she likes living with her grandmother and the city of Barcelona itself she starts making friends, building a family, and discovers her passion for baking bread.
But when the bakery Alba has been assisting in is in danger of closing and her mother finally leaves her father Alba's world is shaken again.
Unlike the old Alba this Alba is determined to find a way to save the bakery and find a way to have a relationship with her mother.


This book reminds me a lot of Summer of a Thousand Pies which I also loved, This book did a great job of showing how trauma can affect youth without being overbearing about it, I loved all of the bread making and the mixing of cultures, A great recommendation for a reader who likes baking/food, books set in another place, and/or books about overcoming a struggle.
I swear the bread lover in me was so excited to pick up this book and it didn't disappoint.
It's such a beautiful novel about love, family, acceptance, and selfdiscovery, Heartwrenching in so many different ways, All You Knead Is Love is the middle grade story I didn't realize I needed.
Stars. CW: emotional abuse, discussion of physical abuse, child abuse,

All You Knead Is Love focuses on Alba who is sent to Barcelona to live with her grandmother as her mother attempts to leave her abusive father.
While her mother is trying to navigate leaving this abusive relationship, she's cold and standoffish towards Alba which leads to emotional abuse.
As a result, Alba doesn't feel as though anyone wants her and she feels extremely awkward going to stay with a grandmother she doesn't know that well.
However, as time passes Alba realizes that she is beginning to enjoy being in Barcelona, She finds solace and a sense of routine in the local bakery with her mother's childhood best friend, It's through these routines that she learns more about her mother and life that she once lived before she met her father.
There are so many things at play in the this novel in regard to family dynamics, When her mother makes it to Barcelona, Alba has a difficult time reconciling with who her mother was while they were in America and the mother she wants to be while they are in Spain.
And quite frankly, I don't blame her, In order to find love within herself, Alba had to rely heavily on her Abeula Lola and family friends, She not only had to deal with a mother that was emotionally absent, but also a father that was both physically and emotionally abusive.
Spain and her abeula became her safe space and it was difficult to allow her mother into that space, Guerrero did such a wonderful job handling such touch dynamics in a delicate, but realistic manner that is accessible to middle grade readers.
The relationship that develops between Alba and Abeula Lola was absolutely beautiful, There was clearly a need for strong parental support and Abeula Lola was able to fill that hole, It didn't hurt that she also had so much support from community members,

There are a lot of various elements of representation that I also enjoyed, Alba is a Spanish Filipino American main character, There is discussion of gender identity, And this book is interlaced with Spanish and Tagalog phrases that add such a great element to the reading experience.
There is a glossary for all of the terms for readers who are interested in knowing what they mean, This wasn't necessarily a fast paced read because of the heavy content, but it's extremely rewarding to see Alba blossom into such a confident person.
She was hesitant and shy at first and ends up becoming this vocal individual that is determined to save the bakery from closure.
Even with her mother coming back into the picture, Alba has this wonderful found family, Overall, I thought that this was a powerful and wonderful read and I can't wait to check out Guerrero's other book.
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