ISBN 978-1982658069 (audio CD) 978-0062662842 (paperback)
Published by Quill Tree Books, 2019 (book) HarperCollins B and Blackstone Audio, (2019)
Genre/Format: Contemporary Realistic Fiction/Audiobook
Awards 2020 Audie Awards winner - narration by author
Reading Level Grades 9-12
Plot Summary: We meet Emoni who, after she gets her daughter Emma (nicknamed "Baby Girl") ready for daycare, is off to school to begin her senior year in high school. As a pregnant teenager in ninth grade, she was offered the opportunity to attend continuation school but she was determined to continue with regular high school. In addition to attending school and being a single mom, she has a part-time job at the Burger Joint, and manages to cook delicious meals for her beloved Abuela and best friend, Angelica. When picking her elective for the year Emoni is unsure if she wants to take culinary arts because the class travels to Spain over spring break, which she imagines to be too expensive and too much time away from Baby Girl. But she can't resist and signs up for the class. In the background is Emma's father, Tyrone, who until recently has been an absentee father. But he has re-entered and takes Emma every other weekend which is very hard for Emoni to accept.
Throughout the school year, Emoni matures as she helps her class fundraise for the trip to Spain, as she accepts a new love into her life, as she comes to terms with her distant relationship with her own father, and as she takes on more responsibility to lessen 'Buela's load, but she's still unclear if she should go to college or take a job directly out of school. Going to Spain gives her a taste of who she wants to be and what her priorities are, but she still has to come to terms with ??? to decide how she will proceed in life.
Emoni's is so talented in the kitchen that all her risk taking with spices and flavors almost always pays off to create a recipe so perfectly balanced that those who taste it feel like they've had a magical experience. Can Emoni take similar risks in her own life to create a balanced and magical life?
Author Background: Born and raised in New York City, Elizabeth Acevedo is the daughter of immigrants from the Dominican Republic. She began her career as a poet and is a former National Slam Champion. Her debut YA novel, The Poet X, was written in verse and won the Young People's Literature National Book Award in 2018. When asked about her origin story, Acevedo says that she comes from a long line of storytellers and that her love of rap lead her to poetry which led to her love of writing verse and fiction: "And so I tell the narrative of my people as best I can with all the gifts that have been given to me" (acevedowrites.com).
Her most recent book, Clap When You Land is an acclaimed novel published in 2020.
Critical Evaluation This book gives a peek into what life is like as teen mom, and it is not for the faint of heart. Listening to how Emoni gets through each day is an eye-opening lesson on the burden that most mother's must shoulder, but none so burdensome as a single teen mom. Emoni is inspiring with the honesty in her relationships and her determination to succeed. I recommend listening to the audiobook because the author, a poet and slam champion, is the reader and she captures Emoni’s personality perfectly. That said...get your hands on the print version because Acevedo's use of language is something to be savored.
Creative Use for a Library Program: I would host a Book Tasting program for teens and include this book as part of the event. However, I would have some sort of food that is mentioned in or is evocative of the books to pique the teens' interest.
Speed-Round Talk: Don’t be surprised if you find yourself planning out new recipes while you’re reading With the Fire on High. Emoni’s descriptions of her cooking will leave you salivating!
Potential Challenge Issues and Defense Preparation: Anyone who finds the subject of teenage motherhood problematic might find this objectionable. It also has LGBTQ characters that might bother some people. The defense to this is that we don't cater to close-mindedness. Teen moms are people that we need to know more about. This book opens our eyes to their world and brings more compassion and understanding to their circumstances.
Reason for Inclusion: As schools across the country diversify their curriculum, I would hope they include this novel as a high school requirement. But even if not required, this is a fun book to listen to (or read) that anyone can enjoy.
References
Acevedo, E. FAQ. Elizabeth Acevedo. http://www.acevedowrites.com/faq
Acevedo, E. (2015). Afro-Latina. Youtube.com. https://www.youtube.com/watch?
National Book. Elizabeth Acevedo. National Book Foundation.
https://www.nationalbook.org/people/elizabeth-acevedo/#fullBio
Smuskiewicz, A. J. (2020). Elizabeth Acevedo. The American Mosaic: The Latino American
Experience. https://latinoamerican2-abc-clio
com.libaccess.sjlibrary.org/Search/Display/2245489
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