Bite by Bite: American History through Feasts, Foods, and Side Dishes

 

Today's nonfiction post is on Bite by Bite: American History through Feasts, Foods, and Side Dishes by Marc Aronson, Toni D. Chambers (Illustrator), et al. It is 176 pages long and is published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers. The cover is light blue with different foods like corn on the cob and spaghetti with meatballs. The intended reader is someone who is interested in the history of American food. There is no foul language, no sex, and no violence in this book. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the dust jacket- Explore the fascinating history of America as told through the lens of food in this illustrated nonfiction middle grade book that lays out the diverse cultures that have combined to create the rich and delicious tapestry of the American country and cuisine.
As American as apple pie. It’s a familiar saying, yet gumbo and chop suey are also American! What we eat tells us who we where we’re from, how we move from place to place, and how we express our cultures and living traditions.
In twelve dishes that take readers from thousands of years ago through today, this book explores the diverse peoples and food that make up the United States. From First Salmon Feasts of the Umatilla and Cayuse tribes in the Pacific Northwest to fish fries celebrated by formerly enslaved African Americans, from “red sauce” Italian restaurants popular with young bohemians in the East to Cantonese restaurants enjoyed by rebellious young eaters in the West, this is the true story of the many Americas—laid out bite by bite.

Review- A well written, interesting book about food and how life in America shaped it. The book starts with the beginning of people living on the American continent and moves all the way to current time. The author also invited speical guests to add in their speical knowledge about foods and the cultures that created them. The writing is good just challenging enough so that a young read will not be bored but an older like myself will still be engaged. If you have child with an interest in food  this would a fun read for them. 

I give this book a Five out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this book from my local library.