Stef Soto, Taco Queen

Stef Soto loves her working-class family but sometimes wishes her father didn't pick her up at school in Tia Perla, the family's well-worn food truck. Life would be easier for her if the family didn't have the truck anymore. When proposed city regulations threaten the livelihoods of all food truck operators, Stef comes to see how much the truck means to her family and the importance of speaking out in support. This is a charming and lively story, and kids will identify with Stef and her real-world, regular-kid problem-solving.

7th grader, Step Soto, wants to fit in, but with a father who has a taco truck and she’s got to help him, its hard. As an adult what I liked about this book for upper elementary aged readers, is that Step has to learn to cope with disappointment. Her parents are strict. She has to miss some of the cool activities because her folks don’t give her much freedom. But in the end she finds out how important family is.

Oh, this one has it all -- snarly barely teenagers, beginning independence, all the feels of actually learning to take responsibility in order to earn that independence, and a charming Taco Truck at the heart of it all. Yay for food celebrations (no, really, they're the best), working hard to earn the things that matter to you (cooking and art), taking disappointments in stride (concerts missed, celebrities being celebrities), latinx families and family bonds in general.

Sweet story of middle school drama and family ties. And now I want a taco.

This book is about a girl who is the only child of immigrant parents, she works at a taco truck. Her friend makes fun of her for it, but she stands up for what she believes in. This is a good book to teach courage and confidence. Since this is a chapter book, it would be best to use this with an older audience.

As much as she wishes Papi would get a real job, when the family's taco truck business is in jeopardy, Stef steps up. “Cherry, relatable.” -Booklist