Dinner at the Brake Fast

by Renee Beauregard Lute

Overview

Dinner at the Brake Fast is a hilarious and heartfelt story about road-trip mishaps, a murderous rooster, facing down anxieties, and unexpected friendship that is a must-pick for readers who loved The Science of Unbreakable Things and The First Rule of Punk.

Tacoma Jones loves working at her family’s roadside diner, the Brake Fast, pouring coffee and serving eggs and muffins to truckers all day long. But tonight, she is finally going to break out her collection of cookbooks and prepare the best dinner the state of Washington has ever seen.

But her excitement is dampened when she learns that today is one of Dad’s bad days, when his depression makes it hard for him to get out of bed.

Tacoma knows she can’t fix her dad’s depression. But what she can do is steal back his prized photograph of his second-best day from her nemesis, the nasty Crocodile Kyle—while also planning a dinner that is sure to brighten up his bad day.

She just might need an accomplice or two to pull off the heist. . . .

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9798874626075
Publisher:	HarperCollins Publishers
Publication date:	06/25/2024
Product dimensions:	5.30(w) x 7.50(h) x 0.00(d)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Renee Beauregard Lute is the author of The Exceptional Maggie Chowder. She lives in a blue house outside of Seattle with her husband, three young children, two cats, and one cockapoo. Renee writes a lot, reads a lot, and loves exploring Washington State, which is just about her favorite place (next to Disneyland). You can find her making weird faces at her laptop in various coffee shops. Visit her online at reneebeauregardlute.com.

Editorial Reviews

★ 03/11/2024

Tacoma Jones and her parents run the Brake Fast Truck Stop, a diner in Washington State that only serves breakfast. But the straitlaced 12-year-old yearns to eat something other than “eggs or oatmeal or pancakes,” and has been collecting cookbooks from different states and dreaming of meatloaf. After her father’s treasured photograph goes missing, Tacoma resolves to track it down, believing that its retrieval will help her dad navigate his latest depressive episode (“If I don’t need to be sorry for having asthma, you don’t need to be sorry for having depression,” Tacoma tells him). Enlisting help from Denver Cass, a fellow loner with a sarcastic streak, Tacoma sets off on a spirited odyssey through Washington following the photograph and assembling ingredients for her long hoped-for dinner, along the way forging a friendship with Denver, as well as an unexpected alliance with her school tormentor. Rich characterizations, an electrifyingly original yet believable plot, and a perceptive voice distinguishes this captivating road trip tale by Lute (The Exceptional Maggie Chowder). With standout compassion and candor, Lute explores the sometimes heartbreaking reality of living with a depressed parent and the joy that friends and cooking can bring. Tacoma and Denver read as white. Ages 8–12. Agent: Samantha Wekstein, Thompson Literary. (June)

Publishers Weekly

"Rich characterizations, an electrifyingly original yet believable plot, and a perceptive voice distinguishes this captivating road trip tale. With standout compassion and candor, Lute explores the sometimes heartbreaking reality of living with a depressed parent and the joy that friends and cooking can bring." — Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"A sweet, far-from-bland tale rich in food, family, and freshly made friendships." — Booklist (starred review)

"The rural Washington setting provides a wealth of quirky characters and locales, and the one-day timeframe lends a satisfying immediacy to the kids’ adventures... An uplifting caper " — Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher