Lasagna Means I Love You

De: Kate O'Shaughnessy

Narrado por: Annie Q

2025 North Dakota Flicker Tale Children's Book Award, Nominated
2025 Vermont Golden Dome Book Award, Nominated

What are the essential ingredients that make a family? Eleven-year-old Mo is making up her own recipe in this unforgettable story that's a little sweet, a little sour, and totally delicious.

Nan was all the family Mo ever needed. But suddenly she’s gone, and Mo finds herself in foster care after her uncle decides she’s not worth sticking around for.

Nan left her a notebook and advised her to get a hobby, like ferret racing or palm reading.

But how could a hobby fix anything in her newly topsy-turvy life?

Then Mo finds a handmade cookbook filled with someone else’s family recipes. Even though Nan never cooked, Mo can’t tear her eyes away. Not so much from the recipes, but the stories attached to them. Though, when she makes herself a pot of soup, it is every bit as comforting as the recipe notes said.

Soon Mo finds herself asking everyone she meets for their family recipes. Teaching herself to make them. Collecting the stories behind them. Building a website to share them. And, okay, secretly hoping that a long-lost relative will find her and give her a family recipe all her own.

But when everything starts to unravel again, Mo realizes that if she wants a family recipe—or a real family—she’s going to have to make it up herself.

This audiobook includes a downloadable PDF that contains recipes and photos from the book.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2023 Kate O'Shaughnessy (P)2023 Listening Library

Reseñas de la Crítica

2024, Vermont Golden Dome Book Award: Nominated

★ "[An] 11-year-old in mourning navigates foster care and seeks connection by collecting families’ recipes and stories in this tenderly rendered, character-driven novel.... Extremely satisfying." —Publishers Weekly, starred review

"Mo, imperfections and all, is a winning heroine. To be read with snacks at hand, and perhaps also some tissues." —The Horn Book

★ "Readers will laugh, cry, and embrace Mo completely.... Deeply moving and tender." —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

I love lasagna!

This is one of the sweetest books about how sometimes family isn't always blood but is family non the less. One of my favorite quotes is, “What I want you to see is that some relationships are bridges. They aren't meant to last forever but take you where you're meant to be. “

Grab Tissues

I found myself reading other books from my physical TBR pile and putting this one off so I finally downloaded it on Audible. I am so glad I did. The narration was perfect. This is an amazing, emotional book and I’m really glad I experienced the audiobook.

Disappointing

The premise is touching, and it begins as a wholesome book that I might have recommended for middle-graders and young high schoolers.
However, my low rating and not finishing the book is due to over-politicizing of the foster care program and some unwholesome themes. It's unbelievable to me that 11 or 12-year-olds would articulate (on more than one occasion) the disparities in foster care experiences when they haven't experienced them themselves.
Also, and this is a personal preference, the exploration of sexual preferences is not appropriate for the intended age group.