The Takeout

by Tracy Badua

When a celebrity chef's new restaurant threatens Mila's family's food truck, she plans to expose them for the recipe thieves they are--even if that means dabbling in the Filipino folk magic she's tried to avoid. Fans of Tae Keller and Lily LaMotte will cheer for this charming story about food, family, and finding the place you belong.

Mila may have moved to Coral Beach months ago, but it still doesn't feel like home. She wants to belong, but a few awkward incidents with her new friends make her wonder if she'll ever neatly fit into the super-samey small town.

Mila feels the only place she can be herself is at her dad's Filipino-Indian food truck, The Banana Leaf. But when celebrity chef twins the Fab Foodie Brothers open a restaurant nearby, it turns out the food they are serving is exactly the same as The Banana Leaf's--right down to the recipes!

Suspicious of the similarities, Mila teams up with family friend Ajay to investigate. She soon realizes that she needs to take the beloved Fab Foodie Brothers down before they run her family's tiny truck out of town. But that means dabbling in the Filipino folk healing and magical traditions that she has shied away from her whole life . . . as well as alienating her new friends.

Does Mila have to choose between her family and fitting in? Or, like the best recipes, will a blend of the traditional and the unexpected mix into something truly special?

Genres: Middle Grade, Fantasy, Childrens, Food, Realistic Fiction, Audiobook, Fiction

240 pages, Hardcover

First published May 9, 2023

About the author

Tracy Badua is an award-winning Filipino American author of books about young people with sunny hearts in a sometimes stormy world. By day, she is an attorney who works in national housing policy, and by night, she squeezes in writing, family time, and bites of her secret candy stash. She lives in San Diego, California.

Reviews

[Alexis · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fun book about food trucks, food, family, and friendship. It touched on so many different topics but very well and also, the Filipino folk healing was something I really enjoyed reading about. I kept turning the pages on this one.

[Priya · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an adorable middle grade book about family, friendship and fitting into a new environment while still being your own self.

Mila and her father have just moved to Coral Beach in California so her father can run his dream food truck The Banana Leaf with his Indian business partner. The food they offer is a fusion of Filipino and Indian cuisine and Mila loves helping out and trying new recipes like her 'turon lassi'.
However, she struggles with making inroads into cliques at school because she's new and so different from everyone else. She doesn't feel very welcome and is aware that she cannot possibly confide in her new schoolmates about the Filipino folk magic that is passed down through the women in her family. In any case her ability to use the magic isn't great and she's always doing something wrong with it. When her favourite celebrity food show hosts the Fab Foodie Brothers turn up in Coral Beach she's excited until it seems like their new restaurant is going to serve food that looks and tastes suspiciously like that of The Banana Leaf. Determined to expose the truth and save her dad's dream, Mila works with a family friend Ajay, assisted by the folk magic that she tries her best to master.

There is a lot of delicious food in this book and I wanted to eat it all. All the descriptions made me very hungry. I loved the bond between Mila and her sister and the fierce loyalty with which Mila defends her dad to her grandmother who isn't happy with the food truck idea. The difficulty of belonging in a place and among people who don't seem like they will accept you as you are is explored very well. I liked the way Mila came to realise how to reconcile her likes and quirks with her need to be a part of a group. Ajay with his random facts about everything and his pet rat and fashion advice was cute and they made a great team. The magical realism was a nice touch and the way it helped Mila become confident about herself was great.

Mila seemed a little precocious in the way she delved into what was clearly a problem the adults needed to fix but her intentions were right and so I can go along with that.

This is a happy, uplifting book that I enjoyed very much.

[Lastblossom]

tl;dr
A charming lead fights to save her family business in a tale about food, magic and finding your own identity.

About
Mila feels out of place in Coral Beach, a small city where being Filipino makes her stand out. The only place where she can be herself is the Banana Leaf, her father's Filipino-Indian fusion food truck. Unfortunately, a new celebrity chef restaurant might put the truck out of business, especially after she discovers they've stolen her family recipes. But what can one person even do about it?

Thoughts
Growing up in the diaspora has some unique challenges, and I've read a lot of MG books lately that address this. This one in particular though really manages to hit it from multiple angles. It's difficult to try to shave off pieces of yourself to fit in, but it's also difficult when other people challenge your choices and make you feel "not enough." That being said, I think Mila's growth in learning to accept herself will resonate with any reader, and her own revelations really hit home. Ajay was also a great secondary character, with growing up and fitting in problems of his own, and their friendship over the course of the book was my favorite part. My second favorite part was, of course, all the descriptions of food. Filipino and Indian food are both excellent, and if there were a Banana Leaf food truck in my area, you can bet I'd be a regular customer. The ending is fun and hopeful, with all the loose ends tying up very neatly.

Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins Children's Books for the advance copy.

[Nadia Masood · Rating 4 out of 5]

A story centered around a food truck serving Filipino-Indian fusion cuisine? Yes, please! That is the main reason I picked this book up.

This middle-grade novel follows a Filipino-American girl navigating her way through a predominantly white community. Badua skillfully explores themes of cultural appropriation and fitting in, all while keeping the story accessible and relatable for young readers. It's a heartwarming and fun read, with a charming touch of Filipino folk magic sprinkled throughout. But for me, the real star of this book was the food!

Tracy Badua dishes out an irresistible spread of Filipino-Indian fusion cuisine in such vivid detail, I was hungry the entire time I was reading!

Some of Banana Leaf food truck’s standout fusion creations included: chicken adobo paired with hot, buttery paratha, adobo dosa (not sure about this, to be honest, haha), turon lassi with crispy lumpia, sisig puri, and ube gulab jamun (now that sounds like an irresistible combo!). Having spent a few years in the Philippines, I'm quite familiar with the cuisine, culture, and language, which made these creative combinations even more enjoyable!

The Audiobook:

I began this novel in audiobook format, and Ferdelle Capistrano’s narration was beautiful. She did a great job with the various accents as well. However, I had one issue—the mispronunciation of "lassi." She kept saying "laasi," and since the word appears 29 times in the book, it eventually became distracting. I ultimately switched to the ebook to finish the story.

The ending is fun and hopeful, with all the loose ends tying up very neatly.

Overall, The Takeout is a sweet and savory read that celebrates food, culture, and the bonds that hold us together.

[Fafa's Book Corner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full review to come ☺️

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mila and her father have moved to a very well off, white area of Southern California, to run their food truck. The food sold is a fusion of East Indian and Filipino food. They are doing ok, until some celebrity chef decide to take their menu and offer it as their own.

Mila has to prove that they didn’t just come up with their concept on their own, but how. And what will it mean to her “friends” that she has been trying to make. They love the chefs.

It is a very clever way of talking about race and culture, as a way of being true to yourself. Mila wants to fit in, so hides those bits of her that would be the other and would be different. It is a common thing to do. Fitting in seems like the only option, sometimes, though it kills a little bit of your soul.

The story flows well. Authentic voice. Fun solution to how to get the chefs out of their hair, and keep their food truck going, by introducing folk potions that can while not be truth serums, but be other things..

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.

[Pauline · Rating 5 out of 5]

How do you write about cultural appropriation and the challenges of fitting in while still maintaining some connection to your culture in a kid-friendly way? Somehow Tracy Badua does it and does it well. There were absolutely moments when I wanted to scream, but Badua handles things with her usual skill and deftly weaves in what might be considered more adult themes in a way that will hopefully (and likely) resonate with younger readers.

Also, bonus points for the food that I now want to eat.

[Bethe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun MG cooking rivalry book like a few YA ones I’ve read
Mila trying to find her place in new non diverse town compared to LA
Her big sister very immersed in Filipino culture, leaving Mila really not fitting in, wishing she knew more of the folk medicine and potions her sister did (in college), Skin color and colonization big issues for sister
“I’m someone who embraces every part of me even if I’m still trying to figure out what that means. I never want to be an old corn dog.” pg 205
Home is where the stomach is!

[Genielysse Reyes · Rating 5 out of 5]

What I’d give to try the Mila Special! And what I’d give to stay in the world of THE TAKEOUT. This book was such a delight to read, especially as a Fil-Am who grew up in SoCal. Tracy did a fantastic job showcasing the emotions and the flavors of Mila’s experiences, and I can’t wait for more magical work by her!

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Moving mid-year to the little town of Coral Beach, California from Los Angeles was about as uncomfortable as twelve-year-old Mila expected, but it is made worse by the fact that her mother and sister did not make the transition with her. So, Mila tries her best to fit in with the classy, uniform girls in town while helping her dad at his Indian/Filipino fusion food truck, the Banana Leaf. Excitement arrives in the form of twin celebrity foodies Chip and Chaz Darlington, whose mysterious new restaurant promises to bring much-needed tourism to Coral Beach. But when it becomes obvious that the Darlingtons’ recipes mimic those found at the Banana Leaf, Mila pours her heart into proving their wrongdoing in order to protect her father’s cherished business.

This contemporary middle grade novel expertly places readers squarely in Mila’s world, complete with her discomfort with the Filipino culture from which she hails and her innate passion for food. Concise chapters give the story a solid forward momentum, and with each realization, readers become eager to discover exactly how Mila goes about achieving her goal. Throughout the story, a variety of colorful and unique characters are introduced, and Mila’s friend Ajay is a particularly memorable inclusion. His specific passions and personality are exactly what Mila needs to progress in her mission, and their friendship blossoms in an endearing and charming way.

Middle grade readers will appreciate the enjoyable blend of pop culture and social dynamics incorporated into this novel, especially as Mila navigates her way through it all. Discussions of Filipino culture and cuisine present Mila’s background in an accessible way, even if readers are not familiar with those details themselves. Particularly intriguing is the fact that Mila’s sister practices her albularyo skills and makes potions and tinctures that improve people’s lives. This addition creates a feeling of magic realism while embracing Filipino culture in a positive and uplifting way. Celebrating the tenacity of one girl who chooses to bravely stand up in the face of adversity, this book is an excellent and inspiring addition to library collections for middle grade readers.

[pennpenn · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5/5

Y’all this was SO MUCH FUN

AUDIOBOOK
• Ferdelle Capistrano (the audiobook narrator) does an amazing job of expressing so much personality and emotion in every line.
• Capistrano gives each character a super unique voice (a very hard thing to do!), and I love how she integrates accents into different characters. She knocked it out of the park!

SETTING
• As someone who has spent a lot of time in Southern Californian towns/cities, Tracy Badua nailed the small town atmosphere of Coral Beach. Her depictions of Coral Beach’s food trucks, tight-knit communities and small businesses, the heat, tourism, and beaches really take me back to Southern California!
• The food descriptions? Immaculate. Made me hungry 10/10.

CHARCTERS/STORY
• Mila is such a delight as a protagonist! Her cheerful, enthusiastic personality is infectious and her struggles are so well written.
• Tracy Badua does a great job of weaving themes of coming of age, culture and diaspora, cultural appropriation, and belonging in a way that young readers can understand while still writing with nuance.
• Every supporting character is unique, with their own distinct personalities and quirks; even the background characters are memorable and help Coral Beach feel real and lived-in.
• The plot is snappy and well-paced, and the stakes and tension feel high. I was invested the entire way through!

THE TAKEOUT is such a heartfelt, fun-packed, and delicious book, and I enjoyed every second of it. Give THE TAKEOUT a read, and a round of applause for Tracy Badua!

[Andrea Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a wholesome story that touches on the struggles of a Filipino American girl and exploring within herself what it means to belong. The food described encourages me to seek out cooking and trying Filipino Indian cuisine.

[Chelsea Stringfield]

Mila is trying to fit in to her new small town while spending time on her dad's Indian-Filipino fusion food truck. When her favorite celebrity chefs open a restaurant with an eerily familiar menu, how far will Mila go to save her family's truck and uncover the truth? This is a perfect read for anyone trying to find exactly where they fit in while keeping true to themselves.

[Dani Terk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Badua has a way of combining rich culture, contemporary settings, and fantasy twists with super loveable protagonists. THE TAKEOUT is a super fun read with some really powerful messages for young readers learning to love both themselves and their roots in a world that may not always/openly appreciate them.

[Caelan Fortes · Rating 5 out of 5]

so good! this book has everything: lunchbox moments turned upside down, intersectionality that doesn't use characters of different identities as one-dimensional props, unpacking the model minority myth, three generations of family in various stages of trying to break the cycle. I loved this mouth-watering study of what it means to be filipino-american!

[Laila - Stories Steeped in Magic · Rating 5 out of 5]

My Rating: 5
A fun and fighting story of a girl determined to save her family’s food truck with Filipino folk magic and courage.
Thank you HarperCollins for providing an e-book copy through NetGalley.

Synopsis:
Mila wishes her dad’s Filipino-Indian fusion food truck, The Banana Leaf, was the most successful business in the area. But Coral Beach is a small coastal location with few tourists and even fewer people of color. While Mila enjoys inventing the next new dish with authentic flavor, she hates how ostracized she feels from the community. After she and her dad moved here from LA, making friends, growing the family business, and pleasing her grandma bear on her need to “fit in” to the crowd. But Mila has no idea what that means.

Then, something exciting finally happens to Coral Beach. The Fad Foodie Brothers - hottest TV food sensations and Mila’s celebrity crushes - are opening a new restaurant in town! Mila is over the moon and eagerly awaits the soft opening where she can try all the food. But then she learns of their “inventive” Filipino-Indian fusion idea, like the Banana Leaf. Then she sees the menu, which looks suspiciously like the Banana Leaf’s. Then she tries the food, and it is exactly like the Banana Leaf’s. The Fad Foodie Brothers are stealing the Banana Leaf’s food! If Mila doesn’t do something, her family’s business will be shut down for good. To stop this, she must use some Filipino folk-magic that amplifies emotions and truth. The problem: She’s no good at it. In addition, going against the Fad Foodie Brothers means going against what it means to “fit in”, and Mila’s not entirely sure how she can live in a place that refuses to accept her for who she is. But the Banana leaf is their home, and Mila’s love of food, of her father, and of their cuisine will not let her stop until she exposes the brothers for their crime.

What I Liked:
The Takeout is a story about a Filipino girl who must decide what is more important: Fitting into the community to make friends and live a “normal” life, or fighting for yourself and your family. It’s a fantastic message and one that Mila struggles with. On the surface, it’s easy to say “Of course be yourself!” but sometimes, given your circumstances, it’s not the most conductive or safest option. There is more nuance for people of color fitting into a mostly white community, and Mila’s story shows this in a slightly exaggerated situation but realistic perspective. Mila’s inner thoughts are introspective and considerate of other people’s point-of-view, such as her father, sister, her new friend Ajay, and others in her life. Other characters are fully realized and unique, some surprising readers (and Mila) with their decisions. The incorporation of Filipino folk magic is delightful and fun, easily adding urban fantasy to the story without distraction. Mila, Ajay, and their families are Filipino. The Fad Foodie Brothers and Mila school associates are White. There is a spattering for Black/Brown minor characters.

What I Didn’t Like: Nothing!

Who Would I Recommend This To: Kids who like reading about food, the underdog fighting against big businesses, Filipino folklore and culture, and about kids trying to fit in.

Review Date: June 20, 2023

[Ms. Yingling · Rating 3 out of 5]

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Mila's grandparents moved to the US from the Philippines so that their children could have a better life, so her grandmother is not happy that her father has given up working as an engineer to start up a Filipino-Indian fusion food truck, The Banana Leaf, with his friend Mr. Ram. Since her mother has had to quit work to go take care of her aging parents back in the Philippines, Mila and her father have moved in with her grandmother in Coral Beach, Florida. It's a very different community that the one Mila is used to in California, where it was very diverse. Mila has managed to make friends with a group of popular girls, but she feels very different from them, since they are all wealthy and care more about dressing the same. They do share an interest in the Fab Foodie brothers, social media darlings Chip and Chaz Darlington, so when the two come to town, Mila is excited that her father gets tickets to the soft opening of their new restaurant, Marigold and Myth. To her horror, however, Mila realizes that their menu is copied straight from The Banana Leaf's, and research into their background (which she does along with Mr. Ram's nephew Ajay) reveals that the duo has copied another restaurant and hurt their business in the past. Using some of the Filipino folk magic that her older sister Catalina is studying, Mila tries to prove that the Darlington brothers have targeted her father's business, and to stop them before it is too late.
Strengths: Since their truth serum and "vex hex" seems to provoke responses in people, I think we'll have to say there is magic, so this would be a fantasy book. The Banana Leaf is a very cool food truck, and the description of food made me hungry! I appreciated that Mila wanted to stay close to her Filipino culture even when she had trouble with the folk magic, and it was interesting that her sister, who was six years older, knew how to speak Tagalog when Mila didn't. Mila and Ajay make a good team, and the Darlington brothers are villains with a twist.
Weaknesses: While I can understand that Mila was sad to have to be living with her grandmother in a new town, she had rather negative attitudes about her new friends, but also about her grandmother. I can understand not wanting to sublimate her personality for her friends, but not liking her grandmother because she wanted to keep her home clean and wanted the best for Mila and her father seemed unreasonable. I guess I'm just feeling more sympathetic to the grandparent demographic, since I am rapidly approaching it.
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who lived Little's Worse Than Weird and Torres' Stef Soto, Taco Queen, but want a little more magic, like Borba's The Midnight Brigade.

[Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read "Freddie vs. the Family Curse" so I was excited to see (and receive) the ARC for her next book for this age-group, "The Takeout".

At the first sentence, it was like coming home. Badua is right in saying that "home is where the stomach is" as the fondest memories we have of back home is not the food per se, but the memories associated with it: Simbang Gabi (Midnight Mass) noche buena (midnight meal), birthdays, graduations, and all sorts of family gatherings.

But for Mila in "The Takeout," it is much more than that. It means their livelihood; it means not having to live under the thumb of her domineering grandmother; it means not seeing her dad stressed out in paying bills; and for her, it means possibly having her own test kitchen to work out her own Indian-Filipino fusion.

When cooking stars, Fab Foodie Brothers, threatened their food truck by having a brick-and-mortar establishment serving the same food in the same vicinity, Mila knew she had to step up her "albularyo" game in order to save her family business.

As much as there are Filipino folk magic and Latin-inspired spells involved, Mila knows she needs to have more confidence in herself in order for things to work out. I liked the injection of some more of the Filipino elements in the story, but I do think the use of incantations may be a little too witch-y for me. Granted, albularyos do DO that, the notion of it included in a book geared towards children is a little unsettling. Let's just say, I don't think I would want my children thinking that drinking potions and concoctions (albeit natural ingredients) is the way to solve problems or get out of situations. It would be good if the emphasis is more on her inner strength than the magic potions.

That being said, even without that, I think the story actually has a very good plot, though there would be a different way to solve the mystery. I liked that Mila was spunky and determined and did not let those who are "bigger" than her (in every way) get in her way of uncovering the fraud that the Foodie brothers are spinning everyone around in.

A good message here is that what you see on the screen is not always what you get. It should help children and teens see that we can't always believe what we see on TV, and our "idols" in media may not be the same in real life. At the end of the day, with the myth shattered, then Mila can actually see who she is and what she is capable of, shattering everyone's image of her and finally letting her true self come out.

[Catherine Hammer · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you to HarperCollins Children's Books, Clarion Books, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.

The Takeout by Tracy Badua is the story of Mila, her family's food truck, and the fight she undertakes to keep a pair of celebrity chefs from stealing her family's recipes and livelihood.

I know a lot of people will probably love this book, but I couldn't connect with it. For me, the entire book was filled with so many different plotlines that ALL introduced additional stress and unhappiness into the main character's life, it was an uncomfortable, tense read. I realize that life is not always puppies and flowers, but I was missing a little bit of joy in the book - instead it all seemed to be frustration and sadness until the end of the book.

The actual writing is cohesive and effective, but unfortunately, due to the plot points and storyline, it was not an enjoyable read for me.

********SPOILER ALERT*********
****************************************
There was sooooooo much unhappiness and tension. It seemed liked overkill that 1) Mila was unhappy within her family - she misses her mother while she is out of the country, and she currently lives in a tense household with her grandmother who is disapproving of her father's life choices and voices those opinions often, 2) Mila is uncomfortable in her community while not feeling like she fits in or has true friends, 3) Mila is afraid of the potential of the loss of her family's food truck and how the loss of that income and her Dad's dream will affect them all, 4) Mila is disappointed in her inability to create potions like her mother and sister and as a result feels inadequate.

Another tension I personally experience that other people may find amusing was the presence of Ajay's pet rat. I realize that this is just a book, but the fact that he carries the rat around in his pocket and occasionally leaves it in a box IN THE FOOD TRUCK while he is working there was extremely gross to me.

***END OF SPOILER****
********************************

[Kenya Starflight · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a delightful book! I'm happy to see more representation in middle-grade literature, and The Takeout is not only a fun story with just a splash of magic, but it's a thoughtful take on trying to find your identity in a complex world. And it just might make you want to try some Filipino food along the way.

Mila and her father have moved from LA to the more predominantly white community of Coral Beach, trying to fulfill her father's dream of starting his own food truck, the Banana Leaf. When Mila's idols, the Fab Foodie Brothers, announce they're opening a restaurant in Coral Beach -- a restaurant serving the same Filipino-Indian fusion food that the Banana Leaf does -- she knows the Brothers must have stolen her father's recipes! With a little help from her trivia-obsessed cousin and her sister's Filipino folk magic, can Mila expose the Brothers and save her father's food truck?

This is a delightful underdog story, made better by well-done characters. Mila is a well-rounded character, one who feels trapped between expressing herself and her own interests and trying to live up to everyone else's expectations. Her relationship with her cousin, Ajay, feels realistic, and her struggles to find her place are something kids of any background can relate to. She feels torn between trying to fit in with the Coral Beach community, trying to live up to her sister's expectations of what a "real Filipino" should be, and trying to just be her own authentic self, and that's a struggle many people of any background feel.

A delicious middle-grade story, and one that makes me want to go hunt down a food truck...

[Therearenobadbooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars
Takeout is an amazing and energetic middle grade focused on fighting the dishonesty of those who abuse fame, high power, or status, like being an influencer or large brand, to succeed by stealing from the original creators and many times minorities. In this case, Mila has to prove that the restaurant that just opened nearby stole her family's recipes. Such injustice can't be unpunished and Mila has allies.

Mila's voice will not be silenced, not by the famous or older generation (grandmother's view of her American Dream) that sees the world differently, with a different kind of caution. I am glad that we are seeing more characters that don't stand down, although they are young, their voices are coming forward for the sake of the community or family.

I love that the story infuses some infusion of Filipino folk magic, referring to natural products, herbs, and infusions to heal instead of chemicals. I appreciate when fiction inserts a bit of "magic" in the resolution of conflict when the themes are so close to our daily lives that humor makes the story lighter.

It's quite energetic and uplifting in this quest for justice on an infuriating journey to seeking truth.

Thank you Netgalley and Publisher for the chance to give my honest opinion.

[Lonna Pierce · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mila (Milagro, or “miracle”) and her dad operate a Filipino-Indian fusion food truck in Coral Beach, California. He’s a talented chef and she also loves food, even creating a specialty lassi drink. It’s harder for her to make friends here than back in LA, as there is much less diversity in this town. Mila is ambivalent about losing her Filipino culture and customs just to fit in with some popular school girls. To make things worse, the Fabulous Foodie Brothers, famous twins on the TV Cuisine Network, are opening a new restaurant nearby with recipes stolen from her dad’s fusion truck menu! Mila and friend, Ajay use research to find the “Fraudie Brothers” have done this before in another town to a Korean BBQ mom and pop place. Then, they used goon lawyers to threaten the owners not to report it. Using Filipino folk medicine potions from her sister, Mila brews a “truth serum” that exposes the fraud and reveals how the wealthy, famous big business brothers exploited the little guys and stole their ideas. Interesting concept, but the constant angst and not enough humor made me impatient to finish it and move on.

[Courtney · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is super cute and I want to eat so many things in this book. I also appreciated how Mila's and Whirligig's friendship and understanding grew, that may have been my favorite part.

Three stars because there was a lot going on (magic, fitting in, making new friends, saving the family business, racism and microaggressions, etc.) and I feel like it was a bit much for the one character and a middle grade novel.

Also, I had a lot of little issues with this book: Being a girl who had short hair and was mistaken for a boy up until her freshman year of high school, I am here to tell you that girl on the cover does not have short enough hair. I did not appreciate how EVERY TIME she called her older sister that sister would get on her soapbox and preach at her little sister who just needed some advice from her sister, not a lecture. The third little thing is the overuse of the word "folks", everyone used it, the main character, her cousin, her dad, her white friend, the Darlingtons, not EVERYONE uses the word "folks".

[Alyssa Bush · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this novel to review for NetGalley but this review is my own.

I really enjoyed The Takeout by Tracy Badua. This novel is a middle school drama about a preteen Mila whose family and family friend owns a food truck. This connects perfectly with current times because food trucks are all the craze but also being foodies and explore new foods is also huge with American society currently. Mila is always under pressure to fit in with peers. She tries her hardest to tame down her true identity to not seem so out there and different from a clique of girls. I loved this aspect of the book while also trying to save the food truck. She learns more about herself and that she has to believe in her true identity, everything she loves, to succeed. The author does a very good job in the character development of Mila and her preteen dramas while being from a different culture than her peers.

I definitely recommend this book to use in middle school as a way to signify embracing each other’s cultures and letting differences shine.

[Lori · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author's Freddie Vs. the Family Curse has been a big hit with readers in my elementary school media center, so I was excited to dive into The Takeout! Mia is spending her summer in a new city working with her father on his food truck serving fabulous Filipino-Indian fusion food. She is initially excited to find that celebrity chef duo she idolizes is opening a restaurant across the street from her father’s food truck. When she discovers the restaurant’s menu is suspiciously similar to the food served on her father’s food truck, Mia decides to take on the chefs to save the family business. To do this she must risk alienating herself from her new friends and be brave enough to believe in the traditional Filipino magic she’s been hesitant to own. Family, fabulous food, and newfound friends mixed with mystery and a little bit of magic make this a winner! Mia's determination to protect her family's business and her ability to navigate adversity will have readers rooting for her to succeed in her battle against the famous foodies.

[DC · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mila, a young Filipino girl, has moved from Los Angeles to a small town. Her father and his friend have opened a Filipino/Indian fusion food truck. Mila has a flair with food and is fascinated with everything culinary, including famous chefs. When two of her favorite chefs open a new restaurant in her small town, Mila is excited about the new business and meeting the Darlington brothers. However, she soon finds out that their food is very similar to the food served in her father's food truck. Did the Darlingtons purposely copy their food to try to put the food truck out of business? With the help of Ajay (her father's partner's nephew), Mila sets out to find the truth and set everyone straight.

As a side story, this book is also about Mila learning about herself. Mila doesn't feel comfortable with her new group of friends, thinking that she has to be like them to fit in. Will they still like her if she shows them the real Mila?

A wonderful read for a young adult. I found it particularly engaging because there are very few stories for young Filipinos.

[Arielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although this is a middle grade book with a lighthearted tone, it touches on a lot of important themes—culture, identity, fitting in, family, friendship.

I love the Filipino representation in this book. Being a Filipino diaspora child, I related a lot to Mila’s feelings about her identity and doubts about where she fits in as a Filipino-American in a predominantly white neighborhood. I also resonated a lot with the theme of feeling disconnected from her Filipino roots and wanting to learn more about her heritage.

The book also talks about racism. I was baffled to read about the part where the Darlingtons went as far as to send ICE to Prime BBBQ to investigate the family’s immigration status to run them out of business. Sheesh.

Overall, this book was a fun way to incorporate the love language of food with hints of Filipino folk magic while also conveying deeper themes. Great read indeed.

Also, I would sell my soul to try the Mila Special turon lassi.

[Rebecca Shelton · Rating 3 out of 5]

In "The Takeout," Mila is still adjusting to life in Coral Beach, finding comfort only in her family’s Filipino-Indian food truck, The Banana Leaf. But when celebrity chefs, the Fab Foodie Brothers, open a restaurant serving identical dishes to her family’s, Mila suspects they’ve stolen her family’s recipes. Teaming up with her friend Ajay, she sets out to investigate and even considers using Filipino folk magic to save her family’s business, a part of her heritage she’s previously kept at arm’s length.

The book explores Mila’s desire to protect her family’s legacy while also navigating her need to fit into her new community. Badua presents a unique, culturally rich storyline that touches on themes of family, friendship, and belonging. I had some concerns with Mila’s use of a potion to manipulate someone’s emotions without consent—a decision that felt ethically questionable and went mostly unaddressed by the characters.

[Ms. Garr · Rating 4 out of 5]

Middle school; I really enjoyed this story and its exploration of being stuck between two cultures, and not feeling quite comfortable anywhere. I loved the talk about all sorts of food and the character’s interest in cooking. I think this will be a big hit with students- it’s fun and age-appropriate and mostly lighthearted, and has a lot of food and action in it. I had some trouble though with the plot line of secretly giving the “bad guys” herbs to affect their behavior, because this feels like going against the importance of consent. However, these potions seem to be a part of Filipino culture, so criticizing the use of them could be lack of cultural understanding and respect on my part as a Caucasian person. I still think it warrants a quick exploratory discussion with students and overall, this book is recommended.

[Mitticus · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Food Truck Filipino-Indian fusion food . Growing pains.

Twelve years old Mila Pascual is a foodie, is summer and she is helping her dad run the "Banana Leaf" a food truck that her dad and his friend Mr Ram owns. Her mom is away in Filipinas because her granpa is having health peoblems, and her big sister is away at the uni , so Mila and her dad are living with her grandmother to save and she is not happy with Mr Pascual job.

This is like a Disney Channel movie: problems fitting in at school in a new environment with mostly white people, problems with the grandmother because she doesn't believe in the father's dream, economic problems, and problems finding her own image and who she is definitively. Mixed with ideas of traditional Filipino potions.

The part about the celebrities shows that all not is glitter in tvshows.

Over all, nothing new under the sun. It was all predictable.

I got problems with the rat. Seriously , not cute , especially around food, yuck!


Popsugar 2025 Reto #29. Un libro sobre un food truck