Twelve-year-old Luca loves his Italian American family’s pizza shop, even if he works long hours there, has to keep an eye on his younger twin siblings, and even mediates disagreements between his mom and dad. The shop is failing, however, beset with money troubles. Luca knows that if he can get the shop featured on his favorite culinary reality show, however, there just might be a chance of saving it—and of saving his parents’ marriage, which seems to be going down with the shop.
Luckily, he has his best friend June to lean on—but their friendship is tested when new student Will shows up one day, and both Luca and June vie for his attention. Luca has long known he was gay—that isn’t a plot point—but this is his first crush.
When their restaurant is chosen to be on the show, thanks in large part to Luca’s own culinary prowess, Luca thinks he may have solved all of his family’s problems—but of course, things don’t go quite as planned. Luca must work hard to balance competing demands from family and friends, but just like achieving the perfect balance of pizza crust, sauce, and toppings, the answer isn’t always easy.
Author Michael Leali delivers a story that manages to be lighthearted while also exploring the more serious question of how to weigh our responsibilities to others with our responsibility to take care of ourselves. I also think he develops the relationship between Luca and his crush particularly well, showing us how the boys bond over shared interests and their support of each other, not just because one thinks the other is cute. The story is a recommended and tasty treat that fans of TV food shows will particularly love.
Luca and his family are White, as is June. Will “looks like he might be Asian.” Two supporting adult characters are Black; one is also nonbinary. One White adult is gay.
