By Flora Ahn
When You Reach Me meets Love Sugar Magic in this unforgettable middle grade
novel where time travel, family recipes, and family secrets collide.
There’s something almost magical about the way Maya’s grandmother
cooks--and although Halmunee may be losing her memory, she always knows
how to make the most delicious gimbap. Maya doesn’t remember her family’s
old life in Korea, but she learns new recipes and stories when they cook
together–stories that Maya's mom would prefer stayed in the past, especially if
they involve Maya’s father.
One summer day, as Maya and Halmunee are making patbingsu, something
unbelievable happens: a single delicious bite transports Maya and Halmunee
back in time, into the memory itself. Halmunee explains that their family has
the ability to time travel through food–and Maya can do it too, if she practices.
As she eats her way through the past, Maya tries to unravel the mystery of
what life was like in Korea, and what really happened to her dad. She learns
that time moves in ways she couldn't imagine ... and that sometimes, families
keep secrets to protect the ones they love. Brimming with heart, and
interspersed with Korean family recipes that readers can make themselves, this
is a story to savor.
FOR MIDDLE GRADE FANS OF TAE KELLER AND REBECCA STEAD: Middle grade
readers of magical realism and contemporary fiction will love time-traveling with Maya.
Perfect for fans of books like Love Sugar Magic, When You Reach Me, and When You Trap
a Tiger.
A COMPELLING FAMILY STORY WITH A MAGICAL TWIST: Maya’s connection with
her grandmother, magical home-cooked meals, and buried family secrets make for a
heartwarming page-turner.
THEMES OF IMMIGRATION AND CULTURAL HERITAGE: Similar thematically to the
memoir Crying in H Mart, Maya’s multi-generational Korean immigrant family explores
the link between food, memory, and cultural heritage.
RISING AUTHOR WHO CONNECTS TO HER STORIES: Flora Ahn is the author and
illustrator of the chapter book series Pug Pals. This is her debut middle grade novel. Her
Audible Original, The Golden Orchard, was named one of Audible’s Best Kid Titles of the
Year.
RECIPES YOU’LL WANT TO MAKE (AND EAT): A Spoonful of Time includes 5
mouthwatering Korean recipes in section openers that readers will be inspired to try
making! These recipes will be lightly illustrated (eight interior spots) by Jenny Park.
About the Author/Illustrator
Author Residence: Falls Church, VA Author Hometown: Los Angeles, CA
Flora Ahn is an attorney by day and an author and illustrator by night. Her work includes
a children's chapter book series, Pug Pals (Scholastic) and an Audible Original, The
Golden Orchard. Raised in California by her Korean immigrant parents, Ahn lives in
Virginia with her two pugs and practices law in DC.
