Key Selling Points

• Loosely based on Shenaaz Nanji’s classic picture book, Treasure For Lunch (9781896764320)
• An early reader chapter book about a young girl coping with being the new kid in school and the only Afro-Indian child in her class
• Touches on common issues that kids deal with when they’re an ethnic or cultural minority in their school, such as feeling embarrassed about their "different" lunch foods
• Portrays a close relationship between a grandchild and her grandmother who lives overseas, and the bonds that form around food
• Reflects contemporary goals that kids have around cooking (Alina starts her own cooking channel on Youtube, auditions to get on a cooking show)

Toronto, ON, November 2021 — Moving to a new city means Alina has to make new friends, and nothing is worse than lunch at a new school. When her grandmother visits, Alina is inspired to help her cook the delicious Afro-Indian meals she’s always loved, but a cruel note from a mysterious lunchtime bully leaves a bitter taste that even Nani’s excellent cooking can’t erase.

With an audition for Junior Chef fast approaching and Nani’s wise lessons helping her, can Alina embrace her heritage and convince her classmates that being different is a good thing?

Moving to a new city means Alina has to make new friends, and nothing is worse than lunch at a new school. When her grandmother visits, Alina is inspired to help her cook the delicious Afro-Indian meals she’s always loved, but a cruel note from a mysterious lunchtime bully leaves a bitter taste that even Nani’s excellent cooking can’t erase.

With an audition for Junior Chef fast approaching and Nani’s wise lessons helping her, can Alina embrace her heritage and convince her classmates that being different is a good thing?

A charming story about a young girl struggling at a new school and learning to be brave by embracing her heritage through food.

Key Selling Points

• Loosely based on Shenaaz Nanji’s classic picture book, Treasure For Lunch (9781896764320)
• An early reader chapter book about a young girl coping with being the new kid in school and the only Afro-Indian child in her class
• Touches on common issues that kids deal with when they’re an ethnic or cultural minority in their school, such as feeling embarrassed about their "different" lunch foods
• Portrays a close relationship between a grandchild and her grandmother who lives overseas, and the bonds that form around food
• Reflects contemporary goals that kids have around cooking (Alina starts her own cooking channel on Youtube, auditions to get on a cooking show)

Toronto, ON, November 2021 — Moving to a new city means Alina has to make new friends, and nothing is worse than lunch at a new school. When her grandmother visits, Alina is inspired to help her cook the delicious Afro-Indian meals she’s always loved, but a cruel note from a mysterious lunchtime bully leaves a bitter taste that even Nani’s excellent cooking can’t erase.

With an audition for Junior Chef fast approaching and Nani’s wise lessons helping her, can Alina embrace her heritage and convince her classmates that being different is a good thing?

Moving to a new city means Alina has to make new friends, and nothing is worse than lunch at a new school. When her grandmother visits, Alina is inspired to help her cook the delicious Afro-Indian meals she’s always loved, but a cruel note from a mysterious lunchtime bully leaves a bitter taste that even Nani’s excellent cooking can’t erase.

With an audition for Junior Chef fast approaching and Nani’s wise lessons helping her, can Alina embrace her heritage and convince her classmates that being different is a good thing?