Picked by Food Network Magazine's Kids Cookbooks fans

Here are 4 books that Food Network Magazine's Kids Cookbooks fans have personally recommended once you finish the Food Network Magazine's Kids Cookbooks series. Book DNA is a community of authors and super-readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

Book cover of Science Experiments You Can Eat

Mary Boone Author Of Bugs for Breakfast: How Eating Insects Could Help Save the Planet

From my list on food facts.

Why am I passionate about this?

I baked my first loaf of bread when I was eight. It was shaped like a brick and weighed about the same. With my grandma’s help, I tweaked the recipe, learned the importance of precise measurements, practiced my kneading, and ultimately won a blue ribbon for my efforts at the 4-H county fair. In the years since, my passion for food has grown. I love to learn how various crops are grown and harvested, I nearly cried when I tasted cheese I made myself, and I’ve been known to arrange travel around specific culinary adventures. For me, learning about food is nearly as enjoyable as eating it!

Mary's book list on food facts

Mary Boone Why Mary loves this book

For generations, this book has been helping young readers turn their kitchens into laboratories. After introducing basic scientific concepts, kid chefs/scientists get to test scientific principles with edible results: beef jerky, cottage cheese, pudding, and more. Along the way, they learn that making a meringue is about denaturing protein and that mayonnaise is a simple emulsion. I love the way in which the text and illustrations pair to clearly allow readers to conclude that good cooks truly are good chemists.

By Vicki Cobb , Tad Carpenter (illustrator) ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Science Experiments You Can Eat as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 8, 9, 10, and 11.

What is this book about?

Kids take the reins in the kitchen with this hands-on book of edible science experiments! With revised and updated material, a brand-new look, and hours of innovative, educational experiments, this science classic by award-winning author Vicki Cobb will be devoured by a whole new generation of readers.

Combine with such books as Awesome Science Experiments for Kids to help junior scientists continue their learning, whether at home or in a classroom.

With contemporary information that reflects changes in the world of processing and preserving foods, this cookbook demonstrates the scientific principles that underpin the chemical reactions we witness every day—just…


Book cover of The Poison Eaters: Fighting Danger and Fraud in Our Food and Drugs

Mary Boone Author Of Bugs for Breakfast: How Eating Insects Could Help Save the Planet

From my list on food facts.

Why am I passionate about this?

I baked my first loaf of bread when I was eight. It was shaped like a brick and weighed about the same. With my grandma’s help, I tweaked the recipe, learned the importance of precise measurements, practiced my kneading, and ultimately won a blue ribbon for my efforts at the 4-H county fair. In the years since, my passion for food has grown. I love to learn how various crops are grown and harvested, I nearly cried when I tasted cheese I made myself, and I’ve been known to arrange travel around specific culinary adventures. For me, learning about food is nearly as enjoyable as eating it!

Mary's book list on food facts

Mary Boone Why Mary loves this book

This book is like watching a food-centric episode of Dateline, with fraud, malice, and cheating behind every food factory door. Candy tainted with arsenic, sausages made with meat scraps and rodent droppings swept off the floor, toothache medication made with cocaine – it’s all true. Sure, most of these food and medication offenses happened more than 100 years ago, but this book presents the information in a fresh, fascinating, and understandable way. I, for one, was gripped by the stories and grateful for changes in food standards and oversight.

By Gail Jarrow ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Poison Eaters as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Six starred reviews- Booklist BCCB Kirkus Reviews Publishers Weekly School Library Connection Shelf Awareness

ALSC Notable Children's Book
Washington Post Best Children's Book
NCTE Orbis Pictus Honor Book
BCCB Blue Ribbon
Kirkus Reviews Best Children's Book
NSTA Outstanding Science Trade Book for Students K-12
Chicago Public Library Best Children's Book

"Revolting and riveting in turns, Jarrow's masterfully crafted narrative will fundamentally alter how readers view their food.Though laced with toxins, this is anything but toxic." -- Kirkus Reviews, starred review

Formaldehyde, borax, salicylic acid. Today, these chemicals are used in embalming fluids, cleaning supplies, and acne medications. But in 1900,…


Book cover of Yummy

Blue Delliquanti Author Of Meal

From my list on graphic novels that make you hungry.

Why am I passionate about this?

I love writing about food, and it appears as a motif in nearly every comic I've ever drawn. Comics are an exceptional medium for discussing food – a talented artist can render a drawing into something that looks delicious, but they can tie it into a story that gives the dish meaning or connects to a particular character's inner life. With Meal I had the opportunity to tell a story about a kind of cuisine that delights me, but that most people know very little about – and I turned to my favorite comics about food for inspiration on how to translate that joy from the plate to the page.

Blue's book list on graphic novels that make you hungry

Blue Delliquanti Why Blue loves this book

This recent release is a deep dive for young readers into the history of popular desserts, from brownies to biscotti. The gorgeous colors and charming character design make Yummy a joy to page through, but it's a great way to introduce to kids that people are responsible for the foods that we love – and sometimes our favorite dishes were complete accidents!

By Victoria Grace Elliott ,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Yummy as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 8, 9, 10, and 11.

What is this book about?

Cake is delicious, and comics are awesome: this exciting nonfiction graphic novel for kids combines both! Explore the history of desserts through a fun adventure with facts, legends, and recipes for readers to try at home.

Have you ever wondered who first thought to freeze cream? Or when people began making sweet pastry shells to encase fruity fillings? Peri is excited to show you the delicious history of sweets while taking you around the world and back!
 
The team-up that made ice cream cones!
 
The mistake that made brownies!
 
Learn about and taste the true stories behind everyone’s favorite treats,…


Book cover of There's No Ham in Hamburgers: Facts and Folklore about Our Favorite Foods

Mary Boone Author Of Bugs for Breakfast: How Eating Insects Could Help Save the Planet

From my list on food facts.

Why am I passionate about this?

I baked my first loaf of bread when I was eight. It was shaped like a brick and weighed about the same. With my grandma’s help, I tweaked the recipe, learned the importance of precise measurements, practiced my kneading, and ultimately won a blue ribbon for my efforts at the 4-H county fair. In the years since, my passion for food has grown. I love to learn how various crops are grown and harvested, I nearly cried when I tasted cheese I made myself, and I’ve been known to arrange travel around specific culinary adventures. For me, learning about food is nearly as enjoyable as eating it!

Mary's book list on food facts

Mary Boone Why Mary loves this book

I love food and I love history, which is why I adore the way this offbeat book explains the origin stories of some of our favorite foods. Yes, some of the tales are gross. Did you know Genghis Khan’s soldiers put raw meat scraps between their horse and saddle? The friction tenderized the meat and turned it into an early version of ground meat patties – seasoned, of course, with horse sweat! Readers who love knowing the facts behind their food will enjoy learning about the beginnings of peanut butter, french fries, hot dogs, and much more.  

By Kim Zachman , Peter Donnelly (illustrator) ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked There's No Ham in Hamburgers as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 8, 9, 10, and 11.

What is this book about?

Why is there no ham in hamburgers? How did we make ice cream before we could make ice? How did hot dogs get their name? From the origins of pizza (which got a big boost from Clarence Birdseye, of all people) to the Cornell professor who invented chicken fingers, There's No Ham in Hamburgers has all the ingredients for an entertaining and educational middle-grade read. Packed with informative sidebars, recipes, and experiments, along with fabulously funny illustrations by Peter Donnelly, this book is a reading recipe that kids will sink their teeth into!