The Heartbreak Bakery

by A. R. Capetta

About this series: Jules reads a lot of LGBTQ+ books in their spare time and is telling us about a few of their favorite ones for kids. Jules is friends with the editor of The Heartbreak Bakery (and is listed in the acknowledgements!), but don’t think this is a nepotism recommendation: it recently won the Lambda Literary Award for best YA Novel!

Age range: Young Adult/High School is the target age range, but its content and writing are accessible to strong readers who are a little younger, and it does not contain graphic or ‘heavy’ teen topics (other than feelings)

Synopsis: After getting dumped, 17-year-old Syd makes a tray of brownies, and it seems like anyone who eats one goes through a breakup of their own. Is Syd’s baking magically affecting people, and can Syd sort this mess out?

What I love about this book: I love that Syd, the main character, is part of an entire queer community! The book centers around the Proud Muffin, a queer coffeeshop/bakery, and characters hold a whole host of different LGBTQ+ identities, which means many different kids will be able to see themselves and their friends in this book.

What kids will love about this book: It is really affirming to see yourself in a book that is in your favorite genre, and not just in books about an issue. The story is great, the writing is great, and there are so many queer/trans characters!

Where to get the book: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound | Minuteman Libraries