Mama's Chicken and Dumplings

May 15, 2024
Grades 3-6 Raised by her hardworking mother, 10-year-old Allie is growing up during the 1930s in a tight-knit African American community within segregated Charlottesville, Virginia. Alarmed when her school music teacher, Mr. Coles, starts dating her mother, Allie comes up with a plan to help Mama find a more suitable man to marry. Allie's main objection is that Mr. Coles' niece, Gwen, has been Allie's classmate and nemesis for years. As tension rises between them at school, the principal comes up with a creative solution that gradually, unexpectedly changes their relationship. For better or for worse, when wedding bells chime, the two girls find themselves on the same side. From fears of children contracting polio to foods served for Sunday dinner to vocabulary and courtesies typical of the time and place, Mann weaves in many period details that bring authenticity to the narrative. The well-drawn school, church, and home settings create believable backdrops for Mann's first middle-grade novel, a simply told, heartening story of a girl facing ethical dilemmas and achieving what had once seemed to be impossible.

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May 13, 2024
Mann (LeBron James vs. Michael Jordan) centers Vinegar Hill, a Black neighborhood in segregated 1930s Charlottesville, Va., in this sweet tale about 10-year-old Allie’s plans to find love for her single mother. With her best friend Jewel, Allie hatches a plot she dubs Man-for-Mama. Certain that any man with taste will fall for Mama once they have a bite of her famous chicken and dumpling recipe, the friends set out in search of a potential suitor. Allie’s top choice is Mr. Johnson, the owner of a local antique store who went to school with Mama. Unfortunately for Allie, however, her band teacher Mr. Coles—the uncle of her “NOT-friend” Gwen—is interested in courting Mama. When Mama proves receptive to Mr. Coles’s advances, Allie leaps into action, determined to play matchmaker for Mama and Mr. Johnson. The extensively researched setting provides a sensorial backdrop against which an amiable cast navigates low-stakes conflict. Characters are named after real historical figures, as discussed in an author’s note, which also details Mann’s desire to write stories about “communities pulling together, of people persevering for the sake of the children.” Further resources conclude. Ages 8–11.

September 1, 2024
Mann sets this amiable story in 1930s Vinegar Hill, "a thriving African American business and residential community" outside Charlottesville, Virginia. Allie Lewis wants the best for her mama and thinks she needs a husband to help with financial worries and repairs. With her best friend, Jewel, she launches her "Man-for-Mama Plan." Allie knows once her top choice, Mr. Johnson, tries her mama's chicken and dumplings, a proposal is sure to follow. Unfortunately, Jewel moves away, leaving Allie to start fifth grade without her friend and someone to calm her attitude (her "inside heat") around archrival and "NOT-friend" Gwen Turner. What's more, her mother is proving to be uncooperative with Allie's plans, and, worst of all, band teacher -- and Gwen's uncle! -- Mr. Coles has expressed interest in Mama. The protagonist's attempts to get the plan back on track have unexpected results, reminding her that maybe not having a plan can work out just as well. Allie is a likable character, and her humorous first-person narration, including detailed descriptions of her community, reflects her intense emotional highs and lows. Back matter includes an author's note about the history of Vinegar Hill, lists of related books and films, and a link to a recipe for chicken and dumplings. Eboni Njoku

(Copyright 2024 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

July 1, 2024
Mann sets this amiable story in 1930s Vinegar Hill, "a thriving African American business and residential community" outside Charlottesville, Virginia. Allie Lewis wants the best for her mama and thinks she needs a husband to help with financial worries and repairs. With her best friend, Jewel, she launches her "Man-for-Mama Plan." Allie knows once her top choice, Mr. Johnson, tries her mama's chicken and dumplings, a proposal is sure to follow. Unfortunately, Jewel moves away, leaving Allie to start fifth grade without her friend and someone to calm her attitude (her "inside heat") around archrival and "NOT-friend" Gwen Turner. What's more, her mother is proving to be uncooperative with Allie's plans, and, worst of all, band teacher -- and Gwen's uncle! -- Mr. Coles has expressed interest in Mama. The protagonist's attempts to get the plan back on track have unexpected results, reminding her that maybe not having a plan can work out just as well. Allie is a likable character, and her humorous first-person narration, including detailed descriptions of her community, reflects her intense emotional highs and lows. Back matter includes an author's note about the history of Vinegar Hill, lists of related books and films, and a link to a recipe for chicken and dumplings.

(Copyright 2024 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)