One Hundred Spaghetti Strings

by Jen Nails

When life hands Steffany Sandolini lemons, she makes…pasta sauce! This brave and heartwarming middle grade novel will leave your belly rumbling and your heart full.

Since Steffy was little, she and her older sister Nina have lived with their Auntie Gina. But when their dad comes home to live with them, everything changes.

When Steffy feels like there are pieces of her all over the place, she does what she does best: she cooks her way through the hardest year of her life. But sometimes her life feels like a kitchen-sink meal, with too many ingredients that don’t quite work together. Can the recipes put her—and her family—back together again?

Start with 1 cup of authentic voice, add a tablespoon of coming-of-age and 2 teaspoons of delicious culinary concoctions, mix together, and serve up to fans of Rebecca Stead and Sarah Weeks.

Genres: Middle Grade, Realistic Fiction, Childrens, Food, Cooking, Contemporary, Foodie

320 pages, Hardcover

Published April 11, 2017

Reviews

[Fatimah Manaf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tearful reading😭it's really sad when you faced hardship at the early age. This book tell about a young girl 12 years old, enjoy cooking, keep visit her sick mom at the care home and live with her Aunt and ballerina elder sister. When her dad come back to take care of them, they awkwardly lived together. It turn out bad, because their dad had mental breakdown and suicidal(try act tough and hide it😭)

Life will never turn around as we want-that what happen. She really want to be a family again with her sis, mom and dad. She tried every possible way to mend their broken relationship.Sadly,it can't be fixed. Her mom will never be the same again, she cannot restored any memory so they had to remind her that they were her daughter. The girl keep cooking a recipe from her mom cookbook to helps her remember everything. So do her dad who cannot face her wife unfortunate fate because he loves her so much(that's why he is so heartbroken)

This is a sad story of showing love. Some people tough, some are destroyed when their love one broken or lost.I like how the writer try to discussed it through all character. The girl-she nearly lost her interest in cooking when she stop tried to succeed in the cooking contest. But through her sister tough and harsh words, she get back on the right track. She also learned to accept differences amongst people will, respect and love.When her Aunt decide to adopt them, she stop thinking negative. She always thought her aunt are forced to take care of them. But when her aunt honestly told her that she's the one who need them and give them a choice to accept it, she start seeing other ways of showing love.

A good and inspirational novel.Even marked suitable for 8-12 years, I think it still attracts matured reader.Even more, its full of yummy foodie description and recipe that will challenge your imagination.

Never force your ways to others, because every person had a different eye on seeing. Some of them need a long time to healed. #fatimahmanaf #timahreviewbuku #malaysiamembaca

[Gillie · Rating 5 out of 5]

When you mix confusion and cooking in a big bowl with a wooden spoon, you get the perfect mix! This is one of the best cooking novels that I have read in a long time!

[Kelly Hager]

Steffy and her older sister Nina live with their Auntie Gina. (Her dad isn't around and her mom has had a traumatic brain injury and she's in a nice assisted living-type place.) She's focusing on her cooking (which she's incredibly good at) and school when suddenly her life is turned upside down: her dad is back and he's going to live with them.

I loved this sweet middlegrade. And I love Steffy. Adult readers will pick up on things younger readers may not (or may just register faster) but nothing in this novel is gratuitous or inappropriate. (My example is that Steffy's dad keeps a ton of beer in the fridge and drinks a lot of it. Then the beer disappears and he starts to spend a lot of time in their church's basement. Adult readers may not only clue in to "drinking problem" almost immediately but will also think "AA meeting.")

Warning: food descriptions will make you hungry. Recommended.

[Mabel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn’t really like this book because of the pacing but it does have some very real scenarios portrayed (although what target audience was this for?) and the food described is accurate but the characters themselves didn’t seem all too there for me. Steffy is a normal girl but her food makes her special and it tries to link it together but the way it is written gets a little lost from time to time.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

The popularity of young foodies is on the rise and this has most certainly played out in recent years with an uptick of books about child chefs. One Hundred Spaghetti Strings is yet another one to add to this ever-growing list and it is worth not overlooking.
Eleven-year-old Steffy walks us through the story of how her love for cooking helps her through a tough transitional period in her life. Her alcoholic father fled the scene many years earlier following an accident which left her mother brain damaged. Now that her father has returned she and her older sister, Nina, move in with her father, leaving the comfortable camaraderie of Aunt Gina's home. Determined to win her father's appeal Steffy takes to the kitchen, whipping up dinners as bait. At the same time, an announcement about a cooking competition for children has caught her attention. Spending increasing amounts of time perfecting her creations Steffy is sure winning the grand prize will be just the ticket to bring her family together. In a moment of inspiration she decides to bring some of these concoctions to the rehabilitation center where her mother resides in an attempt to spark her memory and return to being the mother Steffy once knew. What ensues is a heart-warming novel about family, ferocity, and food.
This would make an ideal book club pick. A collection of recipes Steffy tests throughout the book leave ample room for book club snack ideas.

[Renee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I started reading One Hundred Spaghetti Strings by Jen Nails and at first, I was a bit miffed because the start of the book really didn't engage me. Still, I decided to read on and boy, am I so glad I did! The story really picked up in the second chapter (or maybe I just began to understand what was going on in the story). Once that happened, I was glued to the pages of this book to the very end. Half-way through this book, I took a breather, shook my head and told myself, "how could I ever have thought I didn't like this story!?"

I was deeply touched by Steffy, Nina and their family. While One Hundred Spaghetti Strings is not a smiley, everything is roses kind of book, it is about a family in chaos searching for healing both as individuals and as a family. My hat goes off to Ms. Nails for creating such a moving story that is definitely Well Worth the Reading!

I received this book for free. A favorable review was not required and all views expressed are my own. Thank you to Harper Collins Publishing, Ms. Nails and Edelweiss for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Update 2020 - three years later and I STILL love this book. The story and it's characters spoke to me so deeply. I recommend it highly and it now sits on my "Lifetime Favorite Books" book
shelf.

[Stephenie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a very simple read and heartwarming based on the storyline. What caught my attention is the essence of this book revolved around a recipe book. I like the creativity of the writer who painted the strong connection the character felt for her mother through the recipe book handed down from mother to daughter.
Reading by the effects of the accident that impacted the mother, that incident would have shaken the family completely, leading the father to be away from the family for a while. The heartwarming sense is seen in the two girls and the aunt who never gave up on the mother for her recovery. And that hope is brewed stronger with the daughter's discovery of the mother's recipes which she embraced and perfected thanks to her passion for cooking.
In a nutshell, it's heartwarming to read how the recipe book strengthened the bond between a mother who lost a lot to her daughter. A simple book with a simple lesson in life; when there is love in the journey of looking for hope, love will conquer the journey and heal all.

[Brandi Nyborg · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book through Goodreads' giveaways. It's not too often I tear through a book as fast as I did with this one. I instantly felt for Steffy, and her sister Nina. This author is amazing at grabbing your emotions, and ever better at holding on to them. The story moved at a good pace, and the author's writing style flows almost effortlessly. I loved the creative idea of chapters named after recipes, and that they are included at the end of the book. My only problem with is book is that it's currently midnight, and I have an awful hankering for banana bread.

[SOS · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Sandolini family has had a rough go of it. Mom suffered a traumatic brain injury in a car accident eight years ago, Dad took off and left his two young daughters alone. Luckily, Aunt Gina came to the rescue and moved in to take care of them. Now, however, Dad’s come back and Aunt Gina has moved in with her fiancé/soon to be husband Harry who lives across town. The girls, Steffy, now aged eleven, and Nina, thirteen, are having a rough go of the change. Nina is a talented dancer, and Steffy is a wizard in the kitchen. We watch as the girls come to terms with the changes in their lives and as they each get the chance to pursue their own special talents.

The story is told by Steffy and her cooking, each chapter carries a food related title. At the end of the book you’ll find a collection of recipes. I haven’t tried any of them yet, but several do sound appealing. It occurs to Steffy that bringing some of her food, most of it made from recipes her mother had collected before her accident, to her mother, might help jog memories in her mother’s damaged mind. Of course, it’s been eight years since the accident and Mom doesn’t seem to remember the girls when they visit each week; she needs to be informed of their connection to her each time they come. That was my one big complaint about this book. It seems that if Mom’s memories haven’t returned after eight years, it’s unlikely that they’d do so after a few bites of polenta or cinnamon roll. Still, it’s lovely to watch as the girls interact with their mom and her nurse, and the message of never giving up is a good one for everyone to remember. Her nurse bothered me a little. What’s the likelihood that Mom would have a private nurse dedicated only to her care in an assisted care facility?

Dad, after spending those eight years in California, walks back into his children’s lives without warning. Suddenly he’s there and Aunt Gina is gone. No transition period, no explanation, no counseling, nothing. The next morning Gina leaves, and it appears that she’s not back in touch for at least a month, and the girls are on their own with their mostly stranger of a father, who doesn’t go out of his way to ingratiate himself into his daughters’ lives. From the beginning, he comes across as a jerk. We do learn more about what caused him to leave and a bit about the demons he’s been fighting, but I can’t say that I ever really warmed to him. In the end, he proves just what a weak character he really is.

This book definitely has its happy moments, but overall, it’s sad. The only rocks that these girls have to hang onto are each other, Aunt Gina and Harry, and their best friends. There’s another character who has been in the girl’s life for years, a woman who has taken care of them and drives them to see their mom each week, but she’s suddenly, and without a good explanation, removed permanently through death. I don’t think that was a necessary or useful plot device. I could see the girl’s confusion over that. We do see a little improvement in Mom, but I think it’s unrealistic to think that she’ll ever completely recover and be able to return to a normal life.

It’s interesting to watch Steffy pursue her cooking skills and see them recognized. She’s definitely a Julia Child in the making. The interaction between the sisters is fairly realistic in that they love each other, they take care of each other, but they still fight with each other. The difference in their ages is clearly shown, Steffy’s still a child, Nina is a teenager. There’s a good deal of fear lying under the surface of these girls, and rightly so. Once Aunt Gina leaves, stability is thrown out the window. I think it was unforgivable that Steffy was left alone on Christmas Eve when Dad takes off, Nina goes to spend the night with her friend, and Aunt Gina and Harry are in New York visiting his family. Yes, Steffy had been invited to join Nina, but she, in her childish hope, envisioned a family together, celebrating together. I could feel how scared and abandoned she felt in that house, alone, dinner sitting on the table, waiting for the others to return and be a family. She's desperately trying to piece her family back together.

It’s a good story, but I question how many middle school kids will find it attention holding. Especially in the beginning, it’s slow moving. At age eleven, my child would have abandoned it based on its slowness and its sadness within the first twenty pages and switched attention to something like Lord of the Rings. It’s an interesting book and for could be a good read for the right children.

I won a copy of this book in a Goodreads giveaway.

[Tate(Tatiyana) · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book I read was One Hundred Spaghetti Strings by Jen Nails. The book is about a girl name Steffy who loves to cook and bake but lives with her Auntie Gina since her Dad is in California and her mom got a brain injury in a car crash. The setting of the book takes place in her hometown and her Auntie Gina’s house. The problem is her dad coming back to try and attempt to take of them once again since her mother accident. But while that is going on her Auntie Gina is also going to move out of the house and move in with her boyfriend.
So she lives in her hometown and her house where her dad now lives in with them. The cultural norms of the place are modern time. She lives in a normal neighborhood middle class I would say. Steffy mostly goes to her best friend’s house, her house, school, and Auntie Gina’s house. The setting places the plot because she not used to live with her dad in their house. She is also loves cooking so she needs a kitchen mostly all the time. But her dad drink and she found that out the hard way and she doesn’t really know what to do since no one has ever but beer or anything alcoholic in their house ever. The elements are okay the story is a bit everywhere but you can still infer some parts of the story or have and idea/statement.
I recommend this book to people who like realistic fiction or if you have read the book The WinterGirls than I know for sure you should like this book. This book was interesting because some people can relate to some of the story events in the book. Also the fact that they added some recipes, in the end, was cute so if someone wondered how to make something in the book they could find it in the back. Besides the story jumping everywhere it was a good story about how they felt and why she felt that way. The story was cute and simple nothing really dramatic or way off like I kinda thought it would go. One of my favorites after reading it. I also people could relate to it like living with your aunt like I do. The author was pretty creative coming up with this story plot it’s different than all the other ones I have read so far. Overall a great book definitely something you want to read.

[Najihah Yusoff · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a story of a siblings, Stef and Nina who are growing teenagers. They grow up in a happy family until both their parents got involved in a life situation that has changed their life differently.

Their parents didn't get a divorce, but they don't stay together because of their situation that would hinder them from taking care of their daughters. With the father battling mental health issue and the mother who health deteriorated after a traffic accident, Stef and Nina grow up living with their Aunt.

When their father came back, Stef wished that her family will be perfect again. As their mom's health is improving, she thought that will be back as a normal family just like how she imagined. Stef has talent for cooking and she thought food can make people happy and she wish that her cooking will bring her family back together again. She have tried so many kinds of food but unfortunately, even though everybody non-stop telling her how good her cooking is, she didn't get to bring back her family together even for a meal together.

As time goes by she learned that maybe that is how things will be. Maybe that is just how her life growing up will be. Thank goodness their aunt willing to sincerely take good care of them for their well being after what happened.

I personally find this story very unique. With the amount of foods talked about in the book. As I am from Asia, I don't know most of the food mentioned in the book, so I googled them while reading about them. It makes me hungry. HAHA.

I felt like I understand what Stef felt. It must be hard for a 12 years old to go through such situation. When there's looks like a chance that thing will be better, turns out it was just making it worse. But I'm still glad that their Aunt Gina has unconditionally loved them and I know that they will grow up just find under the care of their aunt.

I really enjoy this book. It was a great leisure reading. The ending is just as what I expected which is sad. HAHA. Hope for a sequel for this book though. Please write more Jen Nails!

[Dawn Moews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Steffy and Nina have spent the majority of their childhood living with their Aunt Gina. There mother suffered traumatic brain injury in a car accident and has been institutionalized since it happened. Their father disappeared. But their Aunt Gina, their mother's sister, has made her home with the girls and made every effort to insure they would have a normal childhood. The girls go to visit their mother weekly, all to aware that she may or may not recognize them when they arrive. One of the things Gina has done is to encourage each girl to find her own special gift and develop it. Nina loves dancing and Steffy loves to cook. But change is afoot--and not just Steffy entering 5th grade. The girls' dad is coming home to live with them and Gina is moving out and making plans to marry her boyfriend.

Whenever something bothers her, Steffy has turned to cooking as long as she can remember. She and her Aunt Nina have explored all kinds of recipes, mostly the ones they find in Steffy's mom's cookbook. As the book progresses, Steffy cooks up a storm. (The recipes and directions are included in the book.) But the meals and special foods she fixes are actually a metaphor for life. Steffy learns a great deal this year about bringing people together to be different than they were before. She learns about herself and all the people who are part of her life.

I believe there are kids in middle school who would relate to the book. Frankly, I had a little trouble staying engaged with it. I'm not sure if the cooking details got in the way of the story for me, or if I was just more distracted when I was trying to read it than I thought. At any rate, this is a book that has a specialty audience. The secret to its success is to get the book in their hands. I certainly would recommend including this book in a school and/or community library.

[Tracey · Rating 2 out of 5]

children's middlegrade Christian fiction (Steffy is in 5th grade). This is the much tamer, PG version of having an absent mom (in a care home because of a brain injury, resulting in a semi-Alzheimer's state) and an estranged dad struggling with depression/suicidal thoughts and alcoholism. Granted, these are tricky topics to cover in a middlegrade novel (compared to the grittier depictions geared towards mature teens), but it felt contrived and unrealistic. The "stay away from drugs, alcohol and teen motherhood" message was heavy-handed and that the people in the dad's AA group were treated more as whispered-about cautionary tales than as dimensional people struggling with serious problems. I think it would've been better to focus more on one person (like the dad) and help readers understand more of the depths of his problems rather than obliquely hinting at this or that--not sure if this is a deliberate attempt to gloss over the less savory parts of Steffy's life ("Don't think about the problems in your life too much, just persevere and eventually you will get adopted by your loving aunt and things will be OK!"), but I think it would be more useful to kids if it provided more of a basis for understanding and empathy.

Steffy, her friend Lisa, and her sister Nina were pretty likeable in the ways that they supported each other but I would've hoped for a bit more diversity (Steffy's family is half Italian/half American southern; her aunt's fiancee is asian; her school is named for Civil Rights protesters), and as others have said, the plot was fairly stagnant and the death of the family friend really wasn't necessary. If you like kids' books with cooking/recipes, there are certainly better ones out there.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stephanny Sandolini and her sister Nina lived with their Aunt Gina for as long as Stephanny can remember. Aunt Gina provided a home for them both after their mom was in a car accident resulting in traumatic brain injury. Their Dad left soon after that and moved to California. Life was peaceful and consistent until their Dad moved back Aunt Gina moved out and away to the Northeast. After a cautious beginning the fragile bond with Dad unravelled mainly due to his drinking and inability to relate to them. Stephanny, like her mom before the accident, loves to cook, and through the magic of her gift creates delicious meal concoctions designed to heal the wounds of the past. Through her perseverance, observation, talent, loyalty and stubbornness (a recipe that describes her character) Stephanny nurtures her family through a year of changes, including her own fear about having a stable family life. Jen Nails has written an engaging story about moving through a difficult year with a special talent...for cooking. The title is also filled with wonderful recipes! Highly Recommended!

[Darcy Roar · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sweet, family/food/competition middle grades book with lots of heart wrenching moments and a few places that fall flat. It feels very very similar to Payne's The Thing About Leftovers but with a few key differences: 1. Steffy is hyper-competent for a 5th grader. 2. The family plot is more of a roller coaster The dad actually laving kind of blew my mind, I did not expect this sweet little middle grade book to go there. 3. Nina(who is great & amazing). I enjoyed the story but I had a hard time with some of the heavy handedness of how the dad & his friends were portrayed. Most of the time it was fine but there were a few points where it felt like the author was trying to send a MESSAGE™. Overall it's a solid middle grades book with a few issues, perfect for the tween-ish foodie in your life.

[Carolina · Rating 4 out of 5]

"I figured out this year that sometimes people want to be found and sometimes people don't."

One Hundred Spaghetti Strings is a book about depression, but from POV of a young little girl. Steffany Sandolini, Steffy is only 11. She loves to cook, to bake, making things in the kitchen. Steffy and her older sister, Nina, been living together with their aunt Gina for years. One day, they dad is coming back home to live with them so aunt Gina has to move out.

This book talking about learning, accepting, forgiving, about family, about cooking, about friendship. Somehow I see it must be really nice to have such nice and genuine aunt like Gina, very kind and understanding friend like Lisa and Denise.

So much thing to learn from this book. Reading this felt cold, but then warm like a hug.

[Nikki Embry · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this was a great book. The people and problems were all so believable. I loved the relationships between Steffy and Nina, with Aunt Gina, with their mother, even though she was suffering from a brain trauma. It was sad that their relationship with their dad never really worked out. As someone who has suffered a number of great losses, I felt some compassion for him being unable to deal with things due to his mental breakdown obviously triggered by his wife’s car accident. It’s easy to be judgmental of him and write him off as a jerk if you haven’t experienced firsthand what severe loss and grief can feel like and how it can affect you. At the same time, I’m grateful they had their aunt who could be there to take care of them.

[Cat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a good book. Easy, quick read I am sure 4th graders up are going to find the book interesting. Characters are likable and realistic. Love that the story comes across as plausible. Steffy, and her sister Nina, are wonderful examples of strong girls confront with very difficult lives, but never let that get in the way of their goals. Budding chef will enjoy the story, as well, and their are a whole bunch of great recipes from the book at the end for them to try. I myself can't wait to try the making the gnocchi and potluck turkey! great book!

[Ingrid · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book about two sisters who have to cope with a difficult family situation. The girls live with their Aunt Gina as their mother suffered a brain injury in an accident and their father left town. He has now come back and turned their lives upside down. Steffy who is the main character loves to cook. She uses her cooking and recipes to try to bring her family together and get through a difficult year. One thing that I really liked about the book is that the ending did not tie everything up neatly. It felt more real that way.

[Penelope · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I started reading this book I thought that I wasn't going to get through it. Once I got into it I couldn't set it down. So many things happened in it that were just described so beautifully. It made me feel like I was Steffy going through it all. After I finished this book I wanted to start cooking right away. I wanted to make all the recipes she had that year and serve them to my family ( except for the Kitchen Sink). Overall this was a good book that was really well written and beautiful.

[Kassyreadsalot · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a sweet middle grade book and I loved that the main character Stefany was a baker! She was always baking and you can tell she really loved doing it! However, it was very sad about both Stefanny and her older sister Nina! There mother became unwell and there father has issues of his own. I’ll admit I felt so bad for Steffany during Christmas when the father was out and her sister left to go to her friends house! She spent Christmas all alone! No one should be alone during Christmas! Still enjoyable even though it’s not my favorite.

[Ana(stasia) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book, but I did think it was sad. I would feel awkward if I had a father that left when I was little and finally returned. If I were Steffy, I probably would've wanted to stay with Aunt Gina, which is what happened at the end. I think the father was going through a lot, but he still came back to Steffy and Nina to live with them and take care of them and finally be a father figure and he still disappeared a few times. He was even gone for Christmas! But, I was secretly happy that Nina and Steffy ended up with Aunt Gina and her husband, Harry in the end.

[Clarissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a wonderful book, that made me cry!

Steffy's mother suffered a traumatic brain injury when Steffy was three and now lives in a home. Steffy's father left the family soon after this, and now many years later he has returned to try again. Its a hard year for Steffy and her older sister Nina, but good things happen too. Steffy loves cooking, she does the family cooking, and enters a cooking contest. She grows and tries new things.

Recipes are included in the back of the book.

[Carol Nelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was such fun with all of the cooking and recipes. I especially enjoyed the way the author blended the multiple storylines. The characters were well developed and authentic. Steffy cooks for the family, experimenting with different ingredients. Cooking makes her feel more of a connection to her mother who is recovering from a brain injury. When dad comes back into the picture, Steffy's world is turned upside down.

[Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this middle-grade (for 8- to 12-year-olds) novel about a girl whose mother is institutionalized after a traumatic brain injury and whose father has been unable for several years to parent her or her sister. Eleven-year-old Steffany cooks for her whole family and tells her story through recipes. I began cooking for my family three nights a week when I was 12 and my mother went back to grad school, so I identified.

[Summer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It's interesting watching the story unfold from the perspective of a child, not understanding a lot of the adult complications that have gone one and are currently going on in her life. And then watching her piece together parts of her family's past and learning more about herself and her family. I loved the emphasis on cooking, and thought it was a fun way to lighten up some of the heavier (while still middle grade appropriate) material.

[Grace Gotelaere · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved this book and this is new my favorite book. I loved the recipes and I could really connect to Steffy because we both love to cook and bake. I also liked how she baked to deal with the things she struggles with in her life. The characters in this book are very believable. All in all, I just couldn't put this book down!

[Edie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, I liked this, but I cringed every time (sometimes multiple times a page), Steffany said "me and Nina" , "me and Gina". That misuse of grammar makes my skin crawl. The narrator is a 5th grader and by that age, I think it is reasonable that she use proper grammar. Mu 2nd grade granddaughter has learned to say "Nina and I".

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

For budding chefs, this is a great read. I struggled a bit with the pacing, but overall it's a book I'll add to my list of recommendations. The mom has a traumatic brain injury and the dad struggles with addiction and mentions a suicide attempt (not explicitly named), so if those are triggers for young readers, I'd skip this one.

[Victoria Kimble · Rating 4 out of 5]

Steffy should have never had to take care of herself the way she did. But she DID. And she blossomed. This story showcases the amazing capabilities of fifth graders, and the incredible complexity of the family relationship.