Run It! by Mary Ramsey

A boarding school cooking competition creates a matchless atmosphere for rivalry over family traditions in Mary Ramsey’s engaging and original young adult novel, Run It! Elena has big shoes to fill at the top-tier Toshaini-Kai Institute, including the fact that her mom and dad are both celebrated alumni. Elena faces her similarly well-known peers, while a secret about her father simmers in the background. Mary Ramsey’s novel deftly balances themes of personal loss and sorrow with the pressure of career success, making the book a positive, feel-good read overall, with a fascinating fly-on-the-wall perspective on both boarding school life and the world of culinary competition.