A solid story about a 13-year-old boy struggling with the fallout of the death of his mother who worked in a test kitchen amidst the wind-down of the COVID-19 pandemic. He also begins a friendship with the boy across the hall, and while the both come out as gay to each other and share a mutual crush, it's nice that they stay as friends, as the story did not need anything more. I thought this was the perfect mix of sweet and emotional, and I loved seeing how Eli combined his newfound passions for cooking and coding.

This was so fucking cute. I cried. A few times.

Eli's mom died from covid and now he and his dad are on their own in NYC. Neither can cook well but his mom was a chef. After one too many frozen burritos, Eli decides to try his hand at cooking. It doesn't go so well. But then he finds a handful of cooking videos his mom made before her death and he starts again. He's determined to learn everything he can from his mom.

I loved everything about this one. I loved Eli and his cooking and grief journeys. I loved his grandmotherly neighbor and her grandson. I loved his developing relationship with his dad. Just all of it was so precious. Highly recommend.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.

A cute middle grade book dealing with grief and learning about yourself.

Eli and his dad have moved to New York City after the death of Eli’s mom. As he’s trying to get used to this new life and feeling alone in a new city, Eli stumbles across a series of instructional cooking videos done by his mom. He enlists the help of a cute neighbor boy to help him recreate the recipes and he discovers more about his mom and himself.

Eli was an adorable main character and I really felt for him as he navigated the grief of losing a parent. I think that for younger children, this book will be a great guide for navigating their own lives.

A beautiful story about grief, moving on, love, being strong and standing up for yourself.
Eli's mom died and his dad won't talk about her so Eli doesn't ask. One day he finds her youtube cooking channel and he embarks into a culinary adventure to try to connect with her even if it might appear too late. He meets the neighbour's nephew who is all kinds of cute and together they cook a million eggs, and so many other things, much to his dad's disapproval. But Eli is on a mission and I really cheered on him and wanted him to succeed no matter what.
The story is not sad per se, it's about who's left behind and how they're living their life, maybe not to the fullest, not yet, but trying their best.

I really loved this one! the way grief and eli's feelings about his mom passing is discussed is very well done. i wish the book wasn't set during covid though.

I'm sure this will be a fine book, but I definitely will not have time to get to the story before the archive date happens, in which case I will not be able to give my feedback. That would negatively impact my response ratio, which is not good, as I already missed out on giving feedback on so many books because this year has been so absolutely busy and stressful that I have not had the time nor mental capacity to get to many of these books before they are gone forever! It is as upsetting for both sides. I apologize, but I will do better for the future! I am appreciative that I have been giving access to so many great new releases.

This was an easy five stars for me. Eli’s use of cooking and coding to try and logically process the emotional loss of his mother is a wonderful look at grief. Having a community to bond with over food and cooking allowed for such fun and amazing characters to enter the novel. This is such a heartfelt story, and I believe it’s perfect for any age, middle grade or older (like myself).

This was my first Phil Stamper novel, but definitely not my last.

Rating: LOVED IT

*4.5 Stars*

Eli lost his mom from Covid less than a year after he and his parents moved from Minnesota to NYC. Now, it's the summer holiday and his dad is going back to work. And this new routine is hard to accept especially since it feels like everything has changed. His mom used to cook, and now, no one does. So when Eli finds unposted videos from his mom teaching how to cook, he just has to try? But his dad will hear nothing of it. Eli is not allowed to go out nor cook while he's gone. But Eli is determined…

This was a very emotional and captivating book. I loved getting to know Eli. I loved how the characters evolved and changed throughout the book. I also loved how New York was represented and Eli's relationship to it. I also loved his friendship with the next door neighbor and her grandson. It was all so well executed. I wanted to know what would happen next. I also loved the ideas of the videos and how Eli got to know his mom in another way through them. I teared up on many occasions.It was truly a beautiful story and it made me want to read more books by Phil Stamper.

This was such a cute story. After loving Small Town Pride Last year I was really looking forward to Eli Over Easy and it did not disappoint. I listened to this on audio and listened to it completely in one day. It is a super quick read. While this is a fantastic middle grade book it also is relatable to older audiences. It follows Eli, a thirteen year old who lost his mom a few months ago. After he finds secret videos she made of herself cooking he gets inspired to learn how to cook himself to feel a connection to her. Phil Stamper has a way of writing with so much heart that will capture any age group. He writes with so much warmth and empathy and makes the characters and their emotions come alive. This book is a great reminder that even in the face of tragedy and sadness, there is room for healing and hope.

This is a great middle grade book and one that should be in libraries everywhere!

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for a copy of the ebook in exchange for an honest review. This was a 4.5 for me!

There is always so much heart in an Eli Stamper noble and this one is no exception. Such a great story that I feel like kids will be able to relate to. I was even able to connect with characters. I think this will be a book that becomes a featured book in my classroom.

4 / 5 ⭐️'ˢ

“Eli Over Easy” By Phil Stamper @philstamper

📕 Edition: eBook via @netgalley

A heartwarming middle-grade tale that left me with a smile. 📚💕

Eli's journey from small-town Minnesota to the bustling streets of New York City is filled with tender moments and heartfelt emotions. The author's portrayal of grief, love, and loss is both touching and relatable for young readers. 🌆😢

The story beautifully explores how Eli copes with the unexpected loss of his mother, finding solace in her dream of becoming a celebrity chef. With the help of his new friend, Mathias, Eli embarks on a cooking adventure, following his mom's instructional videos. 🍳👨‍🍳

Stamper's writing is filled with warmth and empathy, making the characters and their emotions come alive. This book is a delightful reminder that even in the face of tragedy, there's room for hope and healing. 🌟❤️

Overall a quick and cute read, perfect for middle-grade readers looking for a story that tugs at the heartstrings while celebrating the resilience of young hearts. 📖🌈

Thank you @NetGalley, @PhilStmper and @HarperCollins for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I LOVED THIS SO MUCH!!! I flew through Eli Over Easy so quickly, it just had such a grip on me. The story follows Eli, a thirteen year old kid a few months after his mom died. When he finds secret videos she made of her cooking different recipes he gets inspired to start learning how to cook to feel closer to her. With the help of a new boy next door he spends his summer trying new things in the kitchen, opening up to his dad, and discovering new things about himself.

Eli Over Easy is a sweet, heartwarming story of a boy trying to connect with his dad after his mom dies suddenly. They are both grieving, but Eli wants to remember his mom and his dad seems to want to forget her and go on with life.
When Eli finds some YouTube cooking show videos his mom made, he's given a second chance to learn to cook with her, so he sneaks, video by video, while his dad is at work and perfects the recipes she left behind. With the help of the neighbor's grandson, he starts with eggs, perfecting them after dozens and dozens of failures.
This book does so many things well, especially the realistic depiction of the loss of a parent, and the emotions that muddy the relationship with the remaining parent. The first few chapters were slow, but it's worth sticking with to be rewarded with Eli's emotional growth, his relationship with his dad, his friendship with Mat (the neighbor's grandson) and the confidence, strength, and honesty he finds through his cooking experience.
Eli is quirky and charming and real, and I enjoyed watching him grow to love cooking, his new home in New York, the neighborhood characters, and himself. Laughs and tears and good food all around!

This was probably my favourite Phil Stamper book so far. I listened to the audiobook and loved it so much. This is one of the very few books I've read that actually address and deal with covid and the impact of the pandemic. Eli's mum died from covid a few months before the story starts, and he takes up cooking because she was a chef and he wants to feel closer to her. This is one of those books that feels so needed, especially for kids.

This was a sweet story about grief, healing, and figuring out who you want to be. I loved the recipes interspersed throughout and that Eli was able to combine his passions instead of just choosing one. His relationship with his dad was sad at times, but overall positive and I liked seeing them share their feelings and know that they're in this life together.

I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All opinions are my own. Thank you to HarperCollins and NetGalley for the copy.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this delightful book!

I adored it and read it in one day. Eli was just such a great kid. The way he worked through his grief, the homage to cooking and how cooking really does bring people together, the highlights of New York City ... it was all so beautifully brought together. I felt so much for him and his dad in the wake of his mom passing away. Just such a heartbreaking time. But when he discovers her private YouTube cooking videos and starts learning how to cook her way, I could feel every emotion he was going through.

Great cast of characters, great premise, lots of yummy recipes and cooking escapades that made me laugh. This is a winning book!

Content warning: parental death, COVID

This was such a sweet story! Eli is a tween trying to figure out life after his mom passes away from COVID complications after the family moved from small town Minnesota to NYC. His father doesn't want Eli to leave the apartment, and neither know how to talk to each other about their grief. While Eli uses his mom's old laptop for his summer coding class, he discovers cooking videos his mom recorded and this kicks off Eli's journey in discovering a love of cooking.

I thought the growing relationship between Eli and Mat was a nice balance to the heaviness of Eli working through his grief. How Eli combines coding and cooking was a nice touch. The inclusion of recipes was great too! Stamper did a good job of bringing COVID into a middle grade story while not making the pandemic be the focus of the plot.

Advanced Reader’s Copy provided by NetGalley, HarperCollins Children's Books, and HarperCollins in exchange for an honest review.

Eli is struggling. He and his parents moved from Minnesota to a small apartment in New York City, and Eli has struggled to make friends at his new school. Soon afterwards, his mom died, leaving both Eli and his dad bereft and wondering what they should do next. When Eli discovers a series of cooking videos his mom secretly made, he decides to follow the recipes in an effort to feel close to her again. His overprotective dad, who seems reluctant to even discuss Eli's mom, is not excited by Eli's new hobby -- but Eli is determined to see it through and, in the process, hopefully find a new connection to his mom and his dad.

This is a touching story about grief and its aftermath. Well written and with a strong character at its center, this book perceptively examines family dynamics, how they are shaped by loss, and what it takes to build a new future when you've lost the most important person in your life.

Highly recommended!

Lovely, full of charming characters who care about one another. A sweet story in which social media is used... for good?!

I found the way all the kid characters spoke to each other and considered the world to be a little stilted, but really, I'm very old, what do I know about the inner thoughts of the youth?