I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. I was hoping for more of a coffee table book with lots of pictures. This was not that, and it didn't hold my attention either.

I really wanted to love this one: I love food and I think history, especially when taught through a relatable and engaging lens, is crucial. However, this one read more like a textbook than an engaging read. It had the opportunity to focus on engaging images and important recipes but this one didn't hit the mark for me. After a while I found myself skimming and it was just loads and loads of text with nothing to break it up--not even a map which would have been one of many important visuals to include. I think someone who loves history might find this one great but it didn't speak to me as much as I was hoping.

I am creating a history of food shelf in my classroom after reading this book and I already have some books to add to it. This had some fascinating tidbits of information that kept me reading. It’s more of a browsable book, so students will like that they can skip around and read about foods of interest.

The good thing about this book is that it is extensively researched and includes a lot of information about groups of Americans who are typically shunted to the side. However, I agree with other readers about the reading. Writing compelling historical nonfiction is not something that many people can do easily and having multiple authors makes it difficult to allow the writing to flow. Some sections were much more engaging than others.

I greatly appreciated this informational challenge on what is American food. It was so fascinating to read about those fan favorites and how they got here. Additionally, it was so refreshing to have a perspective that laid out all the history not just starting from when America was colonized. This book’s focus is on food but truly history and culture are inevitably tied to food that you are learning a great deal more than just what people are eating. Lastly, I want to comment on the chapter setups. They are so appropriately done with the main dish and side dish. Truly, I recommend this book to anyone interested in history.

A really cool concept but it seemed that the layout could use some work. Based on the cover it makes it seem that it would be a bit more like a graphic novel but the illustrations are minimal. The information is helpful but the prose isn't enticing.

Bite by Bite is an extremely informative, but text-dense book about how food has changed in America over the years. I thought this was something my fourth and fifth graders would enjoy, but it just contains too much information and is not student-friendly enough to meet their needs or attention span. This could have been great if it was made more kid-friendly, but perhaps I was just not the correct audience for it.

Bite by Bite is very informative. I think my students will enjoy this title. It explores the history of America through its foods. From thousands of years ago to the present, this book debunks the myths that we know everything there is to know about American culture and its foods. The painstaking detail the authors delve into is impressive!