A very entertaining read with great characters, quirky adventures, and lovely messages about mental health, friendships, and bullying.

“…feels like someone is pressing a finger into the bruise on my heart.”
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Tacoma Jones lives at the truck stop called The Brake Fast where she and her parents run the diner that serves breakfast food all day. Today, though, Tacoma’s dad is having a bad day so it’s just her and her mom running things. When a local trucker, and all around mean guy, brags about a photo he stole from their restaurant that’s important to her dad, Tacoma makes it her mission to retrieve the photo by any means necessary. With the help of a new friend, Denver, and class bully and nephew of the nasty Crocodile Kyle, Tacoma sets off on an adventure to right this wrong for her dad.
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This was definitely a heartwarming MG book by @reneeblute that will continue to help normalize mental illness and facilitate conversations around this topic. I loved how depression and anxiety were described in this novel Such a great one for our students to read! Fans of The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise and Where the Watermelon Grows will enjoy this story as well.

CW: bullying, confinement, anxiety, anxiety attack on page, depression, hospitalization, toxic friendship, suicidal ideation, injury, blood

4.25 ⭐️ for a bit of incredulity at the kids’ adventures

What’s better than breakfast? If you asked Tacoma Jones’ parents, they’d say nothing. That’s why their Washington state diner, the Brake Fast Truck Stop, serves breakfast to truckers all day long. But while Tacoma might be hard at work pouring coffee and serving up eggs, she has bigger dreams: namely, cooking dinner. But you have to choose your battles when your dad suffers from depression and you never know how any day might go. That’s why when her nemesis, Crocodile Kyle, steals her father’s favorite photograph off the wall, Tacoma knows this is a battle she’s gonna fight. Lucky for her, she’s got her new friend, Denver, and her unlikely ally, Hudgie, by her side and ready to go the extra mile(s).

Fans of Dan Gemeinhart will relish the rollicking adventures and quirky characters Tacoma gathers as she embarks on a hijinks-filled day filled with road trip mishaps, unexpected friendships, and at least one menacing rooster on her quest to recover the stolen photograph and bring joy—and ingredients for supper—back to the Brake Fast. Lute's writing shines, not only in her ability to create rich, delightful characters and a vivid small-town setting, but also—and especially—in her sensitive, care-filled portrayal of depression and its impact on families, which she manifests with exquisite sentence-level understanding.

Unlike the raucous pieces of the story, when Tacoma’s father has hard days, the pace, narrative devices, and sentences slow and meet him and Tacoma where they are and carry them—and us—through the overwhelming and paralyzing feelings of each moment to what comes next. While pieces of the plot occasionally stretch credibility with their elaborate schemes, fortunate coincidences, speedy turnarounds, and fast-made friendships, Lute has created a touching, memorable, and entertaining read that skillfully blends humor with heartfelt moments, the importance of life-long family with the delight of new friendships, and of course, the promise a good meal has to brighten even the darkest of days.

Tacoma Jones is a likable main character. As a foodie, I related to her desire to cook and share her love of food with others. The dialogue didn't always match the age of the characters, and some of the diversions made the book lag. Overall, an enjoyable read and I liked the realistic portrayal of someone suffering with anxiety and how it can impact the whole family. Would give this a 3.5 if I could.

Thank you to @NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me access to read this ARC. This is the story of a family who runs a truck stop restaurant that serves only breakfast foods all day. The daughter works there when she isn’t in school, loves to cook and would like to experiment more with the menu at the restaurant. Her dad suffers from debilitating depression that leaves him in bed for days at a time. That makes things much harder on the family. Honestly, I don’t know how the mom can run the restaurant by herself during those days when her daughter is in school and her husband is in bed.

I felt like the family made mental illness more of an approachable topic, which I think is very important. However, as severe as this dad’s depression was, I feel like more could be done to help him regulate. As a person with depression, I know the journey of finding the right medications and combinations can be long and frustrating, but if you stick with it and have a doctor who really wants to help you, things can be improved. I know medicine isn’t the only answer, but it sounded like he had a therapist that he was seeing, at least sometimes.

I love road trip stories and novels about cooking, so I eagerly downloaded Dinner at the Brake Fast. There's a lot to appeal to young readers -- there's the truck stop setting, an evil rooster, a bully-turned-friend and lots and lots of adventure. I also loved the mental health representation, as Tacoma's dad suffers from depression and Tacoma uses a variety of techniques when panic sets in. I found the pacing to be a bit off -- the first half seemed slower for me but the pace picked up in the second half. In addition, readers will have to suspend some disbelief -- the kids pack in a FULL day of wacky adventures before making an elaborate, multi-course meal for a crew at the truck stop. Overall, I think students will enjoy the adventure of this story, if they're willing to ignore some of the implausibilities.

"Dinner at the Brake Fast" by Renee Beauregard Lute is a delightful yet poignant tale that expertly weaves humor and heart. The story follows Tacoma Jones, a spirited young girl who is determined to create the perfect dinner to uplift her father, who is struggling with depression. Lute masterfully balances the light-hearted antics of a road-trip adventure, complete with a murderous rooster and zany heist plans, with the deeper, more serious themes of mental health and family bonds. Tacoma's character is both relatable and inspiring as she navigates her anxieties and learns the value of unexpected friendships.

While the novel's premise is engaging and its characters endearing, it occasionally stumbles with pacing, sometimes stretching the plausibility of the mishaps and heist elements. However, these minor flaws are overshadowed by Lute's ability to craft genuine emotional moments that resonate deeply. Fans of "The Science of Unbreakable Things" and "The First Rule of Punk" will appreciate this heartfelt story that blends humor with the important message that even on the darkest days, hope and support can come from the most unexpected places. "Dinner at the Brake Fast" is a charming read that reminds us of the power of family, friendship, and a well-cooked meal.

They say books come to you when you need them the most and that is true with this one for me.
I loved this book. Tacoma is dealing with really hard stuff with her dad having severe depression and anxiety, where he has to take to his bed. I loved this look into mental health and how it affects families. But there were also such great explanations. Like losing your voice when you are depressed and feeling like you have to "chip away at a wall" to find your way back to your words.
I suffer from depression and have kids and this book resonated with me so much. How sometimes it is just enough. That the space we are in right now and making do with the little bits of happy we can find, is enough.
I will be talking about and putting this book into everyone's hands. It is such a great representation of mental health and how we can all just support and be there for the ones we love and help them push through those rough spots to a better tomorrow.
Thank you to the author for writing this book.
I also loved the adventure in this book and Denver and Hudgie and how they form this really special friendship. I was laughing and crying right along with these characters. They were pure perfection and so real!

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!

I love this author. I feel like she has an amacing talent of bringing characters to life. This was a fun story that will appeal to many readers. It will hook even the reluctant readers.