The Lunch Thief

Gr 2—4—Rafael, a slightly pudgy boy whose favorite activities are pitching baseball and eating, catches Kevin, a new classmate, stealing lunches from him and his friends. Refraining from picking a fight ("Mama says fighting is for cowards"), Rafael is nonetheless annoyed by Kevin's actions and decides to find out more about this furtive, troubled boy. He learns from Kevin that his family lost their house in a recent southern California wildfire and then catches a glimpse of him carrying his laundry to a cheap motel. Thinking the situation through (and considering that his baseball coach has suggested he lose some weight), Rafael decides to offer Kevin not only his extra daily burrito, but also the weekly slice of his mother's famous lemon pound cake, thus defusing a potentially explosive situation. Full-color illustrations realistically portray the cast of characters and the boys' multicultural school. With a few well-placed remarks by Rafael's hardworking mother and no preachy overtones, this entirely credible story of how a thoughtful boy elects to "light one candle" in response to the larger problem of homelessness and hunger would make an excellent touchstone for class discussion.—Kathleen Finn, St. Francis Xavier School, Winooski, VT