Pitch Partners (Eat Bugs #2)

by Laura D'Asaro (Author) Vanessa Flores (Illustrator)

Reading Level: 4th − 5th Grade
Series: Eat Bugs

The second book in the sensational series inspired by the true story of two friends who landed a deal on Shark Tank. Sixth-grade students-turned-entrepreneurs are on a mission to save the world, one bug at a time!

After snagging second place at their school's startup pitch competition, Hallie and Jaye are confident that their edible bug business is the food of the future. Now their ultimate goal is to get Chirps chips--tortilla chips made with cricket powder--on every grocery store shelf. First, they get to move on to the county pitch competition to try and win tickets to New York City to compete in the next round. But there are a few bumps along the way, with their cricket supply shrinking, no kitchen to cook in, and trouble brewing between the two teammates. Can they clinch first place, or will their business go bust before it really begins?

Based on the true story of a sustainable protein start-up company, this illustrated novel is a reimagining for a middle-grade reader. Chirps founders Rose Wang and Laura D'Asaro met as freshmen at Harvard University and cooked up the concept of selling chips made with cricket flour to help Americans feel more comfortable eating bugs. Together, Rose and Laura appeared on the TV show Shark Tank to pitch their idea and landed a deal with Mark Cuban. Chirps chips are now sold in stores across the nation.

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Kirkus Reviews

Well stocked with inspiration and savvy advice for budding business owners. 

School Library Journal

Gr 3-7--Keeping clandestine crickets in an attic, cooking nachos with a grouchy grandpa, and devising unique advertising strategies are among the challenges sixth-graders Hallie and Jaye tackle in pursuit of winning their local kid business pitch competition. This is the second entry in a new series based on a real insect-based snack pitched on Shark Tank; Alexander has transformed the story into an engaging middle grade read. In true middle school fashion, the tweens also have their own social challenges and family dynamics to balance with their quest for success. The story splits narration duties between creative-minded Hallie and process-focused Jaye to cover every aspect of their pitch preparation and personal lives. Young readers might not identify with building a business, but the story comes down to basic problem-solving--a skill worth honing at all ages, in all venues, especially when those venues involve mouth-watering savory snacks. Hallie is cued as white and Jaye is Chinese American. VERDICT An excellent addition to the "Eat Bugs" series that also works as a standalone. With an emphasis on taking challenges as they come and finding fun solutions, this novel is written at a middle grade level but has plenty of twists and turns to engage many levels of readers.--Emilia Packard, Tokyo

Copyright 2021 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes

 
Laura D'Asaro
Heather Alexander (she/her) is the author of numerous books for children, both fiction and nonfiction. Her fiction series include Wallace and Grace Take the Case and The Amazing Stardust Friends, and her nonfiction series include Life of Earth and A Child's Introduction to . . . The former editorial director of Parachute Press, Heather has edited over 100 children's fiction series, including the best-selling Goosebumps. She currently works as a children's book editor and lives in Los Angeles. Learn more about Heather at her website: heatheralexanderbooks.com.

Laura D'Asaro and Rose Wang (she/her) are the co-founders of Chirps, one of the first companies to make food with cricket protein. Both are Shark Tank winners, Forbes 30 under 30 social entrepreneurs, ELLE USA Impact Award winners, Echoing Green fellows, MassChallenge Gold Winners, and Harvard Dean's Design Challenge winners. In addition, Rose is a TEDx speaker, and Laura holds multiple world records, including the record for the world's largest nachos (yes, it was made with cricket chips). They also sit on the board of an education nonprofit, Wema Inc., in Kenya. Laura and Rose were college roommates at Harvard, and now both live in San Francisco, California.

Vanessa Flores (she/her) began drawing at the age of three, inspired by animated movies and books. Summers in Puerto Rico fueled her love for mountains and magic. She loves illustrating humor, magical realism, and representing her Dominican and Puerto Rican culture through the art of storytelling. Vanessa currently lives in Orlando, Florida, where she enjoys trying new food and meditating in botanical gardens. www.vanessafloresart.com.
Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9780593096192
Lexile Measure
570
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Penguin Workshop
Publication date
November 20, 2021
Series
Eat Bugs
BISAC categories
JUV039060 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Friendship
JUV014000 - Juvenile Fiction | Girls & Women
JUV006000 - Juvenile Fiction | Business, Careers, Occupations
Library of Congress categories
Friendship
Contests
Business enterprises
Entrepreneurship
Edible insects

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