The Fabulous Tale of Fish and Chips

Joseph Malin loves his grandmother's fried fish, which she makes according to an old family recipe. It's so good, he thinks he might be able to make some money from it; money that his immigrant Jewish family desperately needs. He takes it into the marketplace of 19th Century London's East End and calls out to passers-by: 'Fresh from the ships, Hot n' tasty fried fish'. Before long, people are coming from far and wide to try the delicious snack.

But his success inspires a rival. Annette, the greengrocer across the street, sees an opportunity to hawk her own family favourite: Belgian-style fried potatoes. "Piping hot chips! "So crisp, so delish", she calls. And they're a hit too.

The competition between Joseph and Annette heats up as they try to outsell each other at the market. And then one day... crash! The two collide. Chips slip. Fish fly. It's a disaster. Or perhaps not...

This is the playful, fictional account of how the real-life Joseph Malin, a poor Jewish immigrant, invented fish and chips, the iconic British fish and chips dish.

About the Author

Helaine Becker is the bestselling author of more than 90 books for children and young adults, including the #1 Canadian national bestseller A Porcupine in a Pine Tree (Scholastic Canada) and the international bestseller Counting on Katherine: How Katherine Johnson Saved Apollo 13 (Henry Holt). Her books have won multiple awards and been translated into ten languages.

A New York native, Helaine has lived in Toronto, Canada for more than 20 years.