Stef Soto, Taco Queen

Stef Soto: Taco Queen by Mexican American author Jennifer Torres (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2017) is a middle grade Latinx fiction story about an 11-year-old girl’s journey toward accepting herself, her family, and her family’s food truck. The book was listed for the Texas Bluebonnet Award in 2018, and it received glowing reviews from Kirkus and School Library Journal for its realistic portrayal of the struggles first-generation families face in the US. Torres writes picture books, chapter books, and middle grade novels, many of which draw from her heritage and cultural experiences. Before penning books, she worked as a reporter for The Record, a newspaper in Southern California, and she continues to write articles on immigration and other topics of interest to kids, as well as being an advocate for early literacy. Stef Soto: Taco Queen is Torres’s debut novel, with additional projects slated for future publication. She lives in California’s Central Valley with her family.

This guide follows the 2018 First Trade Paperback Edition of Stef Soto: Taco Queen.

Plot Summary

Stef Soto: Taco Queen follows 11-year-old Stef (Estefania) Soto as she navigates family pressure, school, and her own drive for more independence. Daughter of Mexican American immigrants, Stef feels like she lives in the shadow of Tía Perla, her family’s food truck. Given the nickname “Taco Queen” by kids at school, Stef fights to free herself of the reputation she fears Tía Perla gives her while also trying to break free of her parents’ overprotective rules. When pop sensation Viviana Vega announces her next concert is in Stef’s town, Stef will do whatever it takes to convince her parents she’s mature and responsible enough to go, even if it means working hard to make Tía Perla a success.

As Stef struggles to appear grown-up, external pressures add to her internal fight. The art supplies at her school are running low, and her class begins planning a dance to raise money for more. In addition, new proposed regulations for food trucks threaten to put Stef’s family and many others out of business if passed into law. Stef tries to ignore the regulations to focus on what’s important to her—art class and the Viviana Vega concert—but try as she might, the threat of losing Tía Perla keeps creeping into Stef’s thoughts.

Stef’s parents don’t let her go to the concert. Instead, her dad parks Tía Perla outside the venue, where Stef unknowingly serves the singer a taco. A picture of Viviana Vega at Tía Perla is the top story in the newspaper the next day, which brings Stef instant popularity at school. Liking the attention for something other than the food truck, Stef plays up the encounter, making it sound like she can get Viviana Vega to appear at the art dance. As Stef struggles to keep up appearances and shed Tía Perla’s influence, she alienates her closest friends, forcing her to come clean and risk her reputation.

A city council meeting is held to debate the food truck regulations. Stef’s dad attends to speak on behalf of his business, and as Stef watches him on TV, she realizes this problem belongs to her, too. She and her mom rush to the meeting, where Stef speaks up for Tía Perla and all food truck drivers, saying they just want a fair chance. The most harmful regulations are not passed, meaning the truck drivers can continue to operate. Stef is thrilled until the next day when her dad decides to sell Tía Perla because the truck is old, fading, and can’t compete with the newer trucks.

The night of the art dance, the power at the school goes out, which threatens to cancel the event. In a flash, Stef realizes her dad can use Tía Perla as a combination DJ and concessions stand, and with some quick thinking from Stef and her friends, the night goes off without a hitch. The class raises plenty of money for art supplies, and Stef realizes that she has more power over events than she thinks. That night, she repaints Tía Perla, even renaming the truck “the Taco Queen.” Her parents are amazed at how new the truck looks, and they decide to keep it after all, which makes Stef happier than she ever could have imagined it would.