Spelling, drama, French, all confound Jaz, our endearing, hot-tempered lead character. Most confounding is her best friend’s friendship with melodramatic Kara. When a new girl, Nadima, joins the class, Jaz is quick to take her under her wing and build a friendship; this despite Nadima speaking no English and having little to share about her background.

We follow the ups and downs and discoveries of Jaz’s friendships and school issues in this warm, true to life, considerate novel. It is ideal for readers who enjoy real life issues, but want a little more to chew over. Bookwagon recommends ‘Do You Speak Chocolate?’ to readers aged from 9 years old.