Sahana Vij isn’t just another cookbook author — she’s an activist on the rise.

Although she’s only just recently graduated high school, she’s already carving out a niche for herself in the food scene with Bake Away, a cookbook debut to be released by Mascot Books on Sept. 14. And, proving that children really are the future, she’s pledged to donate 100 percent of the royalties to No Kid Hungry, a national campaign committed to ending childhood hunger in the United States.

In Bake Away, Pacific Northwest-based Vij paints the picture of a country with deep culinary roots. The collection of desserts (accompanied by her own photography) from around