Skip to main content

Confectionately Yours: Save the Cupcake!




by Lisa Papademetriou
Scholastic, 2012.  231 pgs. Fiction

This is the first book in a new series for middle grade girls. Seventh grader, Hayley is a girl whose life has begun to spin out of control.  After her parent’s divorce, and the move, nothing is the same anymore. Her best girl friend is drifting into the more popular crowd at school and her best guy friend has begun acting weird now that the two of them aren’t little kids anymore. Hayley finds sweet escape from all her problems by baking gourmet cupcakes of every variety and selling them at her Grandmother’s tearoom. The best part of this book is that whenever a specific kind of cupcake is mentioned, the recipe is included. I must admit that I was sorely tempted to put down the book and try baking a couple of these because they sounded so delicious in the story. The other delightful thing about this book is Hayley’s “confessions”.  Following a chapter, Hayley will sometimes admit that she hasn’t told the whole truth in regards to certain aspects of the story she just told.  She will then enlighten the reader with the details she withheld. Middle grade girls will adore everything about this fluffy light confection of a novel and will soon be clamoring for the sequel which comes out later this year.

Comments

Andrea Mack said…
This sounds like such a fun book! I'll have to look for it.

Popular posts from this blog

Review: Faker

Faker By Gordon Korman New York: Scholastic Press, 2024. Fiction. 214 pages. 12-year-old Trey is used to starting over at a new school -- he has the routine perfectly memorized: make new friends, introduce his dad to the wealthy parents of his new friends, and "Houdini" themselves out of there before they get caught running their latest scam. Trey's dad is a master con artist, and Trey has just been promoted to full-partner. Their new scheme for the next big score brings them to the affluent suburb of Boxelder, TN where Trey's dad has cooked up a fake electric car company for investors to buy into. The only problem is that Trey is starting to grow tired of moving around and never putting down roots, especially after forming a fast friendship with Logan and developing a crush on Kaylee, a socially conscious girl in his class. As Trey longs for a normal life, is there any way he can convince his dad to get out of the family business? Gordon Korman is a perennial favorit...

Review: Umami

  Umami By Jacob Grant New York: Viking, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC, 2024. Picture Book. Umami is a little penguin who is sick of eating the same thing everyday, cold fish --ugh! She becomes determined to find new foods and flavors, so Umami begins a journey across the sea in search of something different to eat. She reaches a place with a plethora of delicious options, and tries bitter, sweet, sour, and foods with umami (just like her name!) among others. Umami decides to bring all these delicious new flavors back for the other penguins to try in a feast. But, will the other penguins enjoy this new experience?  Filled with charm and humor, Umami is a diverse romp through a universal experience --am I willing to try something new? What will it be like? The idea of trying new foods and flavors make it especially relatable, and the appealing illustrations will have many readers ready to hop out on a culinary adventure. A humorous and sweet ending, caps off this delig...

Five Faves: Easy Readers of 2024

Hello world! I know you have been anticipating the release of this list all year... my favorite easy readers! Whether they're funny or sweet, these titles are all great for kids taking their first steps for reading. So without further ado...here are my five favorite easy readers of 2024. Lone Wolf Goes to School Written by Kiah Thomas Illustrated by K-Fai Steele New York: Neal Porter Books/Holiday House, 2024. Easy Reader.  Lone wolf would spend all of his time alone if he could. Unfortunately, he has to go to school with the "snotty" kids, and even when he leaves school there's people at the beach, on the mountains, and at the movie theater. What's a wolf to do? Invite them all to a party at his house and then leave so that all the places he wants to be are empty, of course! If you're looking for a moralistic read-aloud that will teach the virtues of making friends so that you aren't lonely, you should definitely look elsewhere. However, if you're loo...