Let's get baking!

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Welcome to another episode of Happy Reading, a podcast that spotlights and celebrates fabulous middle grade stories. I’m Sarah Threlkeld, a former 6th grade reading teacher and elementary librarian who’s currently working toward a Master’s in Children’s Literature from Simmons University in Boston, MA. I have been obsessed with children’s books since I was a kid and absolutely love recommending them to readers of all ages. I’m that person who eavesdrops on families in libraries and bookstores and then offers unsolicited advice on which books to take home. 

For those of you joining me for the first time, each episode is formatted the same way. I summarize a handful of books that fit a theme and read a short excerpt from each one so you get a sense of the characters’ voices and storyline. While I truly believe middle grade books can be enjoyed by people of all ages, they are generally thought of as a good fit for 8- to 12-year-old readers, although some books do skew younger, while others are classified as older middle grade because of mature themes. Not every book on this podcast will be appropriate for every reader, and occasionally I may recommend chapter books or young adult books that fit the episode’s theme. Now that you know what you’ve gotten yourself into, let’s get started!

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Fudgy brownies stuffed with Andes mints. Golden snickerdoodles. Giant chocolate chip cookies. Triple chocolate cake. Chocolate peanut butter cheesecake. These are just a few of the treats you'll find in my house on a fairly regular basis. I grew up baking with my mom and have continued the tradition with my daughter, who often joins me in the kitchen for weekly bakes. In an alternate life I would love to own a combination bakery and children’s bookshop so I could be surrounded by two of my favorite things and share them with the world. For now, I’ll share some of my favorite bakery-themed middle grade books with you instead. I hope this episode leaves you craving a few new books and a tasty treat or two. 

From the Desk of Zoe Washington

Janae Marks’s debut novel, From the Desk of Zoe Washington, published by Katherine Tegen Books in 2020, centers around Zoe, a twelve-year old baking-obsessed kid living in Boston whose world turns upside down when she receives a letter from her father, a man she has never met because he has been in prison her entire life. I mean, how could you not want to read this after a description like that? Here are more details from the book’s summary: (read from book)

I’m going to share chapter one with you because it sets up the story so perfectly.

The Great Peach Experiment: When Life Gives You Lemons, Make Peach Pie

Published in 2021 by Pixel and Ink, Erin Soderberg Downing’s When Life Gives You Lemons, Make Peach Pie is the first title in The Great Peach Experiment series, which chronicles the lives of the very endearing Peach family. The summary reads: (read from book)

Truth be told, I am not a fan of fruit pie, but this book left me reconsidering my stance and had me dreaming about starting a food truck that only sells cookies. Here’s chapter one:

Summer of a Thousand Pies

I’m not sure how many pies the Peach family ended up baking, but I’m guessing they came close to a thousand, which is Cady Bennett’s goal in Summer of a Thousand Pies, a beautiful story of self-discovery, newfound friendship, and complicated families written by Margaret Dilloway and  published by Balzer and Bray in 2019. Here’s the book’s summary: (read from book)

I thought I’d share chapter four with you since this is when Cady learns about her Aunt’s pie shop.

Recipe for Disaster

Aimee Lucido’s 2021 release from Versify, Recipe for Disaster, explores the intersection between religion and baking, which is interesting in itself, but what makes the book especially unique is the way it blends together three different formats. The majority of the story is written in prose, but recipes and free verse poems are sprinkled throughout, giving the reader a level of insight into the main character’s life that she may not usually get. The summary from the flap reads as follows: (read from book)

I’m going to share two sections that are separated by a piecrust recipe, which I won’t read because it’s just really awkward to read aloud a recipe. The first section is called “The Big Book of What’s Cooking” and the second section is titled “Pretty Please Pie.” I think these excerpts will give you a strong sense of the conflicts in Hannah’s family and the power of baked goods, which should never be underestimated.

All You Knead is Love

Our last book, All You Knead is Love (knead spelled like kneading dough–I’m a sucker for a punny title) written by Tanya Guerrero and published by Farrar Straus Giroux, is one of my favorite reads of 2021. It is beautifully written, packed with fascinating characters, and it explores a lot of important issues that middle grade stories often overlook. All You Knead is Love also takes place in Barcelona, Spain, where I spent a week at my dad and stepmom’s home right before the global pandemic shut everything down. My dad was diagnosed with brain cancer shortly thereafter and passed away about a year later, close to when I read Guerrero’s book. Being able to revisit several places in Barcelona while reading All You Knead is Love was such a gift and helped me feel close to my dad. That, my dear listeners, is the power of story. But enough about me, here’s the summary: (read from book)

Ok, now I want to read the entire book to you! In the interest of time (and due to copyright law), I’ll just share the first chapter. While it doesn’t touch on baking at all, the opening does immediately transport you to Alba’s world and make you curious about what happens next.

Closing

And there you have it, five fabulous middle grade stories that center around baking. If you happen to be a kid who loves to bake and is looking for a kid-friendly cookbook, my daughter highly recommends the Delish Kids Cookbook. Our favorite recipe is Nilla wafer Boston cream pies–yum! And if you’re hungry for a chapter book series about baking, Freddie’s Amazing Bakery by Harriet Whitehorn is pretty darn fun. 

Thank you so much for listening to this episode of the Happy Reading podcast. I hope you discovered some new books that you are excited to read or that you were reminded of some that have been hanging out on your TBR stack. If you know of other wonderful middle grade books that fit this episode’s theme, I’d love to hear about them. You can find me on Twitter as Wordnerd153 and on Instagram as Kidlit_Lover. You can also message me through the Happy Reading website at happyrdng.blogspot.com. If you enjoy this podcast and want to help other people discover it, please take a moment to rate and review it on Apple Podcasts. Thanks again for spending some time with me. Until next time, happy reading!