In addition to cupcake murder mystery Sprinkle with Murder, another book in a completely different genre came out last week, Lisa Schroeder's middle grade novel It's Raining Cupcakes, geared toward kids ages 7-12. There's lots of fun cupcake moments here, and even a (perceived) rivalry between the protagonist Isabel's bakery, It's Raining Cupcakes, and a major brownie chain. Hopefully we'll have an interview here soon with Lisa Schroeder about her inspiration for the book. I'd recommend it to kids in that age range (and adults who love cupcakes). In addition to baking, it's about perseverance, being true to yourself, and family.
Here's my review:
It's Raining Cupcakes is a fun story about a young girl trying to stake her place in her family and in the world, as her mother gets ready to open a cupcake bakery and her best friends goes to camp, having adventures without her. Isabel dreams of traveling, but she's never left her small Ohio town. Instead, she reads about other cities and conjures the day she'll get a passport of her very own. She befriends neighbors and her aunt who share their travel tips, then decides to enter a baking contest to possibly win a trip to New York.
Meanwhile, her mother is what can only be described as depressed, and Isabel does all she can to cheer her up. This part of the story is one that Schroeder tells especially well, as it's hard for Isabel to understand, though she goes above and beyond what one might expect of a girl her age. This is ultimately a story about family and reaching out for help when you need it, and Isabel tries her best to be a good daughter as well as true to herself and her own goals, and ultimately her mom is forced to see the effort she's gone to and appreciate the humor and the ups and downs of their life. The cupcake illustrations and baking adventure provide a fun backdrop to this story that will appeal to budding bakers.
From Lisa Schroeder's website:
Twelve-year-old Isabel dreams of seeing the world but she’s never left Oregon. When her best friend, Sophie, tells her of a baking contest whose winners travel to New York City, she eagerly enters despite concerns about her mother, who is opening a cupcake bakery. Includes cupcake recipes!
Here are some photos I took of my copy of the book:
back cover of It's Raining Cupcakes
Each chapter has a different cupcake as its theme (and that kind of cupcake gets mentioned in the chapter):
Lisa Schroeder will be doing some readings from the book. From her website:
4:00pm Sat, March 13, 2010 – Clackamas Barnes and Noble, Clackamas, Oregon:
SCBWI Oregon event with other Oregon authors. I'll be reading and signing my books.
2:00pm Sun, March 14, 2010 – Powell's Books, Cedar Hills Crossing, Beaverton, OR:
Reading and signing to celebrate the release of my mid-grade novel (for 7 to 12 YOs), IT'S RAINING CUPCAKES.
6:30pm Thursday, April 29, 2010 – Sherwood Public Library, Sherwood, Oregon:
Family night for kids and their parents. I'll talk about being an author and read from my mid-grade novel, IT'S RAINING CUPCAKES.
You can also keep up with Lisa Schroeder on her blog, where she recently posted these applesauce cupcakes she made using a recipe that's in the book:
Here's my review:
It's Raining Cupcakes is a fun story about a young girl trying to stake her place in her family and in the world, as her mother gets ready to open a cupcake bakery and her best friends goes to camp, having adventures without her. Isabel dreams of traveling, but she's never left her small Ohio town. Instead, she reads about other cities and conjures the day she'll get a passport of her very own. She befriends neighbors and her aunt who share their travel tips, then decides to enter a baking contest to possibly win a trip to New York.
Meanwhile, her mother is what can only be described as depressed, and Isabel does all she can to cheer her up. This part of the story is one that Schroeder tells especially well, as it's hard for Isabel to understand, though she goes above and beyond what one might expect of a girl her age. This is ultimately a story about family and reaching out for help when you need it, and Isabel tries her best to be a good daughter as well as true to herself and her own goals, and ultimately her mom is forced to see the effort she's gone to and appreciate the humor and the ups and downs of their life. The cupcake illustrations and baking adventure provide a fun backdrop to this story that will appeal to budding bakers.
From Lisa Schroeder's website:
Twelve-year-old Isabel dreams of seeing the world but she’s never left Oregon. When her best friend, Sophie, tells her of a baking contest whose winners travel to New York City, she eagerly enters despite concerns about her mother, who is opening a cupcake bakery. Includes cupcake recipes!
Here are some photos I took of my copy of the book:
back cover of It's Raining Cupcakes
Each chapter has a different cupcake as its theme (and that kind of cupcake gets mentioned in the chapter):
Lisa Schroeder will be doing some readings from the book. From her website:
4:00pm Sat, March 13, 2010 – Clackamas Barnes and Noble, Clackamas, Oregon:
SCBWI Oregon event with other Oregon authors. I'll be reading and signing my books.
2:00pm Sun, March 14, 2010 – Powell's Books, Cedar Hills Crossing, Beaverton, OR:
Reading and signing to celebrate the release of my mid-grade novel (for 7 to 12 YOs), IT'S RAINING CUPCAKES.
6:30pm Thursday, April 29, 2010 – Sherwood Public Library, Sherwood, Oregon:
Family night for kids and their parents. I'll talk about being an author and read from my mid-grade novel, IT'S RAINING CUPCAKES.
You can also keep up with Lisa Schroeder on her blog, where she recently posted these applesauce cupcakes she made using a recipe that's in the book:
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