Several of the Cybils books nominated in the Middle Grade Fiction category focus on entrepreneurship or family businesses. In Rocky Road by Rose Kent, already reviewed here, the Dobsons start an ice cream shop in Schenectady. In Crunch by Leslie Connor, also reviewed previously, three siblings run a thriving bicycle repair shop while their parents are stranded up north. Emma Freke’s mom in I, Emma Freke by Elizabeth Atkinson, leaves Emma to tend the bead shop while mom gallivants. In The Dancing Pancake by Ellen Spinelli, Bindi’s mom and aunt team up to open a restaurant called, what else, The Dancing Pancake.
And now I’ve just finished It’s Raining Cupcakes by Lisa Schroeder in which twelve year old Isabel’s family opens a cupcake shop. I don’t know who was channeling whom, but the experience of reading It’s Raining Cupcakes really reminded me of reading Rocky Road a couple of weeks ago:
Opening a food business. Check.
Twelve year old not totally on board. Check.
Mom with depression or borderline depression issues. Check.
Family pitches in to help. Check.
Neighbors and friends also pitch in. Check.
Competition threatens. Check.
Mompreneur despairs. Check.
Daughter saves the day. Check.
All’s well that ends well. The business is a success!
It’s Raining Cupcakes was a cute story, and the cupcake recipes included in the back of the book look like winners. However, I’m left to wonder what’s next? Beads, bicycles, ice cream, pancakes, cupcakes. . . Maybe a nice old-fashioned bookstore?
Other takes:
Brimful Curiosities: “I just finished a cute middle grade novel titled It’s Raining Cupcakes by Lisa Schroeder, a perfect girly diversion for a rainy summer day. From the scrumptious pink cupcake laden cover to a well-written plot with chapter titles named after different cupcakes, the book is a treat to read.”
Jama Rattigan’s Alphabet Soup: “Lisa used only the finest ingredients: a likeable, true-to-life main character, an appetizing premise, a cozy small town setting, and interesting secondary characters, all flavored with equal parts charm, humor, and suspense.”
Kim Bacciella at YA Books Central: “This is a sweet, fun tale of a young girl who wants nothing more than to travel outside her little town of Willow.”
So, what’s your favorite cupcake or cupcake recipe?
I always find it hard to resist books about cupcakes, or that feature cupcakes in the title. However, I do see your point. Featuring a bookstore would make my day though 🙂
Funny. I hadn’t thought about this theme until you brought it up (President of the Whole Fifth Grade is also about cupcakes and entrepreneurship). As for cupcakes, I’ll take any, any flavor as long as I can split it in half (width-wise, not length-wise), and put the bottom on the top and eat it like a sandwich. 😀