By Suzanne Nelson
Publisher: Scholastic, Inc.
Pages: 256
Age Range: 8 – 12 Years
ABOUT
Alicia Ramirez has always loved baking. Her family owns Say It With Flour, the small bakery in town. And Ali’s specialties are cake pops: delicious confections on a stick. But Ali’s sweet life turns sour when a sleek coffee shop opens across the street, giving her bakery a run for its money. Worst of all, the owner’s son, Dane McGuire, likes to bake, too. He’s the new kid in Ali’s school … and happens to be annoyingly cute.
When Dane and Ali engage in a bake-off to prove who is the cake-pop master, it’s Ali’s chance to save Say It With Flour. But will she be able to rise to occasion … and ignore what her heart might be telling her?
REVIEW
“Nelson has created a rather cute, unusual version of a young adult cookbook combined with a teenage love story. Ali is the daughter of the owner of “Say It with Flour,” a very successful bakery. She specializes in cake on a stick, at least until “Perk Up” moves into town. The competition between the two businesses will surely put “Say It with Flour” out of business. The situation is tense yet easily resolved. Dane McGuire, the surly, good-looking son of the “Perk Up” mogul, saves the day. Dane does not have the drive his father does and is just looking for a place to take up permanent residence. Dane and Ali have many things in common. The local baking contest is amicable and proves that “mom and pop” competitions can stand the test when all other factors are equal. Dane and Ali prove that two competitors can get along, and even their romance is cute and grows along the way.”
Reviewer: Patricia K. Landy; Ages 12 up.
—Children’s Literature
