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Review: Just a Pinch of Magic by Alechia Dow

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Just a Pinch of Magic by Alechia Dow

Just a Pinch of Magic
Alechia Dow
Feiwel & Friends
Published October 10, 2023

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About Just a Pinch of Magic

Alechia Dow’s middle-grade debut is as warm and sweet as a cinnamon bun, bursting with magic and sure to please the pickiest readers.

Wini’s family of enchanters runs a little bakery, but with the prices of magical ingredients skyrocketing, they’re going under. Desperate to save her family’s business, Wini takes a risk by casting a (sort of illegal) spell that would allow them to gather their own supply of their most needed magical ingredient: Love. But the spell doesn’t work. And Wini soon discovers that it didn’t just not work, it backfired. Badly. Now the whole town is in danger, and the Enchantment Bureau is sniffing around for whoever cast the wayward spell.

It’s just been Kal and her dad for as long as she can remember. They’ve weathered everything together, including Kal’s mental health struggles. But just as they’re about to move to a new town for a fresh start, Kal’s grandfather—who mysteriously vanished years ago—has suddenly reentered their lives with a desire to make amends. He joins them in opening their bookstore in the new town, but Kal can’t help but wonder if he has anything to do with the whispers around her new home about wicked magic. And it’s not just the whispers of the magical books in their shop.

When Wini and Kal cross paths—both hoping for the chance to finally make a friend without worrying about their family histories following them—the girls bond over being fellow outcasts. Together they search for the solution to fixing the magic gone awry in their beloved town—and just maybe get their dads to go out on a date.

My Review

If you, like me, have followed Alechia Dow on social media, you’re probably not at all surprised to see a book centered around delicious baked goods. I was SO excited for that component of this book. I’ve enjoyed the author’s posts about her baking experiences.

I loved both Wini and Kal’s characters. The story alternates chapters from both girls’ points of view. They both feel isolated from the magical community, Kal because she grew up in a nonmagical world, and Wini because of her family history and its impact on the town.

Both girls are smart and really need a good friend. They tentatively try to be that for each other, but friendship doesn’t happen without its bumps and bruises.

I loved the small magical town where they live, and the way the people relate to one another. It felt rich and interesting, and I would love to revisit the same setting for another story. The last few chapters of the story covered a lot of ground, but I enjoyed every page of this book, especially the recipes included between chapters! I am really excited to try a few of those out.

All in all, I’d say this is a perfect middle grade debut. It’s got magic, friendship, and delicious cookies. Who could ask for more than that?

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
Wini and her family are Black. Wini’s dad and Kal’s dad are attracted to one another.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
Wini’s dad and Kal’s dad are attracted to one another.

Spiritual Content
Some characters have the ability to perform magic. Mentions of vampires, ghosts, and other supernatural creatures.

Violent Content
Situations of peril.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but which help support this blog. I received a free copy of JUST A PINCH OF MAGIC in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Rubi Ramos’s Recipe for Success by Jessica Parra

Book Review and Content, Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , ,

Rubi Ramos’s Recipe for Success
Jessica Parra
Wednesday Books
Published May 16, 2023

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Rubi Ramos’s Recipes for Success

Graduation is only a few months away, and so far Rubi Ramos’s recipe for success is on track.

*Step 1: Get into the prestigious Alma University.
*Step 2: Become incredibly successful lawyer.

But when Alma waitlists Rubi’s application, her plan is in jeopardy. Her parents–especially her mom, AKA the boss–have wanted this for her for years. In order to get off the waitlist without her parents knowing, she needs math tutoring from surfer-hottie math genius Ryan, lead the debate team to a championship–and remember the final step of the recipe.

*Step 3: Never break the ban on baking.

Rubi has always been obsessed with baking, daydreaming up new concoctions and taking shifts at her parents’ celebrated bakery. But her mother dismisses baking as a distraction–her parents didn’t leave Cuba so she could bake just like them.

But some recipes are begging to be tampered with…

When the First Annual Bake Off comes to town, Rubi’s passion for baking goes from subtle simmer to full boil. She’s not sure if she has what it takes to become OC’s best amateur baker, and there’s only one way to find out–even though it means rejecting the ban on baking, and by extension, her parents. But life is what you bake it, and now Rubi must differentiate between the responsibility of unfulfilled dreams she holds, and finding the path she’s meant for.

My Review

One of the things I loved about this book is that it doesn’t take itself too seriously. There’s a lot of celebration of puns and baking and the goofy awkwardness of first relationships and love. I loved those parts of the story.

RUBI RAMOS’S RECIPE FOR SUCCESS has a lot more than that to offer, though. We experience the pressure Rubi faces in her parents’ expectations for her, and her conflicting desires for her own life. She wants to do what’s right by her parents and honor the sacrifices they’ve made for her. But she also wants to find a way to make room for her own dreams. The struggle felt so real.

The romantic elements of the story are really sweet. It’s a simpler plot element, so there’s not a lot of drama or big trope-y conflict. That made for kind of a refreshing read, actually.

I think fans of baking stories like SALT AND SUGAR by Rebecca Carvalho or sweet romances, like books by Kasie West will enjoy Rubi’s tale of culinary confections and family connections.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Representation
Rubi and her family are Cuban American.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild profanity used somewhat frequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
A white girl on Rubi’s debate team and in another leadership group with her makes some racist comments.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support this blog. I received a free copy of RUBI RAMOS’S RECIPE FOR SUCCESS in exchange for my honest review.

Review: This Place is Still Beautiful by XiXi Tian

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This Place is Still Beautiful
XiXi Tian
Balzer + Bray
Published June 7, 2022

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About This Place is Still Beautiful

Two sisters. A shocking racist incident. The summer that will change both of their lives forever.

Despite having had near-identical upbringings, sisters Annalie and Margaret agree on only one thing: that they have nothing in common. Nineteen-year-old Margaret is driven, ambitious, and keenly aware of social justice issues. She couldn’t wait to leave their oppressive small-town home and take flight in New York. Meanwhile sweet, popular, seventeen-year-old Annalie couldn’t think of anything worse – she loves their town, and feels safe coasting along in its confines.

That is, until she arrives home one day to find a gut-punching racial slur painted on their garage door.

Outraged, Margaret flies home, expecting to find her family up in arms. Instead, she’s amazed to hear they want to forget about it. Their mom is worried about what it might stir up, and Annalie just wants to have a ‘normal’ summer – which Margaret is determined to ruin, apparently.

Back under each other’s skins, things between Margaret and Annalie get steadily worse – and not even the distraction of first love (for Annalie), or lost love (for Margaret) can bring them together.

Until finally, a crushing secret threatens to tear them apart forever.

My Review

I love sister books. THIS PLACE IS STILL BEAUTIFUL gives us both sister’s points of view, which I absolutely loved. I’m sure there are other books that have done this, but I can’t think of any right now.

Margaret and Annalie are so different from one another, and we really get to see that in action as we go back and forth between their perspectives. But we also get to see something the girls seem (especially at first) unaware of: the way they admire each other’s strengths.

They grew up in a mostly white southern Illinois town, feeling different, and responding to it differently. We watch them reflect on moments they faced racist or prejudiced comments or behavior. We learn why they reacted so differently when someone painted a racist slur on their garage door.

Watching both girls navigate the aftermath of that night really gripped me. I think it might be easy for some readers to dismiss what happened as not serious, as some of the characters in the book do. But walking in Margaret and Annalie’s shoes gives us the chance to sidestep our own prejudices and listen. Really listen. If we do that, we hear a story that resonates with us all: two girls who have a right to feel safe, respected, and loved in their community.

Though the plot centers around uncovering the truth about the graffiti on the door, THIS PLACE IS STILL BEAUTIFUL offers so much more. It is part love story, part tribute to a rural small town, and part story about finding your voice and discovering who you want to be and what that means.

All in all, I am a huge fan of this book, and I am really excited to see what XiXi Tian writes next. I think fans of Rachel Lynn Solomon’s YOU’LL MISS ME WHEN I’M GONE or YOU’VE REACHED SAM by Dustin Thao will love this book.

Content Notes

Content warning for use of a racial slur, some racist comments and behavior and teen drinking.

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Annalie and Margaret are Chinese on their mom’s side. Annalie’s best friend, Violet, is Filipino. Margaret’s ex-boyfriend Rajiv is Indian. Other characters are white.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl. In one scene, it’s clear the boy wants to have sex, and the girl stops him because she isn’t ready. In another scene, a boy and girl kiss, collapse into his bed and the scene cuts to later, after they’ve had sex.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
A racist slur appears spray-painted on the front of Annalie and Margaret’s garage. In one scene, Annalie confronts a boy who charges toward her aggressively before they are interrupted.

Drug Content
Teens drink alcohol at a party. Annalie gets drunk. References to Margaret drinking alcohol while away at college.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support this blog. I received a free copy of THIS PLACE IS STILL BEAUTIFUL in exchange for my honest review.

Review: A Taste of Magic by J. Elle

Book Review and Content, Fantasy, Middle Grade 8-12, , , , , , , ,

A Taste of Magic
J. Elle
Bloomsbury USA Children’s
Published August 30, 2022

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About A Taste of Magic

NYT bestseller J. Elle makes her MG debut in the delightful story of a girl who bakes up a plan to save her inner-city magic school.
Twelve-year-old Kyana has just discovered she’s a witch! This means classes every Saturday at Park Row Magic Academy, a learning center hidden in the back of the local beauty shop, and Kyana can’t wait to learn spells to help out at home. The only downside is having to keep her magic a secret from her BFF, Nae. But when the magic school loses funding, the students must pay huge fees at the fancy school across town or lose their magic! Determined to help, Kyana enters a baking contest with a big cash prize. Will she be able to keep up her grades while preparing for the competition and without revealing her magic? What about when a taste of magic works its way into her cupcakes?
Exciting up-and-coming author J. Elle combines the perfect balance of real-world issues and magical mishaps to create real magic.

My Review

I think my favorite part of this book was the love shared between three generations of women in Kyana’s house: her, her Mama, and Memaw. I loved the scenes where they cooked or baked together. They were always making such amazing things.

I also enjoyed the way Kyana’s experience baking influenced her approach to her magic. As she got more comfortable with the idea that she could use and perform magic, she discovered instincts for making potions that she couldn’t explain. She also connected with new friends. I loved her friendship with her bestie, Nae, too.

As Kyana’s plan to save her magic school begins to unravel, she has a choice between trying to get her rescue mission back on track alone, or reaching out to her new magic community and asking for help. I loved the way this became a story about community and the way a group offers so much more than an individual in terms of problem-solving ability.

All in all, A TASTE OF MAGIC is a fun, sweet story celebrating family and community and the magic of delicious food bringing people together. Readers who enjoyed A COMB OF WISHES by Lisa Stringfellow will love the heart and magic in this one.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
Kyana is Black. Most characters are Black.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
Kyana learns she has the ability to do magic. Other characters have magical ability, too.

Violent Content
None.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support this blog. I received a free copy of A TASTE OF MAGIC in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Honestly Elliott by Gillian McDunn

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Honestly Elliott
Gillian McDunn
Bloomsbury Children’s USA
Published March 1, 2022

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Honestly Elliott

Elliott has been struggling since his closest friend moved away, and he’s not too sure where he fits into his own family, especially since his newly remarried dad and stepmom are expecting a baby. His grades aren’t too great, he’s always forgetting things, and he doesn’t really like sports. All together, the result is someone the complete opposite of his dad–a fact they’re both very aware of. Elliott’s only solace is cooking, where he can control the outcome, testing exciting recipes and watching his favorite cooking shows.

When he’s paired with the super smart and popular Maribel for a school-wide project, Elliott worries they won’t see eye to eye. But Maribel is also looking for a new way to show others her true self and this project could be the chance they’ve both been waiting for. Sometimes the least likely friends help you see a new side to things . . . and sometimes you have to make a few mistakes before you figure out what’s right.

My Review

I’ve been a huge fan of Gillian McDunn’s books right from the first page of her debut, CATERPILLAR SUMMER, and that hasn’t changed a bit with HONESTLY ELLIOTT.

This book is a little different than her others. It focuses a lot more on the family dynamics in Elliott’s life, specifically his navigating divorce and a blended family. I loved that the story explored some of Elliott’s feelings about having a new half-brother as an older kid. When my family went through that change, it was really hard for me to find resources out there that looked at both a blended family situation and becoming a sibling for the first time as an older child.

I felt like HONESTLY ELLIOTT delved into a lot of big topics, but in a gentle way. Elliott learns a lot about himself in his role as a friend and in his role in his family. I also thought the way his views about cooking versus baking get challenged and the way that his project for school helped him connect to his community and community history.

All in all, I’m so glad I read HONESTLY ELLIOT. It’s so important to have great books out there that center on complex issues of adjusting to sibling-hood and blended families, and I’m really excited to be able to recommend this one.

Content Notes for Honestly Elliott

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
Elliott has ADHD. Maribel has celiac disease. Elliott’s best friend Malcolm has two moms.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
None.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support this blog. I received a free copy of HONESTLY ELLIOTT in exchange for my honest review.

Review: The Great Cookie War by Caroline Stellings

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The Great Cookie War
Caroline Stellings
Second Story Press
Published April 13, 2021

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About The Great Cookie War

Life in her traditional Mennonite community is peaceful if a little dull for twelve-year-old Beth, who dreams of being an artist. One day excitement shows up in the form of a determined lawyer from New York who insists she needs a family cookie recipe to win a million-dollar lawsuit.

Beth’s parents are bemused, but her grandmother is determined that the recipe will not leave her kitchen. As Beth tries to balance her love for her family and faith with the promise of adventure in New York, she learns that she is stronger than she believes.

My Review

So, two things I loved about this that didn’t get enough attention in the cover copy:

  1. It’s based on or inspired by (I’m not quite sure where the line is there) real events! There really was a lawsuit about cookies where one company had a patent for a cookie recipe which produced cookies that were crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. When another company made and sold cookies with a similar claim, they were sued. The Mennonites were involved because a woman had written a cookbook with Mennonite recipes called FOOD THAT REALLY SCHMECKS. The lawyer representing the company that had been sued wanted to see the family recipe for rigglevake cookies, a type of spiral cookie made with two types of dough: one that came out crispy and one that came out soft.
  2. Beth is the real star of the show. The whole cookie conundrum places her in a position where she’s watching two strong-willed women facing off, each pushing hard for what they want. That experience encourages her to speak up for herself and pursue the art classes she dreams of. Then, she faces a choice: guaranteed opportunity to go to art school if only she’ll swipe the recipe book from her family without their permission.

It’s probably obvious from all that, but I enjoyed reading this book. It’s got peppy, fun characters and a great setting as well as some really cool scenes exploring and celebrating Mennonite life. I think readers who enjoyed PIE by Sarah Weeks will absolutely need to read this one.

Content Notes for The Great Cookie War

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
Beth and her family are Mennonites.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
Beth and her family are Mennonites.

Violent Content
None.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support this blog. I received a free copy of THE GREAT COOKIE WAR in exchange for my honest review.