Midsummer's Mayhem
4.5/5
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About this ebook
An Indies Introduce Selection for 2019!
An Indie Next Pick for Summer 2019!
"A delectable treat for food and literary connoisseurs alike." Kirkus Reviews, STARRED REVIEW
"What a wonderful, intriguing, and magical book. And wow, did it ever get my tastebuds going! Each time I picked it up, I felt the urge to head to my kitchen. . . . What I loved most was the smartness of it. It never once doubted its young readers." Kathi Appelt, Newbery Honor- and National Book Award-Nominated author
"Midsummer's Mayhem is an enchantment of a novel, bursting with magic, mystery, and mouth-watering baked goods. Readers who have their own baking-show dreams will be cheering for Mimi until the very last page." Kate Messner, award-winning author of Breakout, The Seventh Wish, and All the Answers
Can Mimi undo the mayhem caused by her baking in this contemporary-fantasy retelling of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream?
Eleven-year-old Mimi Mackson comes from a big Indian American family: Dad's a renowned food writer, Mom's a successful businesswoman, and her three older siblings all have their own respective accomplishments. It's easy to feel invisible in such an impressive family, but Mimi's dream of proving she's not the least-talented member of her family seems possible when she discovers a baking contest at the new bakery in town. Plus, it'll start her on the path to becoming a celebrity chef like her culinary idol, Puffy Fay.
But when Mimi's dad returns from a business trip, he's mysteriously lost his highly honed sense of taste. Without his help, Mimi will never be able to bake something impressive enough to propel her to gastronomic fame.
Drawn into the woods behind her house by a strangely familiar song, Mimi meets Vik, a boy who brings her to parts of the forest she's never seen. Who knew there were banyan trees and wild boars in Massachusetts? Together they discover exotic ingredients and bake them into delectable and enchanting treats.
But as her dad acts stranger every day, and her siblings' romantic entanglements cause trouble in their town, Mimi begins to wonder whether the ingredients she and Vik found are somehow the cause of it all. She needs to use her skills, deductive and epicurean, to uncover what's happened. In the process, she learns that in life as in baking, not everything is sweet. . . .
Rajani LaRocca
Rajani LaRocca was born in India, raised in Kentucky, and now lives in Massachusetts, where she practices medicine and writes award-winning books for young readers, including the Newbery Honor–winning novel in verse, Red, White, and Whole. She’s always been an omnivorous reader, and now she is an omnivorous writer of novels and picture books, fiction and nonfiction, in prose and poetry. A graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Medical School, she lives outside Boston with her family. Visit her at rajanilarocca.com.
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Reviews for Midsummer's Mayhem
8 ratings3 reviews
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Fun MG retelling of A Midsummer Night's Dream.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5What a sweet debut novel! "Sweet" because of all the baking! The author has extensive knowledge on how to combine ingredients for delectable treats, and she wove that background nicely into the story. I learned quite a bit! Toss in a teaspoon of magic, a dash of mystery, and a pinch of family dynamics and you have a solid recipe for success. My fourth and fifth grade library patrons will enjoy the fictional story along with the nonfiction baking glossary and recipes.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Don't read this book if you're hungry, because the food descriptions are absolutely delectable and simply scrumptious. This middle grade retelling of A Midsummer's Night Dream featuring an 11-year old girl, Mina, and her efforts to win a kids' baking contest, is filled with magic, family, and friendships. A super read for all ages.