Sweet Stories

In a time where paranormal and dystopian stories reign there are readers who are interested in sweet stories that comfort the soul. For the youngest readers I have highlighted picturebooks about tasty treats like cupcakes, donuts, and cookies.

Bake Sale by Sara Varon. First Second, 2011. Grades 3-8.

This graphic novel is about the sacrifices one will make for a friend. In New York Cupcake owns a bakery and plays in a marching band with his friend Eggplant. Eggplant is planning a trip to Turkey to visit family and he has invited Cupcake along to meet the famous pastry chef Turkish Delight. To raise the money for the trip Cupcake quits the band so he can sell extra cupcakes, but when Eggplant losses his job Cupcake gives the money to his friend. Illustrated recipes are included. 

The Baker's Dozen by Dan Andreasen. Henry Holt, 2007. Preschool- K.
In rhyming text count to thirteen as the baker makes treats for his bakery; one éclair, two German cakes, three cherry pies ect… Warning this book will leave you carving sweets.

Close to Famous. By Joan Bauer. Viking, 2011. Grades 5-8.

To get away from her mom’s abusive boyfriend 12-year-old Foster McKee and her mother quickly leave Memphis and end up in the small town of Culpepper, West Virginia where they encounter many who have a dream. Foster is a talented baker and it her dream to be the host of her own cooking show like her idol Sonny Kroll. Foster’s cupcakes and muffins help bring a change to the town and Foster is able to overcome her learning disability in this heartwarming tale.

Cupcake: a Journey to Special by Charise Mericle Harper. Disney/Hyperion Books, 2010. Pre-School- Grade 1.

Cupcake is a perfectly delicious vanilla cupcake who feels plain next to his fancy brothers and sisters, like rainbow sprinkle and chocolaty chocolate, until his friend Candle comes up with the bright idea that Cupcake just needs a special topping. A recipe for vanilla cupcakes is included.

 

The Cupcake Club: (Peace, Love and Cupcakes). By Sheryl and Carrie Berk. Sourcebooks/Jabberwocky, 2012. Grades 3-6.

In this new series Kylie Carson starts out as a quiet fourth-grader who is being bullied by popular mean-girl Meredith. As a new student Kylie is an outsider with almost no friends until her drama teacher proposes that Kylie start a cupcake club at school. Soon Kylie and her three new friends deal with the bullying while becoming a baking success. Three recipes are included at the end of the novel.

The Cupcake Diaries Series.

Katie and the Cupcake Cure by Coco Simon. Simon Spotlight, 2011. Grades 3-6.

In the first book of The Cupcake Diaries series Katie Brown learns that things quickly change in middle school when her best friend comes back from camp as a member of the Popular Girls Club and Katie is not allowed to sit with them at lunch. Katie meets a new group of friends and together they form their own Cupcake Club.

The Cupcake Queen. By Heather Hepler. Dutton Children's Books, 2009.  Grades 6-9.

When thirteen-year-old Penny moves from New York City to the small seaside town of Hogs Hollow where her mother opens a cupcake bakery Penny hides in the shop and tries to avoid talking about her parents separation and the popular mean girl who is pulling daily pranks on her. Over time Penny makes friends, gets her first boyfriend and accepts her new life.

The Donut Chef by Bob Staake. Golden Books, p2008. Grades K-3.

The baker is happy with the selling and making donuts in his new shop until an aggressive rival opens up on the same block. The two bakers go to ridiculous rates trying to outdo each other with crazy flavor donuts like Kiwi Jam. The baker remembers his true calling when a when a little girl asks for a simple glazed donut. Told in rhyming text with humorous illustrations.   

It's Raining Cupcakes by Lisa Schroeder. Aladdin, 2010. Grades 4-7.

While her mom is preparing to open a cupcake shop twelve-year-old Isabel dreams of the world outside her home state Oregon when her best friend tells her about a baking contest where the finalist wins a trip to New York City for a bake-off. Cupcake recipes included. Sequel: Sprinkles and Secrets.

          The Little Bitty Bakery by Leslie Muir.   
          Disney/Hyperion  Books, 2011. Pre-school-
          Grade 2.
          In Paris, Elephant is a pastry chef who has 
         worked all through her birthday. While she is
         asleep the mice who live in her shop surprise
         Elephant by making delicious crumble jumble
         birthday cake. A recipe is for the cake is included.

   

 Little Mouse and the Big Cupcake by Thomas Taylor. Boxer Books, 2010. Pre-School- Grade 1.

Little Mouse is excited to discover a big chocolate-chip raspberry cream cupcake, unfortunately it is too big for him to carry home. When Mouse asks a bird, frog, mole, snail, possum and a chipmunk to help move the cupcake each animal has a bite of the cupcake which leaves Mouse one big piece and many new friends.

Recipe for Disaster by Fergus, Maureen. KCP Fiction, 2009. Grades 6-9.

Ninth-grader Francie Freewater is a talented baker with dreams of working at the Lorenzo LaRue cooking show and having her own bakery business. Disaster strikes when the new girl Darleen steals her best friend and crush of a lab partner and makes fun of Francie’s baking aspirations.









Save the Cupcake! (Confectionately Yours #1) By Lisa Papademetriou. 

Hayley is a middle school student who uses her talent for baking cupcakes to deal with the problems in her life like her parents’ divorce, her mom’s recent job loss and most importantly that she is drifting apart from her best friend Artie.

Scones and Sensibility by Lindsay Eland. Egmont USA, 2010.

Grades 4-7.

During summer vacation in a New Jersey beach town, twelve-year-old Polly Madassa is a romantic determined to play matchmaker while making deliveries for her parents' bakery. Very funny!

Coming Soon- Sweet Stories

Novels Reinterpreted as a Graphic Novel

Twilight: the graphic novel. By Yong-bin Kim. Yen Press, 2010.

A manga-style graphic novel adaptation of Stephenie Meyer's popular "Twilight" series. In the first volume when seventeen-year-old Bella moves to Forks, Washington she falls in love with Edward Cullen.

Coraline. Adapted & illustrated by P. Craig Russell. HarperCollins, 2008.

Neil Gaiman's spooky tale about a young girl who discovers a secret door in her new house. When Coraline steps through a door she discovers another house strangely similar to her own with a sinister "Other Mother." 

Dracula by Michael Mucci. Sterling, 2008.
Bram Stoker's "Dracula" is adapted for young readers with action and humor while staying true to the original tale about Jonathan Harker who travels to Transylvania and meets the evil Count Dracula.

 

Vampire Kisses: Blood Relatives. Adapted by Diana McKeon Charkalis. Tokyopop, p2007

Raven is a vampire-obsessed Goth girl whose romantic dreams come true when she meets Alexander Sterling.

 

The Baby-Sitter's Club. Kristy's Great Idea. By Raina Telgemeier. Graphix, 2006.

Ann Martin's baby-sitters are back in a heart-warming graphic novel series about the friendship of four middle-school students-Kristy, Mary Anne, Claudia, and Stacey who start a babysitting service.

Artemis Fowl : the graphic novel. Adapted by Eoin Colfer & Andrew Donkin. Hyperion Books for Children, 2007.

Artemis Fowl is 12-year-old evil genius mastermind who has stolen the book of the fairies and captures a fairy in exchange for gold. But the fairies are prepared to use magic to fight back.  

 

Percy Jackson & the Olympians. Book One, The Lightning Thief. Disney/Hyperion Books, 2010.

After being kicked out of his sixth school Percy learns that his father is the Greek god Poseidon and he goes on a quest with two of his friends from Camp Half Blood.

Maximum Ride: the manga.1.  James Patterson & NaRae Lee. Yen Press, 2009.

Fourteen-year-old Maximum Ride and the members of her "flock" - Fang, Iggy, Nudge, Gasman, and Angel are human/bird creations hiding out in the wilderness until Angel, the youngest of them, is kidnapped and they must save her.

Cirque du Freak.  Story by Darren Shan ; Manga by Takahiro Arai. Yen Press, 2009.

To save his best friend Darren Shaw fakes his own death and becomes half a vampire traveling with Cirque du Freak.

Avalon High Coronation Volume 1, The Merlin Prophecy. By Meg Cabot. TokyoPop, 2007.

In this modern adaptation of the Arthurian epic Ellie is a new student at Avalon High where several of the students incluignd her new boyfriend are reincarnations from the  King Arthur tale.

  

Humor for Wimpy Kids Fans.

The Diary of a Wimpy Kid series by Jeff Kinney has turned many students, especially boys, into readers again. They have discovered that books can be a fun form of escapism and it is essential that once students have finished the hilarious series that they find other humorous books. This list will appeal to both female and male readers. Many of the books have comic illustrations mixed in.

Alexie, Sherman. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian. Little, Brown, 2007. ISBN Grades 8-10

Through his humorous diary entries and comic style illustrations fifteen-year-old Arnold “Junior” Spirit tells how he decided to be the first Indian on the Spokane Indian Reservation to attend the local public school.

Amato, Mary. Illustrated by Ethan Long. The Riot Brothers Series. Holiday House. Grades 2-5

Similar to the Disney hit cartoon series Phineas and Ferb, Wilbur and Orville Riot are adventure-seeking brothers whose over the top escapades include hunting for mummies, discovering treasure, becoming mad scientists and creating a water park.

Angleberger, Tom. The Strange Case of Origami Yoda. Amulet Books, 2010. Grades 4-7

When the sixth grade class weirdo, Dwight, shows up to school with an origami Yoda finger puppet strange things happen. In a wierd voice oragmi Yoda doles out bits of wisdom about the future to his class. The strange thing is that Yoda’s cryptic advice is usually true.  Tommy collects first-hand accounts of how Origami Yoda helped his friends so he can decide if he should ask Yoda for advice. Yoda-making instructions are  included.
                                Sequel: Darth Paper Strikes Back. 

Boggess, Eileen. Mia the Meek. Bancroft Press, 2006. Grades 6-8

At the start of her freshman year at Saint Hilary’s Catholic High School Mia Fullerton is determined to shed her former geeky image by being more outgoing. When Mia wins the election for class president her crush Jakes asks her out. 

Caseley, Judith. The Kissing Diary. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2007. Grades 6-8

Twelve-year-old Rosie Goldglitt starts writing in the diary her dad gave her about her feelings about her newly divorced mom dating, her sick grandfather, being bullied by popular Mary Katz and her desire to be kissed by her crush Robbie Romano.

Korman, Gordon. Son of the Mob. Hyperion, 2002. Grades 6-9

As the son of a New York mob boss seventeen-year-old Vince Luca could take advantage of his family’s connections but has always wanted nothing to do with the business until he gets wrapped into helping Jimmy the Rat pay off some debts and discovers an undercover agent all while secretly dating Kendra  
Brightly, the daughter of the FBI agent who is assigned to take down his dad. Sequel: Hollywood Hustle.

McDonald, Megan. The Stink Series. Candlewick Press. Grades 2-4

Judy Moody’s seven-year-old brother Stink Moody is now the star of his own series where his adventures include rescuing one hundred guinea pigs, becoming a master thumb wrester and enters the World's Worst Super-Stinky Sneaker contest.

Myracle, Lauren. The Fashion Disaster that Changed My Life. Dutton, 2005. Grades 5-8

Allsion is thrilled and confused when the most popular girl in seventh grade, Rachael Delaney, invites Allison into her inner circle. Allison tries to stay close with her old friends, Megan and Kathy, while she is hanging out with the popular kids until she discovers how mean Rachael really can be.

Norris, Shana. Something to Blog About. Amulet Books, 2008. Grades 6-9

Things go from bad to worse for tenth grader Libby Fawcett when she accidentally sets her hair on fire in front of her crush, her mom announces that she is dating her archenemy, Angel Rivera’s dad and Angel posts Libby’s secret blog for all of Yeardy High to read.

Palatini, Margie. Geek Chic: The Zoey Zone. Katherine Tegen Books, 2008.  Grades 4-6

The misadventures of ten-year-old Zoey who is preparing for sixth grade with a complete image-intervention that includes learning about style so she can join the cool crowd in the lunchroom.

Patterson, James and Chris Tebbetts. Middle School, The Worst Years of My Life.  Little, Brown, 2011.  Grades 5-8

After a terrible first day of school at Hills Village Middle School sixth-grader Rafe Khatchadorian and his imaginary friend Leo create Operation R.A.F.E. (Rules Aren't For Everyone) in which he must break every rule in the school's handbook by June. Throughout the year Rafe spends time in detention for pulling fire alarms, streaking, graffiti, and fighting until his English teacher intervenes.

Pierce, Lincoln. Big Nate Series. Grades 3-7

The misadventures of Nate Wright, a confident sixth grader who seems destined for detention.  Based on the comic strip series.

Rupp, Rebecca. Sarah Simpson's Rules for Living. Candlewick Press, 2008. Grades 6-8

One year after her father moved to California and remarried twelve-year-old Sarah Simpson fills a journal with lists and rules about her crazy life that includes her parents and their significant others as well as her part in the school play. 

Russell, Rachel Renee. Dork Diaries Series. Aladdin. Grades 5-8

In the first book, Tales from a Not-So-Fabulous Life, fourteen-year-old Nikki J. Maxwell is a self-professed dork who is awarded a scholarship at the prestigious Westchester Country Day School where she encounter s snobby mean girls.

Scieszka, Jon. Illustrated by Shane Prigmore. Spaceheadz Series. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2010. Grades 3-7

At his new school in Brookyln fifth grader Mike befriends Ben and Jennifer, who are actually aliens on a mission to convert millions of kids into Space Headz.

Scott, Kieran. Geek Magnet: a Novel in Five Acts. G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2008. Grades 7-10

As the first high school junior to be stage manager of the school musical, realizing her father is an alcoholic and avoiding the group of unsavory admirers KJ Miller has a lot on her mind. When KJ takes the advice from the musical’s lead, Tama Gold, KJ temporally loses the geeks and alienates her real friends.

Silberberg, Alan. Milo: Sticky Notes and Brain Freeze. Aladdin, 2010. Grades 5-8

After a recent move twelve-year-old Milo Cruikshank is adjusting to his school by making new friends and getting a crush on Summer Goodman. 

Trine, Greg. Melvin Beederman, Superhero Series. Grades 2-5

After graduating from the superhero academy, Melvin Beederman uses his x-ray vision and super strength to fight evil-doers in Los Angeles along with his sidekick Candace.  

Vega, Denise. Click Here: (to Find Out How I Survived Seventh Grade). Little, Brown, p2006, c2005. Grades 6-8

At the start of middle school Erin Swift reveals in her private weblog her anxiety about fitting in, her best friend Jilly, her crush Mark and her hatred of popular Serena. When her weblog is accidentally published on the school’s online newspaper Erin learns to speak up for herself.

Vail, Rachel. Justin Case: School, Drool, and Other Daily Disasters. Fewel and Friends, 2010. Grades 3-5

Third grader Justin Krzeszewski, nicknamed Justin Case, writes and draws in his diary everything about his life including his dog, violin lessons, soccer games, homework problems, family, best friends and gym class.

Yee, Lisa. Warp Speed. Arthur A. Levine Books, 2011. Grades 5-8

At Rancho Rosetta Middle School seventh grader Marley Sidelski feels invisible to everyone, except a few bullies who torment him daily.  A total Star Trek geek, Marley looks forward to AV class when he can hang out with other sci-fi tech nerds. When it is discovered that Marley is a

fast-runner he is invited to join the school track team. But he is not sure if he has the competitive edge like the.

A Soldier's Story

Teen boys are interested in the reality of a solder’s experience. Not the stuff of spy novels- but the truth about what training and the chaos of combat really like. Right now there are a few compelling fiction titles.  What I found most interesting are the real life accounts written from the young soldiers fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan .Their stories of heroism and selfless sacrifice would appeal to older teens. The memoirs I included are from soldiers in their later teens and twenties.

Conklin, Ryan A. An Angel from Hell: Real Life on the Front Lines. Berkley Caliber, 2011. Grade 10 and up

The famed cast member of MTV’s Real World: Brooklyn had an average American life until he enlisted in the army during his senior year of high school. After basic training Ryan joined the in the Weapons Squad of 187^th Infantry (Rakkasanes), the most decorated regiments in the Army, where he experienced every role in the platoon including rifleman, grenadier, machine gunner and team leader.

Crawford, John. The Last True Story I'll Ever Tell: an Accidental Soldier's Account of the War in Iraq.  Riverhead Books, 2006.  Grade 10 and up

In 2002 John Crawford signed up for the Florida National Guard to help pay for college, when he was only a few classes away from graduation he was called to active duty in the Army’s Third Infantry Division leading the invasion in Iraq. This is the story of a group of college students whose yearlong tour of duty changed them forever.

DeMallie, Howard R. Behind Enemy Lines: a Young Pilot's Story. Sterling Pub., 2007. Grade 6-9

After the bombing of Pearl Harbor twenty-two-year-old H. R. DeMallie leaves the University of Michigan to train as a pilot for the American Air Force. On a mission bombing Nazi sites his B-17 is shot down in Holland and H. R. is imprisoned in a German POW camp.

Doyle, Bill. Behind Enemy Lines. Scholastic. 2009. Grade7-9

A collection of eight true stories of Americans who went our dangerous missions as spies, including a Green Beret who was awarded the Bronze Star for his bravery against the terrorists in Iraq.    

Hughes, Dean. Search and Destroy. Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2005.  Grade 7 and up

In 1969 Rick Ward is a recent high school graduate who enlists in the army as a way to escape and find inspiration for his writing.  In Vietnam Rick volunteers for the Charlie Company Rangers, a special combat unit that goes on reconnaissance missions in the jungle and returns home a wounded soldier that suffers from nightmares. 

McCormick, Patricia. Purple Heart. Balzer + Bray, p2009. 978-0-06-173091-7. Grade 9-12

After an attack eighteen-year-old Private Matt Duffy awakes in a Bagdad hospital as he is awarded the Purple Heart for valor. Suffering from traumatic brain injury Matt struggles to piece together the attack that killed two Iraqi civilians including the orphan boy that he befriended.

Myers, Walter Dean. Sunrise Over Fallujah. Scholastic Press, 2008. 978-0-439-91624-0. Grade 8 and up

Despite his father’s opposition after graduating from his Harlem high school Robin Perry enlists in the army because he wanted to do something for his country. In the early days of Operation Iraqi Freedom Robin experiences boredom, sorrow and the destructive horrors of war as a member of the civil affairs team whose mission was to win “the hearts and minds” of the Iraqi people. Companion novel to Fallen Angels.

Phillips, Michael M. The Gift of Valor: a War Story. Broadway Books, p2006, c2005. 978-0-7679-2038-4. Grade 10 and up

A reporter for the Wall Street Journal recounts the story of how in 2004, twenty-two-year-old Marine Corporal Jason Dunham sacrifices for his troop earned him the first American Congressional Medal of Honor for the war in Iraq.

Reinhardt, Dana. The Things a Brother Knows. Wendy Lamb Books, p2010. 978-0-375-94455-0. Grade 9-12

Seventeen-year-old Levi Katznelson's brother, Boaz, returns from a three year tour of duty in the Middle East a changed man. Haunted by nightmares and fears Boaz rarely leaves his room until he announces to his family that he plans on hiking the Appalachian Trail from their hometown of Boston to Washington D. C. During the trip Levi and his older brother visit other ex-marines and their families and the brothers reconnect. 

Smithson, Ryan. Ghosts of War: the True Story of a 19-year-old GI. Collins, 2009. 978-0-06-166470-0. Grade 9 and up

A poignant autobiography by a self-described “GI Joe Schmo” who moved by the events of September 11 enlists in the army reserves after graduating from a high school in upstate New York. Leaving behind his young bride Ryan Smithson is deployed to Iraq in the army engineer unit as a heavy equipment operator where he feels the pain of losing comrades and interacts with the Iraqi children. Includes several black and white photos.

Workman, Jeremiah. Shadow of the Sword: a Marine's journey of War, Heroism, and Redemption.  Ballantine Books, p2009. 978-0-345-51212-3. Gr. 10 and up

After Marine Staff Sergeant Jeremiah Workman was awarded the Navy Cross, the second highest medal for heroism in the U.S. military, he was assigned to the Marine base at Parris Island as a drill instructor at the same time as he suffered from severe post-traumatic stress disorder.

Zullo, Allan. Battle Heroes: Voices from Afghanistan (Ten True Tales).  Scholastic, 2010. 978-0545206426. Grade 6-9

A collection of ten action packed stories that demonstrate the bravery of our soldiers fighting in Afghanistan including the story of Staff Sergeant Jason Fetty who saved a new hospital from a Taliban suicide bomber. Companion to War Heroes: Voices from Iraq.