Brentwood Bookworms: All Four Stars by Tara Dairman

Kids ages 9 and older are invited to meet on the fourth Wednesdays of the month (unless otherwise noted) after school from 3:30-4:15. Each meeting includes a game, craft, or activity, and usually includes a snack (please let us know if your child has allergies). Please join us if you have read the book or are interested in joining for future meetings.
This month’s Brentwood Bookworms selection will be All Four Stars by Tara Dairman:
Grades 5-7 Gladys Gatsby is a foodie who cooks in secret because her parents prefer fast food to high cuisine. Then an incident involving a blowtorch, custard, and curtains lands her in hot water and gets her banned from the kitchen. To regain her parents’ trust, she tries to win the New York Standard essay contest by writing about her future as a veterinarian, until her teacher encourages her to be more creative and more honest. Gladys then writes a cover letter for her dream job—restaurant reviewer. This letter actually makes it to the dining editor, and Gladys is offered a job reviewing a fancy dessert restaurant in New York City, but how will she get there when she is only in the sixth grade? Gladys is a lovable character with plenty of spunk and ambition, and readers will happily cheer her on, while the fresh plot adds a delicious dimension to the host of stories set in sixth grade. Fans of foodie fiction should also check out Pie, by Sarah Weeks (2011) or A Tangle of Knots, by Lisa Graff (2013). — Erickson, Tiffany (Reviewed 06-01-2014) (Booklist, vol 110, number 19, p102)
Via NoveList Plus.