Hi, friends!

It feels like it’s been forever since I wrote to you last. I’ve just been on a long adventure that included my first-ever plane ride. Flying on an plane is way different than flying with your own wings. But if I’d tried to get to California on my own, I never would have made it.

Jen made me a special little nest for the trip using her hat, so I didn’t have to worry about getting lost inside the giant airport. I’ve never seen so many humans all at once in my life before! One lady saw me in the hat and asked if I was a bat. A bat! I almost spit my fire at her.

A bat in a hat. Now that sounds like a story. A bat in a hat that teases a cat…hmmm….

That reminds me of another story I just read. It’s not about a bat, but it is about a baker. It’s called Baker’s Magic and it’s all about a girl who saves her entire island using her gift of baking!

Our gifts (big or small) make a difference in the world

Bee lives in a poor country surrounded by the sea. There’s no trees. No apples. No lemons. No acorns. Nothing but tulips and a whatever food grows in people’s little gardens. She has no family and is all but starving when she stumbles into a bakery in the heart of the kingdom. Before she knows what she’s doing, she’s stollen a sweet roll and is running from the bakery’s owner. Instead of punishing her when he catches her, the baker offers Bee a place in his kitchen as his apprentice and she’s soon learning the magic of baking. But that’s not the only thing magical she’ll discover about herself.

You see, Bee is a food mage. This means that whatever she’s feeling—good or bad—goes into her cookies, cakes, and breads. Her gift and her baked goods soon catch the attention of the evil mage who’s taken over the kingdom. The mage has two obsessions: growing (and selling) tulips and eating sweet rolls.

When Bee overhears the mage’s plan to get rid of her best friend, the princess, in order to control the kingdom forever, Bee creates a plan to save her friend and her people. Along the way she visits an island for retired mages, bakes on a ship crewed by Tulip Pirates (arrgg, matey!), and raises up an army using cookies baked with helpfulness and love. Most importantly, she discovers what it is to be part of a family.

A story for everyone!

Baker’s Magic by Diane Zahler is a middle grade book written with readers ages 8 to 12 in mind, but it’s a story anyone can enjoy! There’s even a recipe at the end of the book so the family can bake Bee’s favorite sweet buns together. I haven’t tried them yet, so if you beat me to it, please let me know how they turn out!

One of the things I liked so much about this story is that it’s filled with characters of all different ages. All of them have their own special gifts and talents that they’re learning how to use. Even the grownups.

If you like The Dragon with a Chocolate Heart, you’ll love Baker’s Magic. I’m giving it 5 dark chocolate eggs and am returning it to the library with a heavy heart. This is one I’d like to read again, so I’m going to add it to my growing Book Wish List pile.

Okay, friends. I’m starting to get hungry thinking of all of Bee’s baked goods and Jen says she needs to make a loaf a bread today. I think I’ll help. Maybe I’ll find out I have a bit of baker’s magic, too!

See you all next time!

Note: No goods or services were exchanged for this review. The opinions belong solely to the reviewer.