Bliss (review)

Abstract

Reviewed by: Bliss Jeannette Hulick Littlewood, Kathryn . Bliss. Tegen/HarperCollins, 2012. [384p]. Trade ed. ISBN 978-0-06-208423-1 $16.99 E-book ed. ISBN 978-0-06-208425-5 $9.99 Reviewed from galleys R Gr. 4-6. Twelve-year-old Rosemary (Rose) Bliss knows her parents, proprietors of the Follow Your Bliss Bakery are not ordinary bakers; she has, after all, seen her mother bottle lightning and use it in a cake that miraculously heals a comatose boy. When Rose's parents leave her and her three siblings for a week, a gorgeous woman claiming to be their aunt Lily arrives and proceeds to win over Rose's three siblings with her beauty and charm, and Rose herself with her appreciation of Rose's baking talent, a skill that has paled beside her siblings' more noticeable talents. When Rose and her brothers begin experimenting with the family's magic Cookery Booke, the results are disastrous. Can they keep the bakery running and put their mistakes to rights before their parents return (or before Lily steals the cookbook)? This sweet (but never syrupy) story has surprising substance and broad appeal: fans of food-centered novels such as Weeks' Pie (BCCB 12/11), lovers of domestic magic such as Van Cleve's Drizzle (BCCB 5/10), and kids who have felt invisible and underappreciated will all find this a treat. A humorous tone ("Two things were clear to Rose: 1. Lindsey Borzini wanted her brother's autograph; and 2. Lindsey Borzini was under the influence of magical baked goods"), clear, thoughtful writing (Rose's feelings of inadequacy are spot-on for her age), and a brisk pace will also ensure that this one is gobbled up quickly. Copyright © 2012 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois