Review: It's Raining Cupcakes by Lisa Schroeder

For this addition of Tween Tuesday I'm reviewing It's Raining Cupcakes by Lisa Schroeder. 

From Goodreads
Lisa Schroeder gives readers a sweet treat in her first non-verse novel, It's Raining Cupcakes.



Twelve-year-old Isabel is dying to get out of Oregon. She spends her free time in the library, reading and dreaming about faraway places. When her mom decides to open a cupcake shop in their little town of Willow, Isabel feels just like buttercream frosting to a cupcake - stuck.


It seems as if it will be another disappointing summer, until Isabel learns of a baking contest. If she can come up with a winning recipe, she might have a chance of competing in the bake-off in New York City!


But Isabel's best friend, Sophie, is also entering the contes, and things always seem to go Sophie's way. To make matters worse, Isabel and her mom don't exactly see eye-to-eye on the type of recipe Isabel should enter.

In this sweet treat by popular teen author Lisa Schroeder, Isabel discovers that maybe it's not about where you go in life as much as it is about enjoying the view from wherever you are.

My Thoughts:
This was a really cute and sweet book that is perfect for the tween set.  I really liked the main character Isabel.  Many times in middle grade lit I'm distracted from the story but an overly unrealistic main character.  I know kids that age, and sometimes the character doesn't ring true.  This didn't happen with Isabel! She was nice, determined and smart. She never came across as judgemental or mean towards everyone around her - even when she could've easily been. I liked how friendly and accepting she was of people around her. How could I now like her? What a great role model for readers of this book.

What I also really liked about her was how she delt with her mother.  Isabel's mom tends to be a bit emotional, and Isabel knew help her. Instead of just throwing up her hands and giving up on her mom, Isabel does everything she can to get her where she needs to be.  What's really cool is that by helping her mom Isabel learns a huge lesson about herself. A lesson she openly accepts and, by the end, grows from. And about the ending - I will say I was a bit suprised by it, in a good way, and I'm glad it ended that way.

Before I end I have to talk about the cupcakes.  Each chapter title is a type of cupcake!  By the end of the book I was soooooo  hungry for cupcakes that I found myself hanging out in the bakery area a little too long!

Final thought: Sweet story that can teach us all a lesson about believing in ourselves. Definately one I can recommend without worry.

Best stick-with-you image: Dr. Seuess Cupcakes!

Best for ages: 10-13 (or anyone who likes cupcakes!)

Tween Tuesday was started by Greenbeanteenqueen.