Book Smart Kate

Book: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

by Taylor Pensoneau

This mystery/fantasy book is perfect for middle-graders looking for a spooky but not scary read! The first book that had me fall in love with reading was a book like this (Bunnicula by James Howe), and when my son was this age, the same was true for him.

Elsie works after school at the Rip Van Winkle bakery, but recently something has been off with both the baked goods and the owner, Ms. Hopper. Although she doesn’t believe in magic, Elsie can’t deny that ever since Washington Irving’s cookbook was stolen, strange things have been occurring. As they embark on a quest to find the cookbook, Elsie, her brother Stephen, and their friend Coop discover the magic that hides just below the surface of their small town and learn that there is a little bit of truth behind every legend.

On the surface, this is a fun read about a town steeped in magic. It is also an excellent entry into the works of Washington Irving and a way to learn about legends in the context of European, Native American, and African history. There is a great discussion about how we call things magic that we don’t understand. I love it when a middle-grade book can spark interest in something deeper within the story.

Personally, this was a fun read because the author and I grew up in the same town, and he took pieces of our town’s history and threaded them through the story. Yes, our school is rumored to be haunted. It was built on a graveyard site; not all of the graves were successfully removed, and the basement furnace rooms were absolutely terrifying. Thank you, @legendhollowauthor for the gifted copy! You wrote something magical.