In the book, when a character has an anaphylactic allergic reaction, she is taken to a doctor's office. I also liked that Hayley doesn't really get away with anything, and has to face the consequences of her actions.įinally, I will note that while I totally appreciate the author's efforts in promoting food allergy awareness, I think the incident of anaphylaxis as described in the book doesn't really do a good job of spreading accurate information. Papademetriou did a great job depicting the way a teenager might really justify engaging in behavior that they know to be wrong. I found it particularly interesting that in this book, Hayley made a series of bad decisions, the kinds that are probably typical among teenagers. To be honest, there really isn't a lot of cheer in this book, other than the hope that comes with a couple budding friendships. While struggling through her parents' divorce, she loses her two best friends, she pines over a crush, and she finds herself the victim of mean girl behavior. Okay, she has a particular talent for baking cupcakes, and happens to be able to sell them in her grandmother's cafe, but otherwise she really seems normal. She's just a regular kid, trying to deal with regular middle school problems.

I liked that Hayley continued to be relatable. Besides fleshing out some characters with autism and food allergies, she also introduces a new character who is Latino. And even the perfect kids seem to be Chasing Normal too.In this sequel to Save the Cupcake!, Lisa Papademetriou continues her commitment to diversity. That even though she and her dad aren’t a conventional family and aren’t rich and don’t go to church they are incredibly lucky to have each other and to have love. But as the summer progresses and Mieka learns a thing or two about herself hey, she can actually learn to enjoy herself at camp, even if it is Bible camp and she happens to be a bit chubbier than every other camper there and her family members she realizes that there’s no such thing as normal. She’s blond, beautiful, fit, friendly, popular and practically perfect. Aunt Kate stays at home with the kids where IS Mieka’s mom anyway?, Uncle Dave wears a suit to work, cousin Mark is a genius and Greta well, she’s Mieka’s age but that’s where the similarity ends. It’s all too much to handle, especially when she has to stay with her Aunt Kate’s family. She tells Mieka she’s fat, frumpy, and basically unwanted. Grandma Baker isn’t just brutally honest, she’s brutal. It’s tough enough that her mom left a few years ago and that her artist dad decorates the house solely with ‘treasures’ from the ‘vintage’ store read: all their furniture is made out of plastic but it’s just too much when Mieka and her dad have to leave Boston to go to spend the summer with her sick grandmother in Texas someone Mieka has never met.

Taking the cake by lisa papademetriou