6/16/2023 0 Comments Cupcake diarie audio bookdI received an ARC and enjoyed this one as much as the first in the series.The bestselling Cupcake Diaries series is now available in graphic novel format! In this adaptation of the third book, Emma’s earning money left and right-but is she in over her head? The friendship between the girls in the Cupcake Club stays golden, offers tons of cheerful vibes, and is as sweet as any cupcake could be. All of these are handled in a very appropriate manner for the age group and flow right into the tale without feeling preachy or weighing down. Even family troubles come on board as Mia glides between her divorced parents and tries to come to terms with her father's new girlfriend. Then, there's the issue of changing schools, finding new friends, and leaving old ones behind. First, the problem of balancing friendships, which seems to become especially problematic for girls when they hit middle school. There are several issues addressed in this book. Plus, these girls come across so naturally, that they could be a reader's own friends at school. The story flows by quickly with something happening on every page. The text is easy to read, the situations are relatable, and the illustrations are cute, rounded and sweet. This is a lovely series for the younger end of the middle grade audience. She'd love to be friends with both sides, but that may not be possible. When she accidentally runs into the Popular Girl Club at the mall, she really enjoys spending time discussing fashion with them. While Mia knows of the rivalries between some of the girls and sympathizes with their problems, she hasn't personally had any difficulties with any of the girls. That fits better with the Popular Girl Club, which isn't on good terms with the Cupcake Club members.for good reason. She loves her new friends in the Cupcake Club but is a little disappointed that none of them share her interest for shopping and fashion. Now that the Cupcake Club has won the contest, everything is looking up.except for Mia. So this isn't meant to be read as a stand-alone but is better to start at the beginning of the series. This 2nd book in the series takes off where the last one ended. Steering through the world of friendship drama, this up-beat bunch of girls takes everything on with cupcakes and heart. Since Mia, Katie, Alexis and Emma are a bit hard for me to keep apart, the graphic format was actually a big help! It's fun to see Mia's fashions, and the bright colors and attractive illustrations will make this immediately popular with readers who want fun stories with lots of friend drama! Hand this to readers who have been enjoying the graphic novel reboots of popular older series like Martin's The Baby-sitter's Club or Pascal's Sweet Valley Twins, as well as those who enjoy the original graphic novels of Telgemeier, Jamieson, or Knisley. This series of books has been out for over ten years and has 34 books altogther, so I wasn't too surprised to see a graphic novel adaptation of some of the books in the series. Even though I read the regular novel of this over a decade ago, I still remember the plot point about the sugar flowers- at 75 cents each, they really cut into the profit when the girls were only charging their teacher $1 per cupcake! Tweens often come up with good ideas that require a lot more thought before they are implemented, so it's good to see Mia and her friends run into small troubles that make them think more concretely about how their business should be run. I'm a big fan of books with Kids Doing Things, and I love that there is a balance between the fun of making cupcakes and the serious matter of doing this as a business. Will Mia be able to remain friends with the PGC members and still work with Katie making cupcakes? The girls get several cupcake baking jobs (one for a teacher and one for Mia's mother's fashion show) and have to learn how to budget, especially when they have some spectacular baking disasters (how much lemon juice SHOULD go into a cupcake?) that eat into their profits. This makes is easy for her to talk to the Popular Girls Club members, but she feels very akward eating lunch with them when she knows how Katie feels about one PGC member, Callie. Mia's mother worked for Flair fashion magazine and is now a consultant, so unlike some other members of the Cupcake Club, Mia cares what she wears. Mia has moved out from Manhattan with her divorced mother and has to deal with a new school as well as a new almost step-father and brother. Copy provided by Young Adult Books Central
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