Cake

Wilma Sue has never had a home to call her own. Orphaned since birth, she has been passed from one foster home to another, briefly spending time at Miss Daylily's Home for Children, or as she puts it, Miss Daylily's Home for Unwanted and Misunderstood Children. When she learns that two missionary sisters are interested in having her come live with them, she does not know what to expect. At first she assumes they simply want her there to act as kitchen help and to take care of their collection of feisty chickens. Then she discovers that the sisters concoct mysterious cakes in their kitchen which appear to have magical powers. Each cake seems tailored to the recipients specific needs and is capable of helping each person overcome whatever is ailing them at the moment. There is the opera singer suffering from stage fright, the elderly woman grieving the loss of her daughter and an elderly man riddled with arthritis, all of whom seem to feel instantly better after the first bite of his/her magical cake.

As Wilma Sue assists the sisters in creating their concoctions, she begins to feel as if she has a permanent home, at last. But trouble ensues when Wilma Sue takes it upon herself to create a cake of her own, and ends up in a misunderstanding that causes her to be accused of burning down the sisters' beloved chicken coop.Will Wilma Sue be able to clear her name? Will she ever find out the secret of the sisters' magical cakes? And most importantly will she finally end up in a loving home? Some of the questions are answered as Wilma Sue learns that things are not always what they seem and sometimes you have to trust in people in even if you've been disappointed in the past.

This is a very endearing story with charming illustrations throughout the chapters. Some questions never get answered and that might prove frustrating to the reader. Also, since the sisters are missionaries, Bible quotes are interspersed throughout the story and there seems to be a underlying Christian message , which might put off readers not expecting there to be a religious tone to the story. Overall, it is an enjoyable and interesting read.

P. Sassoon, 2013

The Great Unexpected by Sharon Creech

The Great Unexpected

Sharon Creech (Walk Two Moons, Newbery Award 1995) has created two interesting and outspoken heroines, Naomi Deane and Lizzie Scatterding. Naomi has a knack for being around when trouble happens, starting with the incident when she was three and a dog attacked her. Her father died trying to save her. Lizzie could "talk the ears off a cornfield" and signs the girls up to be "companions" to some of the needier local senior citizens.

Naomi and Lizzie are both orphans and live in an obscure little Southern town called Blackbird Tree, which has a full cast of unusual characters, including Witch Wiggins, one-armed Mr. Farley, the Dimmens clan up on the mountain, Crazy Cora and Mr. Canner. One day a boy named Finn literally drops into their lives and so begins a chain of events that change both their lives.

In the meantime, a separate plot line involves an old lady on a grand estate in Ireland who is hatching a plan and sending a spy to gather information on the people in Blackbird Tree. Her heart being broken many years ago and an estrangement with her sister were both caused by another boy named Finn.

This book is well written and creates an air of mystery as the two storylines unfold, eventually joining up to create a satisfying, if slightly too good to be true, ending.     2012

R. Rauch

Jade Green: A Ghost Story, by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

This is a page-turning ghost story that will have readers hooked once they hear about the ghostly presence that haunts the house and the story. Judith Sparrow, the 15 year old narrator and heroine, moves to the town of Whispers, South Carolina, to live with her uncle, who was the only relative who agreed to take her in when she was orphaned. Judith has a sunny disposition and is inclined to make the best of whatever life hands her. She likes Uncle Geoffrey despite his stiff formality and she likes his housekeeper, the warm and loving Mrs. Hastings. She is not fond of her 40 year old cousin, Charles, and his unwanted attentions. But Judith does her best to be helpful around the house and finds a job in a local hatmaker's shop. It is in the hat shop that Judith hears the gruesome story of Jade Green, who once lived in Uncle Geoffrey's house. Jade Green died presumably by her own hand, three years earlier. Is it Jade Green's ghost that haunts the house or is it some other wandering spirit?
2000
R. Rauch