Author
Joyce Magnin Continues to Inspire Young Readers with a Tasty New Book
“Hope is the thing with feathers.”
~ Emily Dickinson
Twelve-year-old
Wilma Sue discovers the ultimate comfort food in Joyce Magnin’s
CAKE: Love, Chickens and a Taste of the Peculiar , a sweet
tale complete with icing, surprises, love, and just the right amount
of nuts.
Mary
Poppins meets Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle in this new story by the
celebrated author of Carrying Mason. Wilma Sue seems destined
to hop from one foster home to the next—until she is sent to live
with sisters and retired missionaries, Ruth and Naomi. But do they
really care about Wilma Sue, or are they just looking for a
Cinderella-style farmhand to help raise their chickens and bake
cakes?
As
Wilma Sue adjusts to her new surroundings and helping Naomi deliver
“special” cakes to the neighbors, she discovers something strange
that happens to people who eat the cakes. Did Mrs. Snipplesmith’s
chair really rise off the floor? Was that a gold fish in the
lemonade?
Wilma
Sue starts looking for answers and secret ingredients in these
mysterious cakes. While doing so, she makes a new friend, Penny, and
discovers what it feels like to be truly loved.
But
when Penny and her mother hit a rough patch, Wilma Sue decides to try
her own hand at baking a special cake—with disastrous results. Then
tragedy strikes the chickens, and all fingers point to Wilma Sue—just
when she was starting to believe she had finally found a permanent
home with Ruth and Naomi.
Magnin
takes Wilma Sue and readers on a journey to find faith in themselves
and those around them. Fans will learn, along with Wilma Sue, that
it’s not yummy desserts and magic that cures, but two very special
ingredients: love and hope.
***
I
have been so excited for the success of Cake. There has been
tremendous praise for this book including a coveted Starred Review
from Kirkus Reviews. Here’s a snippet from the full review:
“Magnin
maintains a delicate balance between a fablelike fantasy and reality
fiction as Wilma Sue gradually discovers that not only is she
eminently worthy of love, but that she can also help the people
around her by loving them. Wilma’s captivating, clever language and
short declarative sentences perfectly exemplify her wary but
reverential view of the world.”
For
me, there is nothing more magical and amazing than having the
privilege to write for this age group. Unless I have the opportunity
to sit with young people and talk about the power of story and words
and the joy of books.
Here
is what another reader has said about Cake:
“Cake
is the perfect book for a family read along. There is a lot of truth
among the stories of taking care of chickens and baking cakes. There
are also some wonderful and of course quirky characters. Magnin’s
humor also shines through, especially in her naming and descriptions
of the characters. Who couldn’t feel a bit wary of a child named
Penelope Pigsworthy or in awe of an opera singer named Ramona Von
Tickle? There are also a lot of interesting tidbits to discuss along
the way — from the country of Malawi to the care and feeding of
chickens to the great classic Beowulf.
Yes, all that and a lot of fun. My only complaint is that I had a
readers copy that did not include the illustrations of the goings on
within the book. From the cover illustration, I can imagine they add
a great deal to the telling of the story. So if you are looking for a
book for your 9 – 12 year old children or grandchildren, get a copy
of Cake,
and then schedule some family time for reading fun. Highly
Recommended.
ABOUT
THE AUTHOR: Joyce Magnin is the author of five novels; including
the popular Bright’s Pond series and the 2011 middle grade
novel Carrying Mason. She is also a frequent speaker and
writing instructor. Magnin lives in Havertown, Pennsylvania.
Joyce
loves to visit schools, libraries, and churches and meet with kids
about books and writing. She can be found on Facebook and Twitter.
To
schedule an interview with Joyce
Magnin, or receive a
review copy of CAKE,
please contact Candice Frederick at DJC Communications: 212-971-9707,
Candice@djccommunications.com.
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