Crumble

Gr 3-6–At the Om Nom Bakery, Emily and her aunt Gina bake sweet treats infused with empowering emotions like confidence, contentment, and relief. There is only one rule with this magical skill set: do not bake with bad feelings as the resulting confections will make people sick. All is going fine until Gina dies suddenly in a car accident and Emily’s life is turned upside down. Baking is the only way Emily can cope with her grief and what results is a crumble that her friends and classmates find mysteriously irresistible, much to their detriment. Will Emily be able to reclaim her baking magic in a world without her aunt? McClaren builds dimensional characters and an ideally paced narrative that gives readers plenty of time to experience Emily’s feelings—good and bad—alongside her. Bell’s kawaii-informed style creates a cozy world that fans of Kristen Gudsnuk’s Making Friends, Reimena Yee’s Séance Tea Party, and Suzanne Walker’s Mooncakes will eat up.