Books

The Cookie Crumbles
Quill Tree Books, June 11, 2024
The Cookie Crumbles

Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection

The Great British Bake Off meets Knives Out in this fun and propulsive middle grade novel following two best friends who must solve the mystery behind a baking competition gone awry.

Laila gave Lucy a cupcake on the second day of kindergarten, and they’ve been inseparable ever since. But the summer before eighth grade, they find out that since they live on opposite sides of town, they’ll go to different high schools. Yuck!

Then Laila’s invited to compete at the Golden Cookie competition, which awards its winner admission and a full ride to the prestigious Sunderland boarding school, and it’s the perfect opportunity. Sunderland doesn’t just have an elite culinary program; it’s also home to an elite journalism track, if only newscaster-hopeful Lucy could build up a strong enough portfolio to impress the scholarship committee.

But when one of the celebrity judges collapses after sampling Laila’s showpiece, rumors of foul play swirl, with Laila rising to the top of the suspect list. Even worse, a major storm has effectively cut off all access to the outside world.

Can the girls find the real culprit and clear Laila’s name before it’s too late?

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Reviews

“Laila and Lucy are authentic, enjoyable characters readers will root for. Told through a mix of journal entries and chapter formats, the plot is complex and draws the readers into the duo’s world. ” —  School Library Journalstarred review

“A light friendship drama underpins the tidy and fairly gentle mystery revealed through similarly voiced first-person chapters and journal entries from each girl. A cozy baking-centered mystery for fans of Rachelle Delaney’s Alice Fleck’s Recipes For Disaster (2021) and Janae Mark’s Zoe Washington books.” — Booklist

“A lighthearted read that effectively combines reality television drama with a page-turning mystery.” — Kirkus Reviews