The Truth About Twinkie Pie

October 20, 2014
Twelve-year-old Galileo Galilei Barnes (shortened to GiGi, for obvious reasons) has been raised by her older sister, DiDi, ever since their mother died. After DiDi wins a million dollars in a cooking contest, the two girls move from a South Carolina trailer park to a wealthy town in Long Island to get GiGi the best education possible. Hoping to make the most of her new school, GiGi has put together a “Recipe for Success,” with items that include making real friends for the first time and being “the girl Mama would be if she were here. Friendly. Funny. Confident.” A cute boy at school and a mean girl who is jealous of her initially appear to be familiar types, but they, along with DiDi, have major surprises in store for GiGi and readers; in her first novel, picture book author Yeh (The Magic Brush) skillfully builds toward a breathless, emotional conclusion. Recipes are scattered throughout, emphasizing the way food connects GiGi to her family—even when she learns her family isn’t quite what she thought it was. Ages 8–12. Agent: Sarah Davies, Greenhouse Literary Agency.

November 1, 2014
When 12-year-old GiGi moves from a trailer park in South Carolina to an upscale community on Long Island, she decides to reinvent herself.GiGi is short for Galileo Galilei, and her older sister and guardian, DiDi, a beautiful, uneducated hairdresser, has always encouraged her to reach for the stars. So when DiDi wins a million dollars in a bake-off, she moves them 800 miles north and enrolls GiGi in the ritzy Hill Prep. GiGi has always followed DiDi's "Recipe for Success," earning perfect grades by studying 150 percent. But GiGi longs for friends and fun, so she concocts a different recipe for herself, starting with a new name. Of course, not everyone in her swanky school is receptive to the girl with the hairdresser sister and Dollar Store shoes, and Yeh does a good job of making what could be cliched characters, such as the snotty rich girl, come across as layered and original instead. The discovery of a surprising but credible family secret leads to a moving finish, though GiGi's personality in this part of the story feels inconsistent. Many chapters end with a fun (food snobs beware) recipe from GiGi's dead mother's cookbook, featuring ingredients such as condensed soup or instant pudding mix. Filled with enough characters and plot for two novels, Yeh's nimbly voiced, combination fish-out-of-water, personal transformation and emotional family tale is also stuffed with charm. (Fiction. 10-14)

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October 1, 2014

Gr 6 Up-GiGi (short for Galileo Galilei, a name given in the hope that she would one day become a scientist) moves in with her sister DiDi (short for Delta Dawn) after DiDi wins one million dollars in a cooking show contest. DiDi, who, in the aftermath of their Mama's death, functions as a mother figure for GiGi, is a school drop-out hairstylist. She wants the best for GiGi, so she pulls up their trailer park roots and replants them in expensive New York where brainy GiGi can go to the best private school. GiGi expects to be out of her element in this new environment, until she literally trips her way into a friendship with the coolest boy in school. Trouble is, that friendship also earns her the enmity of mean girl Mace. But when Mace hits it off with DiDi better than GiGi ever has, it's confusing. Then there's the fact that Mama may not be dead after all. While the ending may not exactly surprise, getting there is a delight. GiGi's voice keeps the story light and humorous, in spite of seventh-grade drama and misperceptions. Sprinkled with comfort food recipes for Twinkie Pie, Madder'n Heck Smashed Potatoes, and Tangled-Up Pie (made with spaghetti), and down-home commentary, the plot moves at a steady pace. Endearing characters will keep readers engaged throughout as more than one character learns the true meanng of family and friendship. Recommended for middle school and YA collections.-Katherine Koenig, The Ellis School, PA

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2015
Grades 4-7 The bouncy voice of protagonist Gigiaka Double G, aka Galileo Galilei, aka Leiamakes her tale of a move, friendship, crushes, and a mystery about her identity a very easy one to get caught up in. Relocated from a South Carolina trailer park to a tony Long Island town by her older sister (thanks to her sis' cooking skills, which won a million-dollar prize), Gigi vows to make a fresh start at her new prep school. Befriending the cutest guy in her class on her first day helps, though it also results in her making a fierce enemy in alpha girl Mace. Recipes handed down by the siblings' deceased mother flavorfully color the emotional ups and downs and increase in importance when she learns the woman who wrote them down might still be alive. Surprisingly, Mace may be the one to help her uncover the truth. A fine, auspicious entry into the world of middle-grade fiction, and as a bonus, the recipes might inspire readers to try their own million-dollar recipes.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)