The Secret Ingredient

August 1, 2011

Gr 6-9-In this sequel to The Teashop Girls (S & S, 2008), Annie is back working at her grandmother's shop, The Steeping Leaf, in Madison, WI. She and her friends Zoe and Genna are enjoying their last summer before starting high school. Annie has entered a scone-baking contest where the grand prize is a trip to London and has enlisted her friends as tasters and helpers. They give tips on blogging, marketing, and how to drive people to one's website. In addition to taking care of business, the girls weigh in on hair styling and makeup and a first kiss. They also touch on a multitude of issues including local foods, sustainability, and school lunches along with boyfriend problems and a brush with more serious things like eating disorders and self-esteem. It's a cozy story steeped in tea history, memorabilia, and recipes layered with bits of archival advertising and tea quotes. However, too many story lines are left undeveloped, like Genna's overexercising and anorexia. Annie's grandmother seems like a character who deserves her own book, with tea-steeped stories perhaps better aimed at an older audience that knows the difference between an Earl Grey and an oolong.-Cheryl Ashton, Amherst Public Library, OH

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