Alice Fleck's Recipes for Disaster

Rising seventh grader Alice Fleck, 12, who has unruly "ginger-colored hair," secretly enjoys being sous-chef to her culinary historian father as they whip up historically accurate, sometimes stomach-churning, recipes. But then her father's "unnecessary" girlfriend, Hana Holmes, announces that she has entered the duo into their favorite cooking show, Culinary Chronicles, "quite possibly the friendliest cooking competition on TV." Alice doesn't want to be on-screen--or around Hana, since the program will be shot at the "week-long Victorian festival" Hana is lecturing at. Things go from sour to downright unsavory when the production team announces that the show has been acquired and transformed into Culinary Combat, evaluated by Tom Truffleman, "the fiercest judge in the world of competitive cooking." As the contestants prepare Victorian dishes such as charlotte russe, suspicious kitchen accidents point to sabotage, and Alice and her new friends, two other children at the festival, must find the perpetrator--especially after Truffleman accuses Alice's father of cheating. Detailing fascinating food history and delectable dishes, Delaney (Clara Voyant) serves a toothsome culinary caper amid a gentle, well-balanced portrait of one preteen's journey toward accepting adaptability and change. Ages 10-14. Agent: Amy Tompkins, Transatlantic Agency. (May)

Gr 4-6--Variety may be the spice of life; but for 12-year-old Alice Fleck, too many changes spell trouble. Alice is not looking forward to middle school, and she isn't very happy about her dad James's new girlfriend, Hana. Things heat up when Alice realizes that her dad and Hana have been planning for them all to attend a Victorian festival where Hana will be lecturing--and that Hana signed Alice and James up to compete on Culinary Capers, a historical cooking show that's filmed there. Alice and her culinary historian dad have been cooking together all her life, but not in front of cameras. Granted, Culinary Capers isn't as intense as most cooking shows; plus, it doesn't even air on a popular station (just the history station), so it's not like anyone will see it. But Alice and James discover there have been some changes to the familiar show. Culinary Capers has become Culinary Combat, complete with a new host, a new network, and a ruthless new judge, Tom Truffleman, who does not like kids. Alice feels alone until she befriends two other kids at the festival, Tavi and Henry, and they decide to figure out who is behind all the "accidents" happening on set. Alongside the mystery plot, Alice's insecurities and family concerns feel authentic, as does her relationship with her father. Alice and her dad are white, and there is diversity among the supporting characters. VERDICT Delaney takes readers on an adventure that feels like a cross between Kids Baking Championship and Scooby Doo in all the best possible ways, along with a few behind-the-scenes glimpses of reality TV and social media. Recommended for fans of cooking shows and sweet family stories.--Heather Webb, Worthington Libs., OH