All Four Stars (All Fouir Stars, #1)

by Tara Dairman

What a sweet and utterly charming middle grade novel. To be fair, my cooking skills are definitely more on par with Gladys' parents than Gladys and my palate is more Parm but I enjoyed the passion she exhibited for food and the misadventures she gets into because of it.

I loved the supporting cast of characters and the friendships Gladys developed with them all. I loved that even when they didn't all have the same passions, they still supported each other. Her quiet friendship with Mr Eng was great and I liked that Gladys inspires Charissa to branch out and frequent his shop. I loved the details when Gladys fills out all the employment forms - I had a chuckle when she reasoned that because she was deemed a freelancer she's working for free.

I understood where her parents were coming from with their worry over her cooking alone but I thought it was unfair they didn't encourage her passion more and work with her to find solutions they could all be happy about. Plus grounding her from cooking and everything related including cook books and cooking shows for six whole months was ridiculous and insanely over the top. I liked that her Aunt supports her and tries to sneak her ingredients and equipment.

I enjoyed the inclusion of her teacher as a real person who has her own passions and interests. I thought the inclusion of Ms Quincy's cover letter was inspired and I liked the emphasis on looking forward to the future and what could be if you work hard.

I'm having a real good run with middle grade novels lately. Between this and [b:The Charming Life of Izzy Malone|29430748|The Charming Life of Izzy Malone|Jenny Lundquist|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1474824458l/29430748._SY75_.jpg|49404419] I'm spoiled for great middle grade options. I can't wait to read the rest of the series. 5 stars.