All Four Stars #1

Description

"A scrumptious gem of a story!"--Jennifer A. Nielsen, "New York Times" bestselling author of "The False Prince" "Meet Gladys Gatsby: New York's toughest restaurant critic.""(Just don't tell anyone that she's in sixth grade.)" Gladys Gatsby has been cooking gourmet dishes since the age of seven, only her fast-food-loving parents have no idea! Now she's eleven, and after a creme brulee accident (just a "small" fire), Gladys is cut off from the kitchen (and her allowance). She's devastated but soon finds just the right opportunity to pay her parents back when she's mistakenly contacted to write a restaurant review for one of the largest newspapers in the world. But in order to meet her deadline and keep her dream job, Gladys must cook her way into the heart of her sixth-grade archenemy and sneak into New York City--all while keeping her identity a secret! Easy as pie, right?

Reviews

"Younger readers will be amused by Gladys s reviews of her parents horrible cooking and her plot to get to New York City without alerting any adults. The triumphant conclusion makes this a tasty read." --Publishers Weekly "The characters are well drawn the snob and her entourage; shy, quiet Gladys; her picky-eater friend, Sandy; the literal boy next door; and a teacher who brings out the best in her students. Give this one to your young foodies." --School Library Journal "A preteen restaurant critic is born. [An]entertaining story about the joy of following one s bliss." --Kirkus Reviews "Gladys is a lovable character with plenty of spunk and desire, and readers will happily cheer her on, while the fresh plot adds a delicious dimension to the host of stories set in sixth grade." --Booklist"

Author description

Tara Dairman is a playwright and recovering world traveler. She grew up in New York and received a B.A. in creative writing from Dartmouth College. She now lives with her husband in Colorado. This is her first novel. Visit her at www.taradairman.com and follow her on Twitter @taradairman