Dear Julia

Dear Julia
by Amy Bronwen Zemser

DEAR JULIA by Amy Bronwen Zemser

Category: Contemporary

Age Recommendation: Grades 6+

Release Date: 10/14/08

Publisher: HarperTeen

Reviewed by:

Rating: 5 Stars

Elaine Hamilton’s greatest desire is to be a chef like Julia Child. She practices her French cooking skills every

evening at

dinner, and has recipes memorized. She teaches her younger brothers about slicing and peeling. She even

writes letters to

Julia Child about her cooking, but has been too afraid to send any of them. Most of Elaine’s family

loves her cooking, but

her congresswoman mother has high hopes for her shy daughter and they don’t include

anything in the kitchen.

Isadora Wilhelminetta Fischburger, who has re-named herself Lucida Sans after the font, wishes to be famous. The

problem is Lucida doesn’t have any stand out talents. Lucida is known around school as the girl in the crazy

costumes and

wigs who is always trying to be famous.

When these two girls meet, the shy Elaine and quirky Lucida quickly become unlikely friends. After hearing about an

upcoming contest for a cable access show, Lucida gets the idea that the two should enter with a cooking show, using

Elaine’s cooking skills and Lucida’s ease of being in front of a camera.

With the help of Elaine’s brothers, the girls set off to fill their deepest ambitions. But they’ll battle egotistical boys,

idealistic

mothers, cooking contests, and the dreaded omelet along the way. Will they get their own cooking show?

Will Elaine’s

mother ever let her be a chef? And will Lucida ever be famous for anything?

DEAR JULIA is a charming, fast-paced, feel-good, laugh-out-loud read. The cast of characters are eccentric and

fun,

including a cross-dressing brother, yoga-practicing father, and a stuck on himself too-handsome actor, who

Lucida

continually refers to as “her weakness.” Elaine is a girl you can’t help but cheer for as she learns to stand up

for herself and

have confidence. Lucida provides immense comic relief, yet also adds depth to the story.

Fans of

The Food Network

will eat this one up. Be sure to add this one to your must-read pile -- just don’t read

while

you’re hungry!