Laura Pashley


 

Dodging Cupcakes Testimonials;

"The new kid brings a bright new spark to an old town in Pashley’s middle-grade novel. 

Seventh grader and inventor Mindy Bright may have roots in Oglesby, Illinois, the rural town where her father grew up and her late grandmother lived, but she feels like a stranger when she moves in. The most alien thing about her new home is the school, Korn Wotel, which is housed in an old motel that was repurposed after the original school burned down 40 years ago. Mindy has trouble fitting in at first, when a classmate named Derek puts gum in her hair on the school bus. She quickly becomes the target of gentle mockery from the other students. She in turn judges them for their faded clothing and country ways. (“She felt like the shiny new screw in a jar of rusty old nails.”) As she tries to navigate this new social scene, Mindy is paired up with a boy named Charlie to create a booth for the school’s annual Fall Carnival. The carnival is the school’s main fundraiser, and boy, does the Korn Wotel need it: They’re barely able to keep the lights on, much less make necessary repairs and improvements. Mindy is excited to put her engineering skills to the test but keeps stumbling in her relationship with Charlie until it feels like she’s ruined their burgeoning friendship. She has to put all her skills to the test—both social and STEM—to save her partnership and her school at the carnival. Pashley’s debut will have readers rooting for Mindy even as they wince at her mistakes. Mindy is both eager and fallible, and thus relatable as she works out where she belongs in the long term. The narrative is evenly paced with pleasant surprises, such as Mindy’s classmates’ friendliness and the appearances of quirky characters like Ms. Caster and Locker Boy. Pashley seamlessly integrates Mindy’s STEM projects so that they appear as part of the overall fabric of her life, making for easy inspiration for scientific-minded readers.

A well-rounded novel about the importance of home that will have young readers excited about STEM." 

— Kirkus Reviews


"Dodging Cupcakes by Laura Pashley is the story of a seventh-grade girl, Mindy, who moves from Chicago to a small town, Oglesby, with her father. In Chicago, she was a student at a private school, but in Oglesby, she joined a school that was once an old motel. Even after decades, the building looks more like a motel than a school. Her father attended this school in his youth and has fond memories.

Despite the many changes in her life, Mindy is determined to show her classmates what a fun and intelligent girl she is, make many friends, and be accepted. However, with this goal top of her mind, Mindy makes more adversaries than friends. In her hope to win the friendship of one of the most popular boys in school, Charlie, she only alienates and offends him at every turn. Dodging Cupcakes is about discovering yourself while building bridges in the challenging game of social dynamics among preteens.

Dodging Cupcakes by Laura Pashley is a charming, entertaining, and heartwarming children’s book. Mindy is a good girl whose intentions are not bad but are slightly misdirected. Like any young person, she must learn to smooth out the rough edges of her personality and interactions with others. These are flaws that every child displays in their life as they learn to know themselves.

Dodging Cupcakes teaches children an important life lesson about friendship and collaboration. The story is well-written and easy to read and follow. Mindy is a very relatable character. The lesson became evident, especially towards the end, and I enjoyed discovering it along the way. This book has a lovely message for young readers."

— Readers's Favorite


"Mindy’s entire life is turned upside down when her parents decide to move to her father’s Illinois hometown, which will put her into a new school without any friends. What’s even stranger is her new school is in an abandoned hotel following a tragic fire which destroyed the original school building. Her first day gets off to a weird start when she discovers the principal is a little too gung-ho about Pirate Day, and she meets a boy in a locker who gives her advice. Her chance to make friends comes when the library hosts a carnival fundraiser and she gets partnered with a student named Charlie to create a task. Charlie’s idea is a booth selling cupcakes but Mindy has bigger plans. The challenge is creating something awesome which will take a few risks and could potentially take things a little too far.

The story begins immediately with Mindy starting her first day at a new school which takes you directly into her mindset and current struggle. This sets up the first theme which is feeling out of place which is what leads Mindy to try and find a way to fit in and make new friends. This is a common emotional struggle children face, especially those who have moved to new schools where they don’t know anybody. The second prominent theme is trying too hard - which is a core catalyst for Mindy which leads to her eventual, and brief, downfall. This creates an ideal lesson that children can see through her, being what happens when you push too hard or take risks without thinking. These themes are important components to the growth that Mindy experiences and what makes her a realistic example children can relate to.

Friendship is a key part of both themes with Charlie as a significant character as someone Mindy can connect with and can help her learn the value of teamwork. The friendship between them is a sweet and genuine portrayal of how relationships should be. This creates a nice example for children of how healthy friendships look, and how to be a good friend. The story finds her so consumed by trying to fit in that she takes too many risks and breaks promises which cause a lot of harm around her. Through this, the story shows how to take accountability for actions, forgiveness, and how to make amends. Humor is incorporated as a way to maintain levity in the story; however, the premise is grounded in the concept of Mindy trying to find a place for herself. The lightness of the tone makes it easy for children to read as it doesn’t make it too serious. The premise touches upon themes clearly and in ways that won’t have children trying to figure out what is being said.

The setting is unique with the school having relocated to an abandoned hotel which creates a quirky backdrop for the story to occur. This is a creative way to incorporate imagination into the story as it pairs well with Mindy to come up with elaborate game ideas for the carnival. The library is a key element, as the first place Mindy sees and is at the core of the fundraiser. It’s the place that sets the tone and whimsical qualities of the story through the principal and her Pirate Day language. This is also a clever way of falling in love with the school so that you care about the fundraiser succeeding, as this immediately shows you the heart the story has.

An entertaining read for older children, Dodging Cupcakes is a humorous tale of friendship that touches on realistic themes regarding fitting in, moving, and friendship with heart and charm." 

—Pacific Book Review


"Maybe, if she created a fantastic game, it would prove to her dad that she was too talented to be stuck in this small town…"

When socially awkward seventh grader Mindy Bright relocates from Chicago to her dad’s small country hometown of Oglesby, she leaves behind the familiar order and structure of her private school, St. Mary’s Academy. Accustomed to school uniforms, challenging academics, and extravagantly themed school socials, Mindy is anxious about fitting in at her new school, Korn Wotel, where the highlight of the academic year seems to be the Fall Carnival with homemade games. Although disappointed by Korn Wotel’s shabby condition and limited resources, Mindy is determined to use her abundant imagination and knack for building things to create a fantastic carnival game guaranteed to help her make new friends. But from the very first day, everything goes horribly wrong. It seems the harder Mindy tries, the less popular she becomes.

This book has a simple plot that makes it a wholesome work of middle-grade fiction. Many young readers will identify with Mindy’s feelings of isolation and desperation for friendship, as well as her difficulty expressing herself. The author also explores profound themes such as the pain of grieving lost loved ones and the sense of neglect felt by children of hard-working, single parents. Pashley uses humorous anecdotes to demonstrate how the lack of communication can lead to misunderstandings and missed opportunities. Most importantly, the book provides a clear depiction of the main character’s personal growth. Initially, Mindy is slightly condescending and self-centered, looking down on her rundown new school and solely focused on her goal of becoming popular. But as the story unfolds, Mindy comes to appreciate Korn Wotel’s sense of community and learns that teamwork and loyalty (not popularity) are the foundation of true friendship."

— US Review of Books

Laura Pashley

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