Synopses & Reviews
A National Book Award nominee!
The magic of Savvy meets the complexity of When You Reach Me in this "blithe magical puzzle," --The Wall Street Journal
Told in multiple viewpoints, A Tangle of Knots is a magnificent puzzle. In a slightly magical world where everyone has a Talent, eleven-year-old Cady is an orphan with a phenomenal Talent for cake baking. But little does she know that fate has set her on a journey from the moment she was born. And her destiny leads her to a mysterious address that houses a lost luggage emporium, an old recipe, a family of children searching for their own Talents, and a Talent Thief who will alter her life forever. However, these encounters hold the key to Cady's past and how she became an orphan. If she's lucky, fate may reunite her with her long-lost parent.
Lisa Graff adds a pinch of magic to a sharply crafted plot to create a novel that will have readers wondering about fate and the way we're all connected.
Review
*"Subtle and intricate, rich with humor and insight, this quietly magical adventure delights."--
Kirkus Reviews, starred review
"[A] magical puzzle."--The Wall Street Journal
"Lyrical."--EntertainmentWeekly.com
"10 out of 10 . . . I didn't want to put it down."--TIME Magazine for Kids
"Graff's story has a warmth and gentle humor that, along with the premise, calls to mind Ingrid Law's Savvy."--Publishers Weekly
An Amazon.com Best Book of the Month
A Junior Library Guild Selection
Review
"Younger readers will be amused by Gladyss 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 ones 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
Synopsis
A scrumptious gem of a story!”Jennifer A. Nielsen,
New York Times bestselling author of
The False Prince
Meet Gladys Gatsby: New Yorks toughest restaurant critic. (Just dont tell anyone that shes 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 shes eleven, and after a crème brûlée accident (just a small fire), Gladys is cut off from the kitchen (and her allowance). Shes devastated but soon finds just the right opportunity to pay her parents back when shes 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 Cityall while keeping her identity a secret! Easy as pie, right?
About the Author
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