Tara Dairman

American author Tara Dairman and Indian illustrator Archana Sreenivasan join forces in this picture-book examination of the lives of two Indian children, and the impact that changing weather patterns have on them and their families. The girl and her family lead a pastoral life in the dry desert, herding camels, while the boy and his family are settled in a rainy region, where they raise goats. Both families face the extreme weather brought on by climate change, and must flee their homes, show more meeting together on the mountain...

Dairman's text in Desert Girl, Monsoon Boy is simple, with no more than a few words per page, but it communicates the essentials of her story, which is further amplified by Sreenivasan's expressive artwork. According to the author's note, the two families here are meant to represent the Rabari people of northern India, some of whom are settled, and some of whom still live the traditional nomadic life. Although I didn't love this one quite as much as the friend who recommended it to me - thank you, Kathryn! - I did find it engaging, and think that it makes a fairly gentle but still striking introduction for younger children to the ideas of climate change and the dangers of changing weather patterns for human and animal populations. Recommended to picture-book readers looking for such tales, as well as those seeking stories set in India. show less

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 show more 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. show less

This was a fun, lighthearted read. Although written for middle school readers, anyone will enjoy suspending their disbelief to discover how eleven-year-old Gladys Gatsby becomes a restaurant reviewer for the world-famous New York Standard newspaper. Throughout the novel the author sprinkles in a few charming plays on words, such as Gladys' friend Sandy's two rabbits: Edward Hopper and brother Dennis. And her aunt's endearing nicknames for Gladys, based on flowers. The plot cleverly evolves show more from Gladys being banished from the family's kitchen after setting the curtains on fire while making creme brulee with a blowtorch, to buttering up her sixth grade nemesis in order to get to a New York dessert restaurant. While the book had lots of food descriptions and several quirky characters, my only complaint is the lack of recipes. show less

If her parents had given her the minitorch Gladys Gatsby asked last Christmas she wouldn’t have set the kitchen curtains on fire with her father’s blow torch while making crème brulee. But her parents – who think microwaving tater tots is cooking, and prefer fast food takeout in any case – just don’t understand their daughter’s obsession with food and cooking. When her teacher assigns an essay on “my future” Gladys writes about how she wants to be a restaurant critic. show more Somehow that essay gets to the food editor for the New York Standard, who thinks it is written by an adult, and Gladys suddenly has a freelance assignment to write a review of New York’s hottest new dessert bistro. She only has to figure out how to sneak into the city and sample enough cakes, pies, tarts and custards to write a good review.

What a scrumptious debut! Gladys is a bright, resourceful, tenacious girl who will not let a few setbacks (like being grounded and not having any money) thwart her plans to succeed. Taking first her next door neighbor into her confidence and then her school friend Parm (who couldn’t be more different, since she eats nothing but cold cereal with milk and plain spaghetti), Gladys devises first one and then another plan to get into the city to sample the restaurant’s wares so she can write her first professional review.

I did think Gladys’s parents were a little over the top; they were more than clueless about their daughter’s talents and wishes, and seemed completely self-absorbed. Her school nemesis – Charissa – was little more than a cardboard stereotype for much of the book. And while I was pleased to see how inventive Gladys was in formulating her final plan, I was sorry to see her use Charissa as she did. On the other hand, I liked how Dairman showed friends who were NOT cookie-cutter duplicates of one another, but appreciated each other’s different talents and interests.

And, I absolutely loved Gladys, and the descriptions of the foods she ate or prepared. I gobbled this delectable treat down in less than a day, and was hungry for more. show less