It's Raining Cupcakes

12-year-old Isabel wants to travel. Yes, she wants to go to Paris and Australia, but anywhere outside of Willow, Oregon would be great! She journals about her dream daily and envies her best friend who goes away to summer camp and on vacations to the Grand Canyon. Now she has a chance – if she can come up with a winning recipe for a baking contest, she’ll get to go to New York. Meanwhile, Isabel helps her Mom and Dad as they prepare to open a new business – a cupcake shop!

This is a good middle-school book dealing with some bigger issues than cupcake recipes. Isabel struggles with her self-image and feelings of jealousy. Her mother struggles with depression, though this is never stated as such, and Isabel feels responsible for show more helping her mother feel better. I liked how Schroeder showed the family discussing issues and Isabel being sensitive to other people’s needs and feelings. Isabel and her family have to work hard to develop the plan for their cupcake store, and Isabel also has several “failures” before she comes up with the recipe she wants to enter into the contest. It’s a positive message about finding our strengths, working to develop them, and find solutions to problems that come our way.

What I didn’t like quite so much was the way Isabel’s mother’s depression was treated. I was bothered that Isabel took so much responsibility for helping her mother “feel better.” I realize this is a middle-grade book and not written for adults, but I didn’t like the message that Isabel could bring her mother out of her depression just by encouraging her to “not be afraid,” and giving her a few library books to read. No child should be responsible for curing such a serious illness. show less

Twelve-year-old Isabel is dying to get out of her small town of Willow, Oregon, and travel like her best friend, Sophie. But when Isabel’s mother decides to open up a cupcake shop across town, Isabel is once again stuck in Willow for the summer…until she learns of a baking contest where the finalists get an all-expenses paid trip to New York City to compete in the final bake-off. But Sophie is also entering the contest, and Isabel’s mother has reservations. Can Isabel finally realize her dreams of leaving Willow without hurting two of the most important people in her life?

This book was about a girl named Isabel, her best friend Sophie and Isabel's family. Isabel's family moved to a new house so they could open their own cupcake business.The shop open's August fifteenth. Isabel's mom doesn't want to open the cupcake shop because there is a shop a few blocks from their shop called Beatrice's Brownies.Isabel started babysitting so she could get out of the state of Oregon. In the middle of the book Isabel's friend Sophie shows her a magazine with a baking contest in it. You'll have to read the 2 book to find out if Isabel or Sophie won. At the end of the book Isabel makes a list of what she learned while in New York City.

I liked this book because it tells what you can to with your family if you believe. I show more liked it so much that I will try and make some of the cupcake recipes that are in the back of the book. This has inspired me to create my own recipes because I just love to eat cupcakes. I didn't really like the ending but the rest of the book was good.The end of the book kind of surprised me because I thought they would tell if she won the baking contest. Right now I am reading the 2nd book in the series and it is really good. I hope that more people will read this book because it inspires people to do what they never thought they could do. show less

This was a really cute and sweet book that is perfect for the tween set. I really liked the main character Isabel. Many times in middle grade lit I'm distracted from the story but an overly unrealistic main character. I know kids that age, and sometimes the character doesn't ring true. This didn't happen with Isabel! She was nice, determined and smart. She never came across as judgmental or mean towards everyone around her - even when she could've easily been. I liked how friendly and accepting she was of people around her. How could I now like her? What a great role model for readers of this book.

What I also really liked about her was how she dealt with her mother. Isabel's mom tends to be a bit emotional, and Isabel knew help her. show more Instead of just throwing up her hands and giving up on her mom, Isabel does everything she can to get her where she needs to be. What's really cool is that by helping her mom Isabel learns a huge lesson about herself. A lesson she openly accepts and, by the end, grows from. And about the ending - I will say I was a bit surprised by it, in a good way, and I'm glad it ended that way.

Before I end I have to talk about the cupcakes. Each chapter title is a type of cupcake! By the end of the book I was soooooo hungry for cupcakes that I found myself hanging out in the bakery area a little too long!

Final thought: Sweet story that can teach us all a lesson about believing in ourselves. Definitely one I can recommend without worry.

Best stick-with-you image: Dr. Seuss Cupcakes!

Best for ages: 10-13 (or anyone who likes cupcakes!) show less

A fun read with some serious undertones. When Isabel's parents decide to open a cupcake shop, Isabel is taken on a roller coaster ride of emotions as she steers the crooked path of her mother's depression and her own desire to travel. Never dull, the pages fly by as the reader experiences the ups and downs with Isabel.

Loved it! And I know middle grade girls will too!

Cupcakes are beautiful and wonderful things. A story about cupcakes, well, that'll easily draw me in. But this isn't just a story about cupcakes - it's about individuality, fear of failure, and wanting more out of life.


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Isabel is a dreamer. She dreams of traveling the world like her flight attendant aunt, that her mom will stop jumping from idea to idea (she's currently on a mission to own a cupcake shop), and that she'll win a baking competition all on her own. Her mother is a dreamer too, hence jumping from idea to idea. She's so excited yet so fearful of her cupcake shop. Isabel and her dad are in charge of building her confidence up in an unspoken agreement because as soon as Isabel's mom gets even slightly discouraged - she show more gives up. And if she gives up on her cupcake shop then who knows where their family will be.


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Although food books are my jam, It's Raining Cupcakes was just okay. The ending felt abrupt and really now - how does no one come to the conclusion that the mom is obviously having mood swings so she might have a mental illness?

What I did enjoy were all those cupcake recipes, the imagery of the food, the best friend (even if she was away at camp most of the time), and Isabel. Isabel tried to branch out on her own by making a tart for the baking competition, but her mom thought cupcakes would get the shop some great advertising. They all always have to try to please the mom so this causes a dilemma for Isabel. She's a good mother otherwise. I do however strongly believe she's suffering from something. I just don't know what.


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If you like mom and daughter stories with some yummy dessert treats then It's Raining Cupcakes might fair better for you. It's a nice and fun read but, a bit young perhaps for my taste. show less

Cute, short book about a mom and daughter who have very different interests. Isabel's mom loves baking and Isabel just wants to get out of her small town and see the world. Isabel's mom has good days and bad days, suffering from something that looks like bipolar disease. She gets big ideas and goes all out, but then gets nervous and wants to quit. Her latest venture is a cupcake business. She purchases a building and starts renovating, when true to form, her mom wants to bail. Meanwhile, Isabel has learned about a kids' baking competition. Winners will receive an all-expense paid trip to the bake-off in New York City. Isabel is determined to win, so she can get out of Willow, Oregon, even if just for a few days. Then she starts to show more wonder. Is she trying to get away from Willow or her mom?

Chapter titles are fun cake flavors. Two actual recipes are included at the end. Younger middle grade girls who have any interest in baking will enjoy this one. show less