Cafe Chaos: My Family Is Not a Piece of Cake

LoveReading4Kids Says

Hope Crumble is a normal twelve-year-old with all the usual twelve-year-old concerns, like starting secondary school and negotiating friendships with other Year 7s. But unlike most twelve-year-olds, Hope’s family run a café, and it tends to be all hands on deck, especially when things aren’t going well. She also has to share a bedroom with her fortune-telling, patchouli-loving Auntie Rosie.

Just as well Hope is the easiest person in the whole family according to her mum, though when things get tough at school, thanks to the machinations of snobby Skyla Lipton, it would be good if her family actually noticed.

Catherine Wilkins’ new story is a delicious treat from start to finish, with so much for readers to relish. The busy chaos of her home life in the café is beautifully observed, her family a wonderful and believable bunch of characters; her friendship with super-cool Leila is convincing and satisfying too, while the tension at school when she is suddenly and unfairly labelled posh feels very real.

Fortunately, with the help of Leila, Hope manages to find her own way through that, even without the help of her parents, and this is very much a feel-good story. With a fun layout and lots of illustrations, it’s a fast and accessible read and great fun.

Andrea Reece

Find This Book In