Crumble

Ages 8 to 12, Grades 3 to 7

A heartfelt and magic-filled graphic novel for fans of Sheets and Real Friends about baking, friendship, and feeling every kind of emotion—no matter the flavor.  Emily, her mom, and her aunt Gina have a very special magical power: They can bake emotions into the desserts they sell at their family bakery. Need a dash of confidence? Try their millionaire shortbread! Want relief after a stressful day? The cheesecake will lighten your spirits! There is only one rule: Never bake a bad feeling.     Every day after school, Emily and her best friend, Dae, make tried-and-true recipes, while she and Aunt Gina brainstorm new ones. But when Aunt Gina dies in an accident, Emily’s life is turned upside down. Not knowing what to do, Emily breaks the rule and bakes  her bad feelings into. . . a crumble. It looks gross. Dae says it tastes gross. But they can’t stop eating it. Neither can Emily’s classmates. And with her grief and pain baked into the crumble, Emily gets the comfort of being at least a little numb. So even though she’s not supposed to, she makes it again, and again, and again.   But baking (and eating) bad feelings doesn’t really make them go away . . .

About the Author

MEREDITH McCLAREN is the writer and creator of Hinges for Image Comics, and the artist for the graphic novels Heart In A Box and Real Science Adventures: The Nicodemus Job.  Additionally she’s done short stories for Adventure Time, Bee and Puppycat, and Twisted Romance.  She lives in Phoenix, Arizona. You can find Meredith on Instagram: @iniquitousfish.