10/20/2014
Twelve-year-old Galileo Galilei Barnes (shortened to GiGi, for obvious reasons) has been raised by her older sister, DiDi, ever since their mother died. After DiDi wins a million dollars in a cooking contest, the two girls move from a South Carolina trailer park to a wealthy town in Long Island to get GiGi the best education possible. Hoping to make the most of her new school, GiGi has put together a “Recipe for Success,” with items that include making real friends for the first time and being “the girl Mama would be if she were here. Friendly. Funny. Confident.” A cute boy at school and a mean girl who is jealous of her initially appear to be familiar types, but they, along with DiDi, have major surprises in store for GiGi and readers; in her first novel, picture book author Yeh (The Magic Brush) skillfully builds toward a breathless, emotional conclusion. Recipes are scattered throughout, emphasizing the way food connects GiGi to her family—even when she learns her family isn’t quite what she thought it was. Ages 8–12. Agent: Sarah Davies, Greenhouse Literary Agency. (Jan.)

*"Yeh's characters are full of heart and she perfectly captures the middle school parent-child dynamic."
—Library Media Connection (starred review)

"The bouncy voice of protagonist Gigi—aka Galileo Galilei, aka Leia—makes her tale of a move, friendship, crushes, and a mystery about her identity a very easy one to get caught up in."
—Booklist

"Filled with enough characters and plot for two novels, Yeh's nimbly voiced, combination fish-out-of-water, personal transformation and emotional family tale is also stuffed with charm."
—Kirkus Reviews

"This story will tug at your heart strings and make you hungry at the same time."
—VOYA

"Endearing characters will keep readers engaged throughout as more than one character learns the true meaning of family and friendship."
—School Library Journal

2014-10-22
When 12-year-old GiGi moves from a trailer park in South Carolina to an upscale community on Long Island, she decides to reinvent herself.GiGi is short for Galileo Galilei, and her older sister and guardian, DiDi, a beautiful, uneducated hairdresser, has always encouraged her to reach for the stars. So when DiDi wins a million dollars in a bake-off, she moves them 800 miles north and enrolls GiGi in the ritzy Hill Prep. GiGi has always followed DiDi's "Recipe for Success," earning perfect grades by studying 150 percent. But GiGi longs for friends and fun, so she concocts a different recipe for herself, starting with a new name. Of course, not everyone in her swanky school is receptive to the girl with the hairdresser sister and Dollar Store shoes, and Yeh does a good job of making what could be clichéd characters, such as the snotty rich girl, come across as layered and original instead. The discovery of a surprising but credible family secret leads to a moving finish, though GiGi's personality in this part of the story feels inconsistent. Many chapters end with a fun (food snobs beware) recipe from GiGi's dead mother's cookbook, featuring ingredients such as condensed soup or instant pudding mix. Filled with enough characters and plot for two novels, Yeh's nimbly voiced, combination fish-out-of-water, personal transformation and emotional family tale is also stuffed with charm. (Fiction. 10-14)