He was steadying himself with a hank of hair in one hand, and with the other he reached up and caught the tears I hadn’t known I was crying. Her relationship to her family and her doughy familiars – namely, sourdough starter Bob and one very protective gingerbread man – are as adorable as they are funny. This book is not only a Lodestar finalist but, at the time I’m writing this, already an Andre Norton winner! Not to mention it’s a much more vegan-friendly option than using the poor babies as paella ornaments.

I don't think I've ever listened to so many chapters about battle and preparation for battle in a middle grade book as I did in this one.Think of all the scenes in Shrek that involve gingerbread people and you have a glimpse into this absurdly entertaining, totally charming novel.

When teenage bread wizard Mona discovers a corpse in her family's bakery, it triggers a chain of events that leads to her managing the city's defense against military assault, with the aid of animate gingerbread men and her familiar — a sourdough starter. But I also loved how she realized and discussed with herself that this should have been completely handled by the adults. She has a lump of sourdough and a gingerbread man as funny sidekicks, and also makes friends with a street kid who teaches her how to survive when things suck.I liked the blacksmith, and I liked General Ethan…although I was dubious about him because handsome men who are close to the ruler who are described as handsome and charming always trigger my spidey-senses. Nag’s been dead longer than I’ve been alive, and he’s mostly bones now, so she pads him with rags and straw and old flour sacks. While she does grow into her magic, I would hesitate to say she grows significantly into her personhood power.