Jeremy Bender vs. the Cupcake Cadets

Gr 4–6—Sixth grader Jeremy Bender and his best friend, Slater, are tired of being bullied by classmate Paul Vogel. Sitting in the family's Ice House where his father's prized Chris Craft boat is in storage, the boys ponder how to get Paul to stop tormenting and hurting them. Drinking sodas and wishing they could take the Chris Craft out, Jeremy and Slater accidently spilled soda all over the boat's engine. Knowing they have to fix this catastrophe on their own with limited funds, the boys turn to the Cupcake Cadets, a girls-only group that focuses on innovation, independence, and a little "vanilla frosting." The Cadets sponsor a yearly Windjammer Whirl model sailboat race with a prize of $500. Jeremy and Slater dress in girls clothing and become Jenna and Samantha, two home-schooled sisters, and infiltrate the Cupcake Cadets to qualify to win the prize. The boys think it will be a "piece of cake." Wearing a skirt and leggings, camping, selling cupcakes, and learning boat safety is more difficult than Jeremy and Slater ever imagined. Each chapter in Eric Luper's story (Balzer + Bray, 2011) is loaded with hilarious escapades and dialogue. Lincoln Hoppe does a remarkable job portraying Jeremy, Slater, the various Cupcake Cadets, and their leaders. This laugh-out-loud adventure will delight students.—Nancy Baumann, University of Columbia-Missouri