Jeremy Bender vs. the Cupcake Cadets

April 15, 2011

A not-so-lightweight tale rises above drag jokes to reveal surprising profundity.

At first bite, this lightly humorous novel about two sixth-grade boys infiltrating the Cupcake Cadets (think Girl Scouts) to win a $500 prize seems to be going for cringe comedy, heavy on the gag aspects of boys wearing girls' clothing. But once the guys actually join the troop and discover that they can pass, the story becomes a richer, more layered confection. Jeremy Bender loves boats and dreams of piloting his father's beloved Chris-Craft. But when he and his best friend, Slater Stevenson, accidentally ruin the engine, Jeremy has to come up with big bucks to fix it. That's when he gets his big, albeit crazy idea—join the Cupcake Cadets and win their Windjammer Whirl, a model sailboat race. It's a hubris-filled plan with multiple pitfalls, and Jeremy and Slater fall into every one. Life lessons are learned, as the disasters prompt not only a renewed determination in our heroes, but also better planning and forethought, which are largely seen as female virtues. A subplot about a school bully who just happens to be the troop leader's son adds flavor, as does a determined, hardworking Cadet's discovery of their not-so-little secret.

Although amusing, this story never quite reaches the level of funny, but it's well-meaning and enjoyable. (Fiction. 8-12)

(COPYRIGHT (2011) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

June 1, 2011

Gr 4-6-Sixth grade isn't going well for Jeremy Bender. Three days into the school year, the class bully, Paul Vogler, pins him to the soccer field to force him to eat the turf. Quick thinking on his pal Slater's part has mixed results. Then, Jeremy's plan to show his dad how responsible he can be with his cherished boat goes horribly awry. Jeremy decides that he will fix the engine without letting his father know about the accident. How to raise the cash? When the boys spot an ad for a Windjammer Whirl with a $500 prize, they think they've found their solution-until they discover that the race is open only to Cupcake Cadets and the organization is a girls-only group. Undaunted, Jeremy convinces Slater to join the Cupcake Cadets. With boys dressing as girls and surprises like discovering that Vogler's mother is the cadet troop leader, this humorous romp will have equal appeal to boys and girls. While Jeremy and Slater frequently try to be funny, much of the humor comes from unintentional hilarity, such as when Jeremy tries to interview his older sister about being a girl or coax a terrified Slater to come out of the woods wearing a cadet uniform. Luper maintains a believable story line with a couple of clever plot twists and genuinely endearing main characters. The ending will leave readers satisfied, but possibly craving cupcakes.-Brenda Kahn, Tenakill Middle School, Closter, NJ

Copyright 2011 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 15, 2011
Grades 3-6 When sixth-grader Jeremy accidentally damages his familys antique motorboat, he knows he will be grounded for life. To find money for repairs, he and his best friend, Slater, enter the local model-sailboat race, hoping to win the $500 prize. The trouble is, the race is for the elite Cupcake Cadet girls club. Undeterred, he and Slater disguise themselves with wigs, lip gloss, and the girls gold-and-orange uniforms (Wearing a skirt is the same as wearing shorts, just more ventilation) and join the club, and Jeremy asks his older sister for tips on how to act like a cool girl. The boys get into plenty of trouble along the way, but that is the fun of the story, along with dramatic encounters with crushes and bullies as the sailboat race looms. In his first book for middle-graders, YA author Luper avoids heavy messages in a lighthearted story that shows that definitions of masculine and feminine are never clear and simple, and they have little to do with what you wear.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2011
After damaging his father's sailboat, Jeremy needs money. There's five hundred dollars for the taking if he can win the Windjammer Whirl, a model sailboat race for the Cupcake Cadets. So Jeremy and his best friend try to act like girls and join the all-female troop. With a light touch, this humorous diversionary read reveals much about gender roles, stereotyping, and individuality.

(Copyright 2011 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

April 15, 2011

A not-so-lightweight tale rises above drag jokes to reveal surprising profundity.

At first bite, this lightly humorous novel about two sixth-grade boys infiltrating the Cupcake Cadets (think Girl Scouts) to win a $500 prize seems to be going for cringe comedy, heavy on the gag aspects of boys wearing girls' clothing. But once the guys actually join the troop and discover that they can pass, the story becomes a richer, more layered confection. Jeremy Bender loves boats and dreams of piloting his father's beloved Chris-Craft. But when he and his best friend, Slater Stevenson, accidentally ruin the engine, Jeremy has to come up with big bucks to fix it. That's when he gets his big, albeit crazy idea--join the Cupcake Cadets and win their Windjammer Whirl, a model sailboat race. It's a hubris-filled plan with multiple pitfalls, and Jeremy and Slater fall into every one. Life lessons are learned, as the disasters prompt not only a renewed determination in our heroes, but also better planning and forethought, which are largely seen as female virtues. A subplot about a school bully who just happens to be the troop leader's son adds flavor, as does a determined, hardworking Cadet's discovery of their not-so-little secret.

Although amusing, this story never quite reaches the level of funny, but it's well-meaning and enjoyable. (Fiction. 8-12)

(COPYRIGHT (2011) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)