Esther gets home from school, ready to bake with her mom. They’re having a Literary Feast the next day at school, with each reader bringing a treat that has something to do with a favorite book. And Esther was going to bring chocolate cupcakes topped with chocolate buttercream and gummy caterpillars. But her mom isn’t home.

The only person home is her grandpa, and he explains to Esther that her mother had to work late. So he’s going to bake the cupcakes with her. They get everything they need and follow the recipe step-by-step. But before her grandpa can put the cupcakes into the oven, he stops Esther and tells her they need one more ingredient. She looks at the recipe and doesn’t see any missing ingredients. But her grandpa explains that when he baked with Esther’s grandma, she had always added love.

Esther has a great time baking with her grandpa, and she has lots of fun the next day at school. As she and her classmates and teacher share their treats and their favorite books, she is reminded that her cupcakes were made with love. And Esther is just as happy to share the love as she is her love of reading.

Baking Up Love is a heartfelt book celebrating reading, baking, and family from award-winning writers Alan Page and Kamie Page. Kamie is a teacher, and her father Alan is a retired Associate of the Minnesota Supreme Court and NFL Hall of Famer. He and his wife formed the Page Education Foundation, supporting readers and their work in their communities. And illustrator David Geister adds classic, detailed painted art that evokes picture books from generations before.

Baking Up Love is a sweet story about family and love, and it includes a recipe for the chocolate cupcakes that Esther and her grandpa make for the Literacy Feast. It is family friendly, with traditional values and a strong belief in education and family love.

Egalleys for Baking Up Love were provided by Smith Publicity, Inc, with many thanks.