Product Description

By the author of The Trolls, a National Book Award Finalist.

My name is Primrose Squarp. I am eleven years old. I have hair the color of carrots in apricot glaze (recipe to follow), skin fair and clear where it isn't freckled, and eyes like summer storms.

Readers will know right from the start that the narrator of Everything on a Waffle is going to tell her story straight and pull no punches. Primrose's parents have been lost at sea, but she believes without an iota of doubt that they are still alive, somewhere. She moves in with her Uncle Jack, but feels generally friendless. Her only real refuge is a local restaurant called The Girl on the Red Swing, where the owner, Miss Bowzer, serves everything on waffles -- except advice and good sense, which come free of charge and are always reliable.

Food in general plays an important role in Primrose's journey toward peace and understanding (a recipe dictated in her unmistakable voice is appended to each chapter), and readers will eagerly cheer her on through this funny, bittersweet novel.

Newbery Honor Book

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #572355 in Books
• Published on: 2001-04-04
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 160 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780374322366
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.

Amazon.com Review
In the small Canadian town of Coal Harbour, in a quaint restaurant called The Girl on the Red Swing, everything comes on a waffle--lasagna, fish, you name it. Even waffles! Eleven-year-old Primrose Squarp loves this homey place, especially its owner, Kate Bowzer, who takes her under her wing, teaches her how to cook, and doesn't patronize or chastise her, even when she puts her guinea pig too close to the oven and it catches fire. Primrose can use a little extra attention. Her parents were lost at sea, and everyone but her thinks they are dead. Her Uncle Jack, who kindly takes her in, is perfectly nice, but doesn't have much time on his hands. Miss Perfidy, her paid babysitter-guardian, smells like mothballs and really doesn't like children, and her school guidance counselor, Miss Honeycut, an uppity British woman of the world, is too caught up in her own long-winded stories to be any kind of confidante. Nobody knows what exactly to think of young Primrose, and Primrose doesn't quite know what to make of her small community, either.

She entertains herself in a variety of ways--mostly by wryly observing those around her with wisdom, compassion, and slightly cynical humor that belie her years. She also sits on the dock and waits for her parents to get back, goes to the store and tells the grocer the cottage cheese has expired (not appreciated), and writes recipes that her mother taught her in a memo pad. About Caramel Apples, she writes: "Do not muck around with chocolate or nuts or anything else fancy that may tempt you. It will only gum up the works. Sometimes you get tempted to make something wonderful even better, but in doing so you lose what was so wonderful to begin with." Everything on a Waffle is ultimately a folksy, Garrison Keillor-style take on small-town life, spiced with sometimes hilarious, sometimes poignant anecdotes about the quirks and adventures of individual townspeople as seen through Primrose's wise eyes. It's a quiet, but very funny book, infused with the hope of a girl who knows in her heart that there are things that science, and even the uppity Miss Honeycut, can't explain. We first were introduced to author Polly Horvath with her National Book Award finalist, The Trolls, which you absolutely have to read if you haven't already! (Ages 9 to 13) --Karin Snelson

From Publishers Weekly
Horvath (The Trolls) delivers another hilariously puckish read with this tale of a (possibly) orphaned girl from a small Canadian fishing village. Eleven-year-old Primrose Squarp refuses to attend the memorial service for her parents after they disappear at sea. "Haven't you ever just known something deep in your heart without reason?" she demands of all and sundry, convinced her parents are still alive. Meanwhile, she is shuffled from the custody of her elderly neighbor Miss Perfidy to her likable but somewhat feckless Uncle Jack. Not unlike another beloved red-haired Canadian heroine, Primrose whose own hair is "the color of carrots in an apricot glaze (recipe to follow)" attracts trouble like a magnet. In addition to singeing the fur on the class guinea pig, she manages to lose a baby toe and part of a finger in chapters entitled "I Lose a Toe" and "I Lose Another Digit" accidents that land her in the foster care of an older couple whose stature and girth give them the look of "kindly old hard-boiled eggs." Primrose's lively recital of her misadventures comes complete with recipes, pungent descriptions ("the feeling of joy swept through my soul like fire up a vacuum") and memorable characters, among them the tough-talking, golden-hearted owner of a local restaurant that serves everything (even fish and chips) on waffles. A laugh-out-loud pleasure from beginning to triumphant end. Ages 10-up.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Gr 4-7-Primrose, 11, waits patiently for her lost-at-sea parents to return to their charming town of Coal Harbor, British Columbia. In the meantime, a cast of delightfully eccentric characters weaves in and out of her world. Her charismatic Uncle Jack agrees to take care of his niece while trying to get rich on the town's tourist-industry possibilities. A misguided school counselor ineffectively tries to convince Primrose that her parents are gone forever, while at the same time setting her sights on Uncle Jack. An aging neighbor, a restaurant owner, and a charming pair of foster parents are among the other adults who try to help Primrose. Though temporarily parentless and decidedly accident prone (she loses two digits and sets fire to a guinea pig, among other mishaps), Primrose has a subtle, but profound effect on the grown-ups who come to her aid. In a variety of ways, she asks each of them whether they've ever placed hope and faith above mere logic, and the answers are always revealing. At the same time, the girl grows by observing and listening to those she encounters. Her first-person narration is just right, conveying her matter-of-fact optimism in the face of some pretty bizarre (and funny) events. Each chapter ends with a recipe that Primrose collects from various people, including the restaurant owner who serves each dish on her menu atop a waffle. The story is full of subtle humor and wisdom, presented through the eyes of a uniquely appealing young protagonist.-Steven Engelfried, Deschutes County Library, Bend,

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Customer Reviews

Great Read-Aloud Book
Everything on a Waffle is an enjoyable book. I discovered this book on the library shelf by accident. The title caught my attention first. As a fifth/sixth grade teacher, I am always looking for read-aloud books that my students and I will both find enjoyable. My students loved this book, and so did I! Students can relate to Primrose's awkwardness at this age. And while some of the characters are a bit exaggerated in their descriptions, everyone can think of someone they know that has some of the quirky traits of Primrose's uncle, the school guidance counselor, Miss Perfidy, and other characters in the story. While the underlying topic is serious (grieving for lost loved ones), there are many extremely funny scenes in this book. In fact, on several occasions, while reading Everything on a Waffle aloud to my class, I laughed so hard that I couldn't continue! At first, I used this book with my class purely for enjoyment purposes. However, I found it to be a helpful lead-in to discussions about topics such as bullying and cooking. The recipes at the end of each chapter encourage students to try things in the kitchen. The conclusion of the book was predictable though. Even my students figured out the ending ahead of time.

Good Family Reading
I am a mother of an 11-year old daughter and am constantly looking for non-Sailor Moon type books that my daughter will enjoy reading. Occasionally I will find a gem that the whole family can pile up together and enjoy. Everything on a Waffle is one of those books. Primrose is an interesting and insightful little girl surrounded by quirky grownups. I laughed out loud several times during the reading of this book. It is one of those books that makes you feel good when you're finished reading it. I am looking forward to sampling more of Polly Horvath.

Everything On A Waffle
I like this book, even though I like the book The Trolls better. An interesting person in this book was Miss Browzer. She was always helping Primrose out. Primrose is eleven years old and lives in a small town in Canada called Coal Harbour. Her parents went to sea on a stormy night and were thought to be dead. Primrose thought differently. She knew that they were on an island wondering how she was doing, because she knew that they loved her. Miss Perfidy was told to take care of Primrose. She got paid three dollars an hour. After Miss Perfidy stops taking care of her she hands her over to her uncle Jack's care. I thought that the recipes were very good, and the book was too!