Everything on a Waffle
"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.
Awards
- Newbery Honor Book
- Boston Globe- Horn Book Award Honor Book
- ALA Notable Book
- Child Magazine Best Book Award
- Parents' Choice 2001 Fiction Gold Award
- Parent's Guide to Children's Media Award
- International White Ravens 2002
- Mr. Christie Book Award
- Sheila Egoff Award
- New York Times Bestseller
- Publisher's Weekly Bestseller
Reviews
"A laugh-out-loud pleasure from beginning to triumphant end." —Publisher's Weekly
"Subtlety and slapstick is a challenging combination; Horvath pulls it off beautifully." —The Horn Book
"...full of subtle humor and wisdom, presented through the eyes of a uniquely appealing young protagonist." —School Library Journal
"Told with wit and tongue-in-cheek humor, Horvath's vivid tale is grounded in tenderness and wisdom." —Kathleen Odean, Newbery Awards Committee Chair
"A wonderful story about the eruption of joy even in the midst of misery." —MacLean's