The Bake Shop Ghost

by Jacqueline K. Ogburn

Book Overview

Cora Lee Merriweather baked the best pies and cakes for miles--fluffy meringue pies, flaky strudels, layer cakes, sheet cakes, and cakes with frosting finer than Irish lace. But now Cora Lee haunts... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0618445579
• Release Date: July 2005
• Publisher: Clarion Books
• Length: 32 Pages
• Weight: 0.95 lbs.
• Dimensions: 11.0" x 0.2" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Lots of fun regardless of age

I have a two year old, a five year old, and a 37 year old (wife) who love listening to this story as much as I love reading it to them. Miss Cora Lee Merriweather is the town baker extraordinaire. She passes away and the whole town cries knowing that her recipes are gone with her. "Corra Lee didn't have any family so the Merriweather Bake Shop was sold". Several bakers eagerly attempt to set up their own shop on the old premises but are promptly scared away by the ghost of Cora Lee until several years later a feisty and determined young baker by the name of Annie Washington arrives to call the bake shop her new home. This is a delightful warm story of friendship, and determination. The two characters don't budge an inch until Annie pleads to the ghost and asks what she can do so that she could have the place in peace. The challenge is on: "Make me a cake . . . like one I might have baked, but that no one ever made for me." Annie bakes and bakes never finding anything just right, until one day she finds something out about the ghost that leads her to make that one special cake that no one ever made for her. The drawings and the colors are wonderful and they help give this story its warm glow. You will have lots of opportunities to make different voices from Cora Lee herself to Frederico Spinelli and all the other characters in between. There is nothing scary in this story and there is no stress on the death part. She just passes away one day. My five year old is into asking those questions but my two year old just loves the voices and the story in general right now. Besides, if you are a dad, you can also get a Ghost Pleasing Chocolate cake out of the deal-recipe is included, and it turns out quite nicely.

a delicious read

I have a seven year old daughter who simply "ate up" The Bake Shop Ghost. A scary story appeals to her for the thrill, yet she does not like a story that will result in a nightmare...this story is a perfect balance. Initially, the ghost appears daunting, yet as the story unfolds, you see her endearing side. The illustrations are divine, and there is a wonderful bonus recipe at the end of the book!

Wonderful Illustrations and Story

This one is a true gem! The drawings are fluid and very distinctive, with the storyline about how a ghost mystery is solved. However, I think this would be okay for most children over the age of 4 or so, it's not a terribly scary ghost story. It's more a story of understanding where angry emotions might come from, and the importance of being strong, smart and kind, as the brave baker is when she both stands up to the ghost but also makes an effort to understand her by doing some research (after other bakers have fled the haunted bakery in fear). The fact that the baker is both black and female is not part to the storyline, but will be noted by those who appreciate strong, positive images of non-white or female characters in the books they read to their children. This would be a great story for teachers, librarians, or parents to read aloud, and it even comes with a "ghost-pleasing" cake recipe. Highly recommended!

A tasty treat

I purchased this book after hearing it read on NPR. When the book arrived, I was delighted to find the artwork equal to the charming story. My 7 yr old niece read the book to me after opening it on Christmas. When it was over, she turned to me and said "That was really good." There is no better review than that!

Adding this one to our list of favorites...

We have signed out this book several times from our local library, as it has quickly become one of my 7-year old's favorites. The abandoned bake shop, crusty old ghost and determined yet thoughtful heroine make for a very appealing mix. We also love the illustrations, which are somewhat expressionistic(?) and remind me of some of the books I used to read as a kid back in the 60's... It's a little bit longer than the average picture book -- which we consider a plus -- and engaging from beginning to end. We recommend The Bake Shop Ghost as an ideal bedtime story, especially so for anyone who loves to bake. In fact, the story's cake recipe is provided at the end of the book.