What do you think?
Rate this book
Sweet Treats & Secret Crushes
When a blizzard threatens to ruin Valentine’s Day, three seventh-grade friends make and distribute fortune cookies to their lonely neighbors—and confront the secrets they’ve been keeping from one another.Confident Kate doesn’t notice much but the latest gossip, and shy Georgia can’t say out loud what’s always on her mind. They’re joined by observant, careful Olivia, whose epic, single-minded crush on PBJ (real name: Phillip Becker-Jacobs) is starting to frustrate the other two. Using fortune cookies that mysteriously always seem to speak directly to the person who opens them, the three girls try to work together to bring some love to their building, while reminding each other why they’re such good friends to begin with.With all the right ingredients to appeal to tween girls, this is an irresistible confection from an emerging talent."The trio’s romantic ups and downs tie the story together… an affectionate, insightful ode to friendship. An enjoyable, sure-to-be popular read." –Booklist
291 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 1, 2010
55 people are currently reading
1416 people want to read
About the author
Lisa Greenwald
37 books481 followersA long bio can be kind of boring, so instead I'm going to pretend
that a famous journalist (maybe Barbara Walters) is interviewing me.
The only thing is, I'm making up the questions.
If you think of any other questions you'd like me to answer, send me an email and ask away!
Q. Where did you grow up?
A. I lived in Fairfield, Connecticut until the end of fifth grade and then I moved to Roslyn Heights, New York. That's on Long Island. But I don't have a bad Lawn Guyland accent, I promise.
Q. Do you have any siblings?
A. Yes, I have two younger brothers. I always wanted a sister, but it's kind of nice being the only daughter in the family, and my brothers and I are really close.
Q. What about the rest of your family? Are you close with them too?
A. Yes, family is really important to me. I talk to my parents and grandparents every day.
Q. Are you married?
A. Yes, to a fabulous guy named Dave. We met at sleep away camp when I was sixteen.
Q. Do you have any kids?
A. Yes, my daughter Aleah Violet Rosenberg was born on May 28th, 2010 and I personally think she's the cutest baby in the world, but of course I am biased.
Q. Do you have any pets?
A. I had a miniature toy poodle named Yoffi, but he died in 2007. I miss him so much.
Q. That's sad. Do you think you will get another dog?
A. I would love to adopt one very soon!
Q. What is your favorite book?
A. Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt is my favorite book in the whole entire world. I read it in sixth grade in Ms. Mayer's class. I have read many books since then, but Tuck Everlasting is still my absolute favorite.
Q. What is your favorite movie?
A. I have two. Clueless and Avalon.
Q. What's one of the craziest things that's ever happened to you?
A. I won a radio contest at the end of eighth grade! Someone from Z100 called me up and asked me to say the "phrase that pays" and I answered correctly. I won a thousand dollars.
Q. Did you always want to be a writer?
A. No, not always. I wanted to be a hair stylist, then a concert pianist, then a rabbi. But I always loved making up stories, so I think writing is the perfect job for me.
Q. Where did you go to college?
A. I went to Binghamton University in upstate New York. I was an English major with a concentration in creative writing. It's reallllllllly cold in Binghamton. Then two years after I graduated college, I went to The New School to get my MFA in writing for children.
Q. You mentioned that you met Dave at sleep away camp. Did you really like sleep away camp?
A. YES! I loved it. I went to Eisner Camp in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. I would go back to camp forever if only I could. Sleep away camp is the best place in the world.
Q. Tell me some other things you really like.
A. Okay. Here's a short list: sleeping late, fancy hotels, reading and writing (duh!,) peanut m&ms, flip flops, sweatpants, people watching, New York City, cheese omelets, weddings, pedicures, looking at old pictures and re-reading old cards and letters.
Q. Tell me some things you really dislike.
A. Peas, mean people, rats and mice, sweating, pants and skirts with a side zipper, spicy food, uncomfortable shoes, people clipping their nails on the subway, feeling lonely or thinking about other people who might feel lonely.
Q. MY LIFE IN PINK & GREEN is about a pharmacy. Do you really like pharmacies?
A. Yes, I love them! I love the way they smell and the way the aisles are arranged. I love when the pharmacists know the customers and I love looking at all the beauty products.
Q. Do you write every day?
A. I try to, but in addition to writing I also work in the library at The Birch Wathen Lenox School in Manhattan. I love being around kids and books and talking to kids about books!
Q. I don't have any more questions. Is there anything else you'd like to add?
A. Just that I hope readers like my book, and I'd love to hear from all of them if they want to talk to me!
that a famous journalist (maybe Barbara Walters) is interviewing me.
The only thing is, I'm making up the questions.
If you think of any other questions you'd like me to answer, send me an email and ask away!
Q. Where did you grow up?
A. I lived in Fairfield, Connecticut until the end of fifth grade and then I moved to Roslyn Heights, New York. That's on Long Island. But I don't have a bad Lawn Guyland accent, I promise.
Q. Do you have any siblings?
A. Yes, I have two younger brothers. I always wanted a sister, but it's kind of nice being the only daughter in the family, and my brothers and I are really close.
Q. What about the rest of your family? Are you close with them too?
A. Yes, family is really important to me. I talk to my parents and grandparents every day.
Q. Are you married?
A. Yes, to a fabulous guy named Dave. We met at sleep away camp when I was sixteen.
Q. Do you have any kids?
A. Yes, my daughter Aleah Violet Rosenberg was born on May 28th, 2010 and I personally think she's the cutest baby in the world, but of course I am biased.
Q. Do you have any pets?
A. I had a miniature toy poodle named Yoffi, but he died in 2007. I miss him so much.
Q. That's sad. Do you think you will get another dog?
A. I would love to adopt one very soon!
Q. What is your favorite book?
A. Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt is my favorite book in the whole entire world. I read it in sixth grade in Ms. Mayer's class. I have read many books since then, but Tuck Everlasting is still my absolute favorite.
Q. What is your favorite movie?
A. I have two. Clueless and Avalon.
Q. What's one of the craziest things that's ever happened to you?
A. I won a radio contest at the end of eighth grade! Someone from Z100 called me up and asked me to say the "phrase that pays" and I answered correctly. I won a thousand dollars.
Q. Did you always want to be a writer?
A. No, not always. I wanted to be a hair stylist, then a concert pianist, then a rabbi. But I always loved making up stories, so I think writing is the perfect job for me.
Q. Where did you go to college?
A. I went to Binghamton University in upstate New York. I was an English major with a concentration in creative writing. It's reallllllllly cold in Binghamton. Then two years after I graduated college, I went to The New School to get my MFA in writing for children.
Q. You mentioned that you met Dave at sleep away camp. Did you really like sleep away camp?
A. YES! I loved it. I went to Eisner Camp in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. I would go back to camp forever if only I could. Sleep away camp is the best place in the world.
Q. Tell me some other things you really like.
A. Okay. Here's a short list: sleeping late, fancy hotels, reading and writing (duh!,) peanut m&ms, flip flops, sweatpants, people watching, New York City, cheese omelets, weddings, pedicures, looking at old pictures and re-reading old cards and letters.
Q. Tell me some things you really dislike.
A. Peas, mean people, rats and mice, sweating, pants and skirts with a side zipper, spicy food, uncomfortable shoes, people clipping their nails on the subway, feeling lonely or thinking about other people who might feel lonely.
Q. MY LIFE IN PINK & GREEN is about a pharmacy. Do you really like pharmacies?
A. Yes, I love them! I love the way they smell and the way the aisles are arranged. I love when the pharmacists know the customers and I love looking at all the beauty products.
Q. Do you write every day?
A. I try to, but in addition to writing I also work in the library at The Birch Wathen Lenox School in Manhattan. I love being around kids and books and talking to kids about books!
Q. I don't have any more questions. Is there anything else you'd like to add?
A. Just that I hope readers like my book, and I'd love to hear from all of them if they want to talk to me!
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 134 reviews
February 15, 2011
What You Need to Know:
• Sweet Treats & Secret Crushes is a terrific and light tween book you can be happy about putting into your
daughter's hands.
• If you are ok with putting stories about boys and crushes into your middle reader's hands, then this is a great one to start with. Note the girls in this story don't have much interaction with boys, they mostly just talk about them.
• While the title might seem otherwise, the main theme here is friendship and girlfriends, not boys.
• This is an entertaining story and perfectly timed for Valentine's Day.
• Check out the authors website here to learn more about Lisa Greenwald.
Sweet Book Summary:
The main characters in Sweet Treats & Secret Crushes are three seventh grade girls who have been best friends forever. Georgia is the quiet one, Kate is the loud, somewhat trouble-making one and Olivia is the bookish reporter type, always jotting down her observations in her notebooks. The story is set within the apartment building where the girls live in Brooklyn and it takes place all on one day - Valentine's Day. But this isn't your usual Valentine's Day, this is a snow day. Given that New York City schools almost never close, this is a special event. (Clearly this book was written before this crazy winter (2011) we are experiencing right now here in NY!) The girls are equally excited and disappointed. A snow day is great, but now they won't get an opportunity to see the boys they have crushes on at school. They will have to wait a whole year for another Valentine's opportunity to mingle with them on the most romantic (read: over-hyped) day of the year.
Georgia's parents own a restaurant called Chen's Kitchen and it is located on the first floor of the building. The Chens are also disappointed with this snow situation, because Valentine's Day should be one of the biggest days of the year for them, and now that's ruined. The girls make the best of it. Mrs. Chen teaches the girls how to make the homemade fortune cookies that Chen's Kitchen is famous for, and the girls have a ball. While making the cookies Mrs. Chen regales the girls with stories of what the building used to be like - when neighbors knew each other and gathered in the hallways for meals and gossip. The girls cannot even imagine an environment like that. They probably wouldn't have even met each other if they didn't live on the same floor and go to the same school.
The girls hatch a plan. They decide to pass the fortune cookies out to all their neighbors as they will most likely be home, everyone is snowed in. The girls hope the friendly gesture and the yummy, slightly magical treats may just bring some of that friendliness back to the building. Kate also heard her crush, Brendan, may be visiting the building!
The girls have a long day filled with the angst of seventh grade girl friendships, especially when boys are introduced into those friendships. The author handles this with great care and really respects the age and the dramas that go along with it. Her characters don't really even interact with their crushes, but they sure do talk a lot about them! However, after a long day of meeting all kinds of neighbors, the girls ultimately come to realize how valuable their friendship is and that boys shouldn't take away from that. I love that message! It's a good one for girls heading into this age group.
Disney and Nickelodeon, don't do our tweens any favors with their twenty two minute stories. They never fully show the real side of friendships and relationships in their stunted story arcs. This book is a very entertaining read and gives the example of a real friendship, taking it through an authentic story arc with a very satisfying conclusion. The girls ultimately understand and appreciate the value of each other.
• Sweet Treats & Secret Crushes is a terrific and light tween book you can be happy about putting into your
daughter's hands.
• If you are ok with putting stories about boys and crushes into your middle reader's hands, then this is a great one to start with. Note the girls in this story don't have much interaction with boys, they mostly just talk about them.
• While the title might seem otherwise, the main theme here is friendship and girlfriends, not boys.
• This is an entertaining story and perfectly timed for Valentine's Day.
• Check out the authors website here to learn more about Lisa Greenwald.
Sweet Book Summary:
The main characters in Sweet Treats & Secret Crushes are three seventh grade girls who have been best friends forever. Georgia is the quiet one, Kate is the loud, somewhat trouble-making one and Olivia is the bookish reporter type, always jotting down her observations in her notebooks. The story is set within the apartment building where the girls live in Brooklyn and it takes place all on one day - Valentine's Day. But this isn't your usual Valentine's Day, this is a snow day. Given that New York City schools almost never close, this is a special event. (Clearly this book was written before this crazy winter (2011) we are experiencing right now here in NY!) The girls are equally excited and disappointed. A snow day is great, but now they won't get an opportunity to see the boys they have crushes on at school. They will have to wait a whole year for another Valentine's opportunity to mingle with them on the most romantic (read: over-hyped) day of the year.
Georgia's parents own a restaurant called Chen's Kitchen and it is located on the first floor of the building. The Chens are also disappointed with this snow situation, because Valentine's Day should be one of the biggest days of the year for them, and now that's ruined. The girls make the best of it. Mrs. Chen teaches the girls how to make the homemade fortune cookies that Chen's Kitchen is famous for, and the girls have a ball. While making the cookies Mrs. Chen regales the girls with stories of what the building used to be like - when neighbors knew each other and gathered in the hallways for meals and gossip. The girls cannot even imagine an environment like that. They probably wouldn't have even met each other if they didn't live on the same floor and go to the same school.
The girls hatch a plan. They decide to pass the fortune cookies out to all their neighbors as they will most likely be home, everyone is snowed in. The girls hope the friendly gesture and the yummy, slightly magical treats may just bring some of that friendliness back to the building. Kate also heard her crush, Brendan, may be visiting the building!
The girls have a long day filled with the angst of seventh grade girl friendships, especially when boys are introduced into those friendships. The author handles this with great care and really respects the age and the dramas that go along with it. Her characters don't really even interact with their crushes, but they sure do talk a lot about them! However, after a long day of meeting all kinds of neighbors, the girls ultimately come to realize how valuable their friendship is and that boys shouldn't take away from that. I love that message! It's a good one for girls heading into this age group.
Disney and Nickelodeon, don't do our tweens any favors with their twenty two minute stories. They never fully show the real side of friendships and relationships in their stunted story arcs. This book is a very entertaining read and gives the example of a real friendship, taking it through an authentic story arc with a very satisfying conclusion. The girls ultimately understand and appreciate the value of each other.
February 16, 2011
This book was just so cute! It’s probably aimed at a market a little younger than I usually read, I’d buy this as a gift for girl aged 10-13 years and know they’d love it! However I still thoroughly enjoyed my journey back in time, which this book provided and the memories it evoked.
Told from the perspectives of three 13 year old friends, Olivia, Georgia and Kate, Lisa Greenwald captures perfectly the confusion and uncertainty of being on the cusp of Young adulthood, when your not quite there but no longer a child. The girls have grown up on the same floor of a Brooklyn apartment block and been best friends most of their life. However subtle changes are creeping into the dynamics of their relationship and in their own way, each of the girls are struggling to understand why. Kate seems keen on making new and exciting friends, Olivia is boring them all with her constant obsessing about a certain boy and Georgia is finding it increasingly difficult to confide in her friends, especially when the role of peacemaker most often falls on her. I really liked how in alternating chapters we heard from all three of the girls and I could remember vividly feeling a lot of the same feelings myself when my childhood gang started to drift apart. It’s a scary age when everything is changing at once and Greenwald completely pins that feeling down.
I also loved the underlying theme at the heart of this book. Through the day the girls meet many of the people who’ve lived alongside them in the building and yet until now never known. There are a lot of individual stories from their neighbours and it’s pretty sad but also very true how people live so close without knowing or looking out for each other. Giving out the cookies and seeing snapshots of their neighbours lives, not always pretty, shows the girls about listening and understanding others, and each other. The biggest lesson they learn though is about themselves, feeling confident as they grow individually and their friendship evolves.
Sweet Treats and Secret Crushes is a heart-warming tale that will leave you with a smile on your face. Switching narrative between the three girls keeps it fresh and interesting and made it a super quick read which I didn’t put down. It’s sweet and touching and just the right amount of romantic with it’s Valentine’s day setting for it’s age group. I’d thoroughly recommend it for young girls 10+ or anyone who fancies a nostalgic reminder of their own.
Told from the perspectives of three 13 year old friends, Olivia, Georgia and Kate, Lisa Greenwald captures perfectly the confusion and uncertainty of being on the cusp of Young adulthood, when your not quite there but no longer a child. The girls have grown up on the same floor of a Brooklyn apartment block and been best friends most of their life. However subtle changes are creeping into the dynamics of their relationship and in their own way, each of the girls are struggling to understand why. Kate seems keen on making new and exciting friends, Olivia is boring them all with her constant obsessing about a certain boy and Georgia is finding it increasingly difficult to confide in her friends, especially when the role of peacemaker most often falls on her. I really liked how in alternating chapters we heard from all three of the girls and I could remember vividly feeling a lot of the same feelings myself when my childhood gang started to drift apart. It’s a scary age when everything is changing at once and Greenwald completely pins that feeling down.
I also loved the underlying theme at the heart of this book. Through the day the girls meet many of the people who’ve lived alongside them in the building and yet until now never known. There are a lot of individual stories from their neighbours and it’s pretty sad but also very true how people live so close without knowing or looking out for each other. Giving out the cookies and seeing snapshots of their neighbours lives, not always pretty, shows the girls about listening and understanding others, and each other. The biggest lesson they learn though is about themselves, feeling confident as they grow individually and their friendship evolves.
Sweet Treats and Secret Crushes is a heart-warming tale that will leave you with a smile on your face. Switching narrative between the three girls keeps it fresh and interesting and made it a super quick read which I didn’t put down. It’s sweet and touching and just the right amount of romantic with it’s Valentine’s day setting for it’s age group. I’d thoroughly recommend it for young girls 10+ or anyone who fancies a nostalgic reminder of their own.
July 25, 2016
Mijn eerste in-Engels-gelezen boek! Ik wil graag Engels gaan lezen maar ik ben niet heel goed in Engels dus vandaar dat ik een gemakkelijk boek had gekozen. Het lezen ging me ook erg goed af moet ik zeggen! Verder vond in het niet echt een spannend boek maar op zich wel leuk om te lezen. Wat ik wel erg grappig vond (en volgens mij nog niet eerder had meegemaakt) was dat het hele verhaal op 10 bladzijdes na, zich afspeelt op één dag. Dus gewoon 280 bladzijdes geschreven over één dag. Grappig detail vond ik dat!
January 29, 2021
I feel like I would I liked this book a lot more if I was in middle school when I read it. I do want to make fortune cookies now though! I also feel like I related to Georgia the most.
January 4, 2022
Definitely a book for younger kids but it's a personal tradition and I love reading about a snow day on a snow day, plus it's about Valentine's Day❤️❤️
December 21, 2010
See full review here.
Olivia, Kate and Georgia have been friends for years. Growing up with the same set of friends both has advantages and disadvantages. If there was such a thing as an itch in marriage, there was such an itch in friendship too. It cannot be avoided; at least that’s what I think because generally people do not expect the change in the interaction.
The book was about friendship and the transition from being a kid to being a teen, as well as the changes that emerge in the process. The feel of the novel was anxious, hesitant and nostalgic – the usual set of feelings that was associated with growing up. We were never sure of many things when we were growing up into a teen. It was honest and a bit problematic. The egocentric tendencies were also expressed in this novel. We could read it in the three perspectives of the teen friends. I appreciated the variation in the realities of each character. An event could mean something entirely different from one perspective to another. It was a cute and innocent read, brimming with curiosity and the urge to experience and find out about everything under the sun.
Living up to expectations has never been that easy. Olivia was labeled as obsessed. Boy craziness usually comes with their age. Interacting with the opposite sex, one whom she has a crush on was something Olivia barely did. Observing from afar, jotting down notes and thinking about them later was what she did. As her friends start to get irritated and concerned, she started to feel the tension within their trio.
Olivia, Kate and Georgia have been friends for years. Growing up with the same set of friends both has advantages and disadvantages. If there was such a thing as an itch in marriage, there was such an itch in friendship too. It cannot be avoided; at least that’s what I think because generally people do not expect the change in the interaction.
The book was about friendship and the transition from being a kid to being a teen, as well as the changes that emerge in the process. The feel of the novel was anxious, hesitant and nostalgic – the usual set of feelings that was associated with growing up. We were never sure of many things when we were growing up into a teen. It was honest and a bit problematic. The egocentric tendencies were also expressed in this novel. We could read it in the three perspectives of the teen friends. I appreciated the variation in the realities of each character. An event could mean something entirely different from one perspective to another. It was a cute and innocent read, brimming with curiosity and the urge to experience and find out about everything under the sun.
Living up to expectations has never been that easy. Olivia was labeled as obsessed. Boy craziness usually comes with their age. Interacting with the opposite sex, one whom she has a crush on was something Olivia barely did. Observing from afar, jotting down notes and thinking about them later was what she did. As her friends start to get irritated and concerned, she started to feel the tension within their trio.
November 25, 2010
The cover on this is bright, inviting, and sparkly, with imprinted glitter on both the back and front. The book follows three teen girls who live in the same apartment block, and who are best friends. From start to finish the book is very detailed about their crushes and how they react to those involved. I found this tiresome in places, probably because I'm way past the age of having crushes ;) I like the way it gave different view points on the current happenings from each character, and the added fortune cookie for each chapter is a really nice touch. I also enjoyed the way it all came together in the end.
The characters do develop slightly through the book. The storyline centers around their friendship. It also gives snapshots into the lives of the other residents as the book progresses. It dissects everything with meticulous care, like only a teen would do, obsessing and shredding everything in order to understand it and explain it. This part to me seemed very real.
The characters do develop slightly through the book. The storyline centers around their friendship. It also gives snapshots into the lives of the other residents as the book progresses. It dissects everything with meticulous care, like only a teen would do, obsessing and shredding everything in order to understand it and explain it. This part to me seemed very real.
January 29, 2011
This book is so good! It is about three girls Georgia,Oliva, and Kate they have been best buds since they all moved in the same apartment. But lately their freindship has been strained and Kate is looking for new best friends and getting all the phone numbers she can get! She has bben so mean she ripped Olivia's notebook! Olivia's notebook was precious to her! But then Olivia suggests that they go around the apartment and sell Chen's foutune cookies ( Georgia's parents chinese restaraunt). So on their journey around the apartment they become friends again!
November 24, 2010
This is a cute tale of three girls, age 13, who live in the same apartment building. On a snow day, they decide to make fortune cookies to bring to all of the people in their building in an attempt to bring people together. It is a book that middle school girls will enjoy. The sparkly cover is also very appealing!
April 6, 2011
Well this would have to be one of the only books I have ever read that was only of like a two day time spand. I will say for the two days it was very detailed. The book showed that friends will always have their differeances, but in the end thats what makes us true friends. I would recomend this if you are into books about friendship, love, and finding out who you are.
September 27, 2013
This book is very relatable to lots of Tweens, I'm sure. Although some of the humor and some of the situations were a bit cheesy. I really like the storyline, though . This book also made me very hungry. After all it is about fortune cookies!
January 27, 2011
Love this author and cant wait to read it!!!!!!!!!!!!!
February 26, 2011
A valentines day love story!
April 14, 2011
review at notanotherbookblog.com
August 5, 2011
grades 4-6
Read
August 9, 2011So cute :)
August 12, 2011
Also a great book I loved it when they went around the building giving out fortune cookies!
September 26, 2013
I liked this book because the storyline was so good. I couldn't put it down. I loved this book
July 10, 2016
I liked reading about the three protagonists and how they deal with their problems.
February 16, 2011
nice book
June 24, 2017
This book was cute, but a little to fake. I think the portrayal of seventh grade girls was a little to inaccurate, and the age range for this book (being categorized as young adult), was wrong. Tween books are hard to categorize, but I would have put this one JFic. All in all this book had a good message, cute story, and love able characters.
Read
February 9, 2022This is not my cup of tea, but if you are a 13 girl, you will enjoy it.
I taught children of this age group and do remember the drama they made for themselves. Though it is in the category of YA, I would put this more in middle school.
I taught children of this age group and do remember the drama they made for themselves. Though it is in the category of YA, I would put this more in middle school.
November 15, 2017
So far I absolutely love this book I’m only on page 128 and it’s so good
January 19, 2019
Light friendship story of 3 girls who live in the same building in NY. How to deal with first crushes, and how relationships change between friends in 7th grade.
March 28, 2020
Amazing
I absolutely loved this book it was the best thing I have ever read! I definitely recommend it to girls!
I absolutely loved this book it was the best thing I have ever read! I definitely recommend it to girls!
Read
June 1, 2020UO
Read
June 15, 2020mehh
January 28, 2021
Really liked this book.
March 4, 2024
Very good but was slow in the middle of th book.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 134 reviews