Everything On A Waffle

Coal Harbour #1

by Polly Horvath

Eleven-year-old Primrose, living in a small fishing village in British Columbia, recounts her experiences and all that she learns about human nature and the unpredictability of life in the months after her parents are lost at sea.

Genres: Middle Grade, Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Childrens, Young Adult, Juvenile, Humor

149 pages, Library Binding

First published April 1, 2001

About the author

Polly Horvath is the author of many books for young people, including Everything on a Waffle, The Pepins and Their Problems, The Canning Season and The Trolls. Her numerous awards include the Newbery Honor, the National Book Award for Young People's Literature, the Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor, the Vicky Metcalf Award for Children's Literature, the Mr. Christie Award, the international White Raven, and the Young Adult Canadian Book of the Year. Horvath grew up in Kalamazoo, Michigan. She attended the Canadian College of Dance in Toronto and the Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance in New York City. She has taught ballet, waitressed, done temporary typing, and tended babies, but while doing these things she has always also written. Now that her children are in school, she spends the whole day writing, unless she sneaks out to buy groceries, lured away from her desk by the thought of fresh Cheez Whiz. She lives on Vancouver Island with her husband and two daughters.

http://us.macmillan.com/author/pollyh...

Reviews

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this sweet little gem of a book! It is so surprisingly wise and inspiring and humorous. It really touched me and I'd give it five stars except that I don't think I would have liked it much when I was a kid and kids are, after all, the target audience for this book. I don't mean this in any sort of demeaning way to kids--I think they are incredibly wise and perceptive, sometimes in ways grown-up never can be again--but I think that so many of the observations about people and how and why they behave the way they do might not resonate with kids like it will with grown-ups--at least, in the way it is written here. Then again, maybe I'm just being a lame grown-up who forgot how much I knew about human nature when I was eleven. Also, there's a lot of rather tragic things in the story, like the girl's parents lost at sea (though she believes absolutely they are alive), custody battles with her uncle (who is understanding and loving but gives her too much freedom in the eyes of the authorities), the old lady who used to babysit her losing her memory (or, as she calls it, gaining new memories of things that never happened), accidents and lost toes and things catching on fire... I think it would all have bothered me too much as a kid. Even so, there is a vibrant joy and faith in the story that sings through all the pain--kind of like the waffle that comes with everything (yes, it's at the bottom of every single dish!) at The Girl on the Red Swing restaurant... no matter what covers it, somehow you'll get to that sweet waffle in the end.

If you want to know whether the story has a happy ending....
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It does. Which just made me love the book even more.

[Patti · Rating 1 out of 5]

I can hardly believe that the Newbery Honor was awarded to “Everything on a Waffle”. Cute cover, interesting title, but one of the most boring books I have ever read. There are so many superb Honor books, but this one doesn’t even come close to other winners such as: “Because of Winn Dixie”, “The Wednesday Wars”, “A Long Way from Chicago”, to name of few.

The plot is flat line and the humor is non-existent. The characters were just blah. Two things that bothered me: the cook smoking a cigarette while she’s preparing meals for her waffle restaurant. Was that really necessary to write in that disgusting habit? And an old lady that Primrose has cared about dies in front of her – next words are the recipe for Polynesian Skewers. Seriously?

I was constantly trying to figure out where this story was going. I assume the point was “life lessons”. Seemed to me that the thin plot was more a vehicle for introducing recipes – which Primrose just copied. The best message was found on pg. 130: ”Because, …the only really interesting thing about someone that makes you want to explore them further is their heart, and (character name withheld) has a teeny tiny pea-sized one and it takes you nowhere you want to go”
The Grinch taught me that a long time ago. And I loved that story!

It is easy for me to read kid’s books and think like they might, as I have worked with a few thousand elementary school age kids over an 18+ year career as their librarian. Retired now, I read and share books with my grandchildren’s elementary classes every month. This very quick read was a disappointment.

I will donate my copy to the school library. Just because I didn’t like it doesn’t mean a young student won’t love it. It just won’t have a place in my personal library, or on my recommendation list.

[Krista the Krazy Kataloguer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't expect to like this book, but I did, very much. What kept me reading was the main character, Primrose, who seemed separate from, in her youthful perspective, and yet a part of, the crazy/interesting people and events around her. And the idea of serving food on a waffle had a kind of appeal to me. Made me want to try it...

[Josiah · Rating 3 out of 5]

"At heart, we're all violent raging wolves, but in our actions we can be pacifists."

—Primrose Squarp, Everything on a Waffle, P. 16

"Sometimes you get tempted to make something wonderful even better but in doing so you lose what was so wonderful to begin with."

—Primrose Squarp, P. 36

Everything on a Waffle was not exactly how I expected it to be, but it is an excellent novel that is built around a solid, empathetic heart and soul of gentle wisdom. Polly Horvath's quietly sage reasonings from the lips of Primrose Squarp shine beautifully, resounding in full force throughout the pages to form a story of deep characters who have flaws, but are nonetheless likeable and, in some cases, even admirable.

"Didn't you ever believe anything just because you knew it was true?"

—Primrose, P. 52

"Haven't you ever just known something deep in your heart without reason?"

—Primrose, P. 72

I had the feeling from the very beginning that Primrose was probably right, and the vivid sense she carried in her heart that her parents were still alive was not in any wise steering her wrong. As the plot continued without any sighting of Primrose's parents, however, I began to wonder, and the spot-on writing skills of Polly Horvath certainly showed that the end result would be anything but predictable. Were her parents alive, after all?

"I left parts of myself some places and found others unexpectedly. New people appeared on the scene and others disappeared before I had a chance to say goodbye. All kinds of ordinary people gave their whole hearts to things you wouldn't think you could give your heart to."

—Everything on a Waffle, P. 149

Everything on a Waffle is an excellent story, with genuinely touching moments and sharply realized insights. I'm not sure if I would have given this book a Newbery Honor citation for 2002 (Sharon Creech's Love That Dog being significantly impressive as well), but I WOULD say that Polly Horvath has succeeded masterfully in writing this story, and I look forward to more of what she has to offer the literary world.

"...the only really interesting thing about someone that makes you want to explore them further is their heart".

—Primrose Squarp, P. 130

[Luisa Knight · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is ok. It's a lighthearted book about a girl that becomes an orphan after her parents go missing in a storm at sea. If you're looking for a similar story, I'd highly recommend Counting by 7s instead. It's written so much better, and has incredibly likable and memorable characters.

Cleanliness: Landsakes, crap, heaven's sake, god-awful, darn it, oh my God are said in the book. "Jesus, Mary, and Maude" is said. A character smokes. It mentions a character swears for emphasis. A girl thinks there are ghosts/spirits in a house - there are not- and she mentions a seance. The girl lies to get something she wants. A girl is accused of trying to commit suicide - she was not. Drinking alcohol is mentioned. A women says that we're all connected: humans, birds and leaves.

**Like my reviews? I also have hundreds of detailed reports that I offer too. These reports give a complete break-down of everything in the book, so you'll know just how clean it is or isn't. I also have Clean Guides (downloadable PDFs) which enable you to clean up your book before reading it!

Visit my website!

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

You have got to love Polly Horvath. No, really, you do. Who else could pull off a novel such as this one, in which all the ingredients for a grim tragedy (parental deaths! maimings of innocents! homes burning down! children being shunted off into foster care! people generally being mean to one another, as they are in life) are instead whipped up into something sustained, hilarious, and ultimately life-affirming? Nobody else, I'd wager.

And yet the story is not a farce. It occasionally veers close to farce, but thanks to the unsinkable Panglossian optimism of her narrator, Primrose Squarp, we believe the excesses of the story and chalk them up to Primrose.

It's a jewel of a book and was quite rightly named a Newbery Honor novel. Might could have won the actual award were it not for Linda Sue Park's unassailably wonderful A Single Shard. A good year for great novels.

(On a side note, this book has literally one of the worst children's books covers in memory. Seriously, FSG, what were you thinking?)

[Hanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a cute little middle grade! Honestly I don't know why/how it got a Newbery, because this definitely is not the same level as a lot of other Newbery books I've read. With that being said, this is a really cute book! It's only 150 pages, so it was really short and I read it in about an hour.

The protagonist is one of those orphaned big eyed mousy brown hair thin white girls that are precocious and too smart for their age, but who believes her parents are still alive. Her small Canadian town is trying their best to take care of her (but is not doing a very good job) but somehow things all fall together in place really easily.

This book has to be read with either the innocence of a 9 year old or a heaping spoonful of suspension of disbelief (getting run over by a truck and only losing one's pinky toe? really?) but it really was a fun & lighthearted read. The best part of the book was the restaurant, The Girl on the Red Swing, whose trademark it is to serve everything on top of a waffle (thus, the title). The owner of the shop was really entertaining.

Overall, this was a fun book; not up to Newbery Medal standards in my book, but a wholesome read set in a small town nonetheless.

[Sandra · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 - 2.5 stars
We struggled to finish this one.

[Chance Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Almost makes me want to get a waffle maker. And to believe that everything will be okay. But the waffle maker is easier.

[Randi B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Don’t let the the elementary/middle school marketing fool you, this was a good time! Such a cute, feel good story. Primrose is that girl!! She is presented with hit after hit but these mishaps are no match for her upbeat and positive attitude. Primrose very much gave new age Anne of Green Gables type vibes.

I had an amazing time in Coal Harbor. If I could visit The Girl on the Red Swing restaurant in real life my life would be complete. Who wouldn’t want to go a restaurant where each menu item is-you guessed it- served on a waffle 🧇??

This story was anything but predictable, just when I thought I had it figured out BOOM another curveball. With plenty of laugh out loud moments and a recipe at the end of each chapter, what more could you ask for?

I can’t wait to try at least one of the recipes. I’m thinking either the lemon sugar cookies or the cinnamon rolls. Oh and of course the final recipe presented was for waffles! Too cute. *There was no mention of any seasoning in the asparagus recipe so I’m gonna go ahead and skip that one *🤫

If you’re looking for a lighthearted read/listen with minimal stress, this is the one!

Reading challenge #74 A novel about food with recipes

[Library Lady 📚 · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've been seeing this book in classroom libraries for years. I have to say, I enjoyed it. Maybe it was a little sweet for my taste, but still good. I thought the recipes were really cleverly incorporated, and I wanted to try them all.

The story was good, and I was engaged the whole time. I just thought it wrapped up a little *too* neatly at the end. Plus, I wanted the Girl on the Red Swing lady to get together with Uncle Jack!

Overall it was a light, fluffy read, a bit unrealistically happy but still enjoyable.

Recommended for a quick read/palate cleanser.

NOT recommended for: kids who have lost a parent in any form or fashion.

[Hallie (Hallie Reads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

[~ Cheryl ~ · Rating 1 out of 5]

“Delightful. Hilarious. Entertaining. Insightful. These adjectives don’t even begin to describe a novel I simply couldn’t put down…” –The Syracuse Post-Standard

“They’re right. Those adjectives DON’T describe this novel.”


That snappy comeback gets credited to my daughter, and it had me doubled over with laughter. We read this book together, in an attempt to revive our summertime read-aloud tradition. About two-thirds of the way through, finally admitting that this story was going nowhere, I turned the book over and read the couple of review blurbs aloud. Experienced readers know those snippets of praise can’t always be trusted. And now, I’m sad to admit, that shiny little Newberry Honor medal on the cover cannot always be trusted either.

Eleven-year-old Primrose, newly orphaned, is shuffled in and out of the care of various adults in her small town. Primrose believes against all reason that her parents aren’t dead, but merely lost at sea. She maintains this faith, even in the face of the many townspeople who tell her otherwise.

Perhaps slightly off-beat, the story started with some promise. But the more we read, the weaker the story became. Characters discussed things that seemed the beginning of a larger theme, but had no relevance later. Plot points popped up at random and proved to be pointless or simply evaporated. Characters were too odd to be endearingly quirky. (I could make a case for one or two characters, but they could not enjoy their full potential under Horvath’s pen.)
I feel like Horvath picked up a dozen different threads in trying to create this story, but then didn’t know how to make them all part of the same cloth. So the ending, when it came, was flat.

I’m all for quirky middle grade reads; this one was just lame.

I’ve heard it said that a bad day of fishing is still better than a good day at work. It may be a stretch, but I think I can apply that sentiment to reading this book. It may not have been a good read, but reading is still better than washing the dishes. More importantly, I shared this book with my daughter. We experienced it together and we had a few laughs. And so in that way, it most certainly was “delightful.”





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[TK · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute children’s book. I’d buy it for a kid. Nice storytelling and I loved that it included recipes.

Everyone things Primrose’s parents are dead except her. She just knows in her heart what she knows without reason.
As she goes from home to home she is constantly met with naysayers and mean children. Thank goodness for Ms Bowser and The Girl on the Red Swing. Primrose finds a friend and learns to cook.

Light read worth the happy ending. Sometimes you just need the innocent joy of children to break up the heavy reads.

[CaseyTheCanadianLesbrarian · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was mildly entertaining but I honestly probably wouldn't have continued if I hadn't been listening to the audiobook. It felt like one of those award winning kids books that isn't really written *for* kids. And I don't know, maybe this is because I'm not an only child, but I just thought this book where a school age kid doesn't know anyone except adults was kinda weird. Maybe only children would identify with that?

[Beth]

Another audio I'll come back to when I have more time to listen! For now, I have to listen to one for an assignment, and this one just isn't keeping my attention for that.

[Lexi Gregory · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite books with many interesting topics! Love how it shows children imagination!

[Ridgewood Public Library Youth Services · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fantastic read full of endearing positivity and misadventure. The plot begins with the protagonist, Primrose Squarp, introducing herself and the biggest dilemma in her life: the untimely disappearance of her parents at sea. She is juggled from caretaker to caretaker, all while fruitlessly trying to convince everyone that her parents were not, in fact, killed by the typhoon they had ventured into. Primrose frequently hangs around The Girl in the Swing, a restaurant where every single dish is served on a waffle (hence the title). She learns cooking skills and life lessons from the owner of the restaurant, and they develop a close relationship.

What I like the most about this book is the fact that every character is memorable. Primrose manages to make every person entering her life seem colorful in personality, even with characters that seem dull at first. I love the way I felt connected to Primrose because of the inner monologue she had every time she conversed with anyone. I think it made the book a lot lighter and reflected Primrose's unwavering hopeful attitude.

I also love that Primrose includes a recipe that pairs with her experiences in the preceding chapter. I think that this was a really smart decision on the author's part. It allowed me to remember what happened, and the recipes are actually doable and look delicious!

- Kate, Grade 10

[LaCitty · Rating 2 out of 5]

Romanzo per bambini che non mi entusiasmato molto: l'ho trovato a tratti noioso e soprattutto un po' freddo. Gli eventi, a volte anche drammatici come la progressiva perdita di memoria della donna che si prende cura di Primula dopo la scomparsa dei genitori o il suo allontanamento dallo zio, vengono raccontati con un tono quasi oggettivo senza lasciare spazio ai sentimenti della piccola protagonista. Tutto rimane in superficie, ma secondo me un bambino di 10 anni può cominciare a fare un po' di introspezione su temi come la perdita e l'abbandono. Insomma, anni luce da Harry Potter

[Catherine Hirsch · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fun book - enjoyed the waffle recipe - we topped ours with fruit and whipped cream. Yum!

[Sandra Hernandez · Rating 4 out of 5]

So I have to say this was a pretty fun book. It’s about a little girl who family basically gets lost at sea. The father who is like a fisherman for something with boats. He goes out to see and there’s a bad storm so the mother goes out to try to rescue him and leaves the girl. Everyone in the town assumes they’re both dead. The babysitter who the Mom left the girl with is then held responsible to take care of her and his paid like two dollars to take care of her but they know this is not a long-term goal and they are able to find Mom‘s brother, who is the Uncle at first. He doesn’t want to take the kiddo but through time does end up agreeing. I like the little recipes in between the stories and how the girl never loses hope

[Heidi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Originally reviewed here.

I believe that when most people read the phrase “emotional comfort food read” their minds will immediately turn to the Chicken Soup for the Soul line of books that were so popular more than a decade ago. And yet, Polly Horvath’s Everything on a Waffle is exactly the type of book that fits under the emotional comfort food read heading. To me, there is no better way to describe the deep-seated warmth that filled my insides as I consumed this book. Bunbury readers know that I have a long standing love of Middle Grade fiction, but it might shock you to know I was hard pressed to bring to mind a single contemporary MG book that I have read that was not required reading for me in school (such as Shiloh, Because of Winn Dixie, etc.). I couldn’t think of a single one that I’d read by choice, though I did enjoy many I was assigned in class. That alone made Everything on a Waffle an out of the box read for me, and I am so glad I did it.

Everything on a Waffle tells the story of a young, redheaded Primrose Squarp (not Everdeen) who lives in the fishing village of Coal Harbor, British Columbia. When her father fails to return from his ship one evening in the midst of a terrible storm, her mother follows him out into the sea on her small skiff. Neither return, but Primrose refuses to accept the notion that they are dead. She is certain that they are surviving together on an island somewhere, bound to return eventually. Because of her firm belief she is ostracized and teased by others her age, pitied by adults, and left largely to fend for herself. Primrose moves in with her uncle, a developer bent on changing everything about Coal Harbor who does little to help her local popularity. Primrose, however, draws comfort from her beliefs, food, and companionship at The Girl in the Red Swing, a restaurant where no matter your order, everything is served on a waffle.

What is it about little redheaded girls that I find so incredibly loving and endearing? Is it overflow from my love of Anne Shirley? Or maybe it’s because I have a little redheaded niece I adore. It’s hard to say, but Primrose Squarp has found herself neatly situated in good company. She’s steadfast in her belief that her parents live, and really doesn’t care what anyone else thinks so long as they aren’t teasing and patronizing her. Primrose’s insistence causes her to have many interesting conversations with townsfolk about times when they believed something contrary to the evidence.

Everything on a Waffle is full of rich characters, and what I found unusual about it was that other than Primrose, they were really all adults. She has very little in the way of relationships with children her own age. On the one hand, this is sad, but on the other hand her ability to connect with Miss Bowzer, the owner and chef at The Girl in the Red Swing, is incredibly endearing. Her uncle, who turns his own life upside down to take Primrose in after her parents disappearance keeps her faith, supports her, and lets her do her own thing. Unfortunately for Primrose, the rest of the souls in Coal Harbor cannot forgive her for not falling apart at her parents’ disappearance. They cannot relate to a love so strong that one would follow another out into such a storm, or a faith so fervent a child refuses to accept her parents’ death.

I also appreciated that Everything on a Waffle forced me to see the other side of the coin in terms of development. Coal Harbor is a fishing and whaling village, and with whaling soon to be outlawed and the navy withdrawing, it’s evident that many in the town will be losing work. Primrose’s Uncle Jack is a developer who wants to turn Coal Harbor into a premiere tourist destination, and believes it’ll save the town. Having grown up the daughter of a small business owner in a small town, I’ve always had a very negative outlook for those who wish to develop towns in this way. I have the utmost disdain for tourist towns like Jackson Hole, Wyoming, that I honestly don’t even consider part of the state it has been developed so beyond the surrounding culture to attract only inhabitants from far away places. Jack spends much of Everything on a Waffle working to buy up properties and businesses and replace them with more corporate or touristy options. Polly Horvath’s story didn’t really change my mind or make me okay with this sort of thing (and I don’t think it was trying to), but it did show me the other point of view. The idea that Jack is working to save Coal Harbor, provide jobs, and generate income for locals in new ways is positive. I’m not going to stop gearing up to protest the building of a Wall-Mart in my hometown, but I will be more mindful of this perspective in the future.

Finally, the most delightful aspect of Everything on a Waffle (besides the paperback cover, which I adore), was the food. Each chapter closes out with a recipe for an item mentioned therein. Even the recipes are written with heart and humor, and they vary from the simplicity of how to boil potatoes perfectly to the complexities of cinnamon rolls. I think it would be so much fun to read this book together with a child, and after each chapter work together to make the recipe mentioned. Polly Horvath understands how food can be a comfort and make you feel at home when the rug has been pulled out from under you and you are surrounded by nothing else that is familiar. Reading Everything on a Waffle was kind of like getting a good hug, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

[Adriana · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Everything on a waffle" by Polly Horvath is a book about a girl called Primrose Squarp whose parents disapper in the sea. She lives with various people like Mrs Perfidy and her Uncle Jack. She experiences Adventures with Mrs Bowzer and even her dog Mallomar in the Canadian town of Coal Harbour. She shows bravery and she thinks about something that everybody thinks its not true but she is still convinced. She loves "The Girl on the Red Swing"were she learns how to cook and needs to hear Miss Honeycut's long boring stories that make her want to leave everytime she runs into her. I really enjoyed this book and HAVE YOU EVER JUST KNOWN SOMETHING DEEP IN YOUR HEART WITHOUT REASON? this is what Primrose felt in the story. I hope you guys enjoy this book and also, Learn how to cook!

[Hannah Robertson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good children’s book about a spunky girl fighting for what she knows is true. **spoiler ahead but also I don’t know any fourth graders on this platform which is the target audience lol**

In the first chapter, we learn that her parents are fishermen and there was a storm one day and they never came back. The entire book she is saying her parents are lost at sea and they aren’t truly dead and everyone else is saying there is no way they are still alive. The entire book is positioned on her dealing with their absence and this grief she’s in denial of, which is a pretty profound theme for children. But then in the last five pages of the book her parents turn up. And if I’m honest I wish they didn’t because it sort of tears down this theme of grappling with loss and hard realities.

But overall entertaining, good characters, and a good book for a nine or ten year old.

[Nicole-Anne Keyton (Hint of Library) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book in a Little Free Library and was immediately drawn to the cover and title. What truly convinced me to take this one home was the first sentence on the back cover: “Primrose Squarp simply knows her parents did not perish at sea during a terrible storm…”

What follows is a brilliant story of an 11-year-old’s months of independence, eventful loss of bodily parts (!), and gainful social wisdom. Equal parts whimsical and somber, this is a children’s book that calls attention to our childhood fears of not being heard or taken seriously when the adult world often fails us.

[Amber Scaife · Rating 4 out of 5]

Primrose moves in with her uncle when her parents both disappear at sea. Everyone else in their small British Columbia town says they're dead, but Primrose holds on to the belief that they'll still come back. She struggles with kids at school and with the uppity, narrow-minded principal, but finds unlikely friends in the old lady who took her in before her uncle arrived and the proprietor of the local restaurant, which serves everything on the menu on a waffle.
I neat little story with vivid characters, of which Primrose is definitely the star. Bonus: recipes for several of the restaurant's offerings are included at the ends of chapters.

[Maggie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A coming of age fiction novel about an eleven year old girl who won’t give up hope that her parents didn’t drowned at sea. Primrose Squarp waits patiently for their return in the small Canadian coastal town of Coal Harbor, surrounded by quirky adults who teach her about the strength of love and family.

[Holly B · Rating 4 out of 5]

The kids really liked this book (one rated it a 3, one a 4 and one a 5, so we took an average). Some pretty funny/silly parts. Does use the word “crap” which isn’t a word we use at home with the kids. Has some pretty serious parts (the parents are lost at sea, and the MFC loses a toe and part of her finger- which was crazy).

[Chejo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Libro de mi infancia que me marco pero tuve que leer pues aún siendo de niños no es todo felicidad, paz y armonía, al contrario la personalidad de la niña es bastante acertada, aunque a esta edad ya no te concectas con el personaje pues ahora tengo otro pensamiento sigue siendo un buen libro con enseñanzas.

[Emily · Rating 1 out of 5]

1.5 stars. I think this book is intended to be comical with idiosyncratic characters, but it has some heavy undertones and I personally found it strange and a bit morbid. There was quite a bit of talk about death, but in a matter of fact way. I don’t recall any particularly meaningful lessons or themes.

I listened to the audiobook with my daughter. It would have been a DNF except she wanted to know how the story ended. Personally, I couldn’t wait to be done with it.