$150,000 Rugelach

by Allison Marks, Wayne Marks, Ariel Landy (Illustrator)

Recommended by Entertainment Weekly as a Best Book of 2021

A delicious tale of rivalry, friendship, heartache, and dessert! Fame-obsessed Jack and somber Jillian, who is mourning the loss of her mother, become a mismatched duo selected to compete for $150,000 in a high-stakes baking contest jam-packed with hilarious high jinks.

"This sweet story is a delightful, quick read with a wonderfully charming cast of characters. The delicious descriptions of baked goods are sure to make readers' mouths water; fortunately, three recipes are included. A refreshing and uplifting book filled with friendship, heartache, and a generous sprinkling of love." -- Kirkus Reviews

"The Markses excel at creating goofy but appealing extrovert Jack seems beyond embarrassment, yet he honors Jillian's wish to keep her mom's story private; Grandma Rita has no cooking skills, but she rocks at martial arts and plumbing repairs; and Phineas Farnsworth exploits everyone he encounters but has a soft spot for the memory of the nanny who raised him." -- Booklist

"The authors excel at lay­ered depic­tions of the hard­work­ing young pro­tag­o­nists and the adults in their lives, offer­ing an enter­tain­ing jour­ney that cel­e­brates friend­ship, team­work, and con­nec­tions that span generations."-- Jewish Book Council

"A sweet delight of a middle-grade story that reminds readers that the key ingredient for any recipe is always love."-- Entertainment Weekly

"Like Jack and Jillian themselves, this book is a blend of over-the-top zany fun and earnest food for thought that will appeal to a wide audience." -- Association of Jewish Libraries

Exploding with loud, rock 'n' roll attitude, eleven-year-old Jack Fineman dreams of becoming the greatest pastry chef who ever lived. His plans are thrown off course when his butterscotch basil brownies are upstaged at his sixth-grade holiday party by a simple plate of chocolate rugelach brought in by Jillian Mermelstein-the new girl at school whose mother has just died and who only wants to be left alone.

These budding bakers' lives are mixed together when they are selected to compete as teammates in a nationally televised competition. For Jack, this is his chance to advance one step closer to culinary greatness. For Jillian, it's an opportunity to help her father by winning her share of the $150,000 top prize.

Preparing to face bakers from the city's other middle schools, Jack and Jillian struggle to find the right recipe for working together. Along the way, they make the world's most irresistible oatmeal cricket cookies, battle Jack's checkered-pants-wearing brother for miniature golf supremacy, and discover the troubling reasons why each of them was chosen for the contest.

Genres: Middle Grade, Jewish, Realistic Fiction, Friendship, Childrens, Family, Cooking

240 pages, Paperback

Published May 2, 2023

Reviews

[Stephanie Fitzgerald · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jack’s life-goal is to become a world-famous pastry chef. When he is paired up with quiet Jillian to enter a local cooking competition, he has serious doubts that she will be of any help to him. To Jack’s surprise, Jillian is quite the baker herself…and she has some goals and dreams of her own that she’s not quite ready to share.
A great, heart-warming read! It contains some great themes on the importance of family support, honesty, and what true friendship really means. The Jewish traditions and holidays that are tied in with the desserts Jack and Jillian create add a lot to the story’s warmth and depth. And, there are recipes at the end!

[Afoma (Reading Middle Grade) · Rating 4 out of 5]

The $150,000 Rugelach is a charming, entertaining, and moving middle grade book about Jewish culture, cooking, and dealing with grief. This story also spotlights a warm grandparent-grandchild relationship, a family dealing with financial struggles, and a fun sibling relationship. Some suspension of disbelief may be required to get through certain parts of the story, but it's so feel-good, it's worth it.

Read my full review on my blog.

[michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

* E ARC provided by Edelweiss+

This sweet book brings together two very different young chefs for a cooking competition. 11 year old Jack Fineman dreams of being a world famous chef a la his idol, Phineas Farnsworth III. He buys all of the tools and thinks bigger is always better. He gets paired with Jillian Mermelstein, also in 6th grade, who is the new-girl-in-town, her mother just died, and who bakes from the heart. In the process of trying to find the "just right" recipe to use on the televised competition, they learn more about each other, their reasons behind entering the competition, and even about their pasts. Jillian's grandma Rita adds an adult's wisdom in a quirky, fun manner. The story is written with wit and joy, a fun ride for kids who enjoy books like the Tapper Twins and the 13 Story Treehouse.

[L.E. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was given an advanced copy and can say this is a wonderful book, one that a middle-schooler -- particularly one with a passion for baking and/or food reality-show contests -- will excitedly embrace. The story is told with heart and humor, with characters who must navigate the dual worlds of middle school and celebritydom. (What do you do when a schoolmate asks you to autograph a corn chip?). While kids will delight in the over-the-top nature of the baking-obsessed community, they’ll also relate to the down-to-earth issues faced by the protagonists. With an ending that is emotional and satisfying, I expect many young readers, upon finishing this terrific book, will head straight to the kitchen to try their hand at creating their own culinary works of art.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Looks like I will be reading middle-grade/children's books for my job now, so I will no longer elusively be reading romance 😂.

I haven't read a middle-grade book in a while, but I thought this was exceptional. I loved all the characters: Jillian, Jack, Chad, Bruce, and Grandma Rita. I especially loved how Jack and Jillian were able to help each other grow; Jack became more empathetic and Jillian really grew out of her shell. Chad was both of their cheerleaders and he crept into my heart.

I am so happy I started my middle-grade journey with this book because now I want to read more :).

[Patricia Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was fortunate to receive an advance reader copy of this sweet and funny story of two very different eleven-year-olds who compete in a baking challenge. Whether you're a middle-grader or an adult, you'll want to find out if Jack and Jillian can learn to work together and come out on top. A highly enjoyable and meaningful read.

[Mick Hurray · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the story of a young boy and girl and their attempt to fulfill their dream. In their efforts to do so, there are enough delicious twists and turns to mirror the Rugelach pastry itself.
Best of all the authors have included the same 'special ingredient' in their writing which has been discovered by their protagonists.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

My youngest and I read this and really enjoyed the story. We ended by making the Rugelach and added some of our own fillings (raspberry/pomegranate jam and walnut/pecan/brown sugar/butter mixture). They were all super delicious and we can't wait to try the lemon bars next! What a sweet way to end a sweet story ☺️

[Sarah Flood · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the concept and the characters were so cute. I do feel like there was some fleshing out to be done, but that's from my adult brain. I think my patrons would love this book and it has a great balance of comedy and seriousness that is perfect for tweens who want to move away from the "babyish" books and move more towards being a teen.

[Gwen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A grandmother who changes her car's oil, a boy dreaming of being a world famous pastry chef, a girl mourning the death of her mother. Lessons abound here, and it all starts with some chocolate rugelach and the secret for any recipe: make it with love.
A great PJ library selection, with good lessons and yummy recipes.

[Esther Keller · Rating 4 out of 5]

I did not think I would enjoy it so much! Now I am thinking of doing this as a read aloud. Strong characters. Compassion. Humor. A great read.

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think that 5th graders would like this book. It would be easy for me to present this story to a class. I think it will be one of my choices

[Alia · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5

[Rebecca Heywood · Rating 4 out of 5]

Don’t know what to say about it. A pretty trope cooking challenge story, but cute. Easy read. A couple recipes to try. I enjoyed it.

[Jacqueline · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely delightful. This is a book for food enthusiasts and everyone in between. The story is both humorous and heartwarming. A highly recommended read.

[Kerry · Rating 5 out of 5]

My daughter and I finished reading a book last night called "The $150,000 Rugelach." It was so good! Recommended for 2nd to 8th grade. And at the end of the book was a recipe for chocolate rugelach! Guess what we made today!

[Amy Ariel · Rating 4 out of 5]

We read this book as our September book in the middle grade Jewish book club I facilitate. The readers loved it AND Allison and Wayne joined us for our book discussion and they are THE BEST!

This is such a sweet read. I'll come back and write more.

[Aly V · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a sweet read (no pun intended), with lovable characters. What more could you ask for in a middle grade read? :)