Close to Famous in Mock Newbery 2026

Aug 10, 2012 Carol Royce Owen rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I loved Joan Bauer's book Hope Was Here, so when I saw this on the Vermont Dorothy Canfield Fisher list this year, I was glad to pick it up. And, once again, Joan Bauer didn't disappoint me. She has a way of developing these positive characters who, yes, have adversity in their lives, but they rise above it and do all they can to overcome. In this case the story is of Foster, a girl who dreams big, and that dream is to one day have a kids' cooking show on the Food Network. And she delivers the g ...more

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Apr 10, 2011 Claire rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: a-7th-and-8th-grade-middle-school-t, 10-to-12-year-old-readers, 8th-grade-and-up

The story opens with Foster and her mother escaping Mom's violent and abusive boyfriend. They travel until fog stops them in Virginia where they find a friendly little town where they can hide. Foster is spunky and determined to succeed at becoming a famous baker.
Mom has been a backup singer for years, Foster knows Mom could be a headliner. Foster has struggled with reading for years, her new friend in town knows Foster can read with lots of work. Mother and Daughter spend the summer facing the ...more

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Dec 30, 2011 Dolores rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Amazon picked this as one of their top 10 books for kids, so I picked it up to read, and I knew from page one that I was going to love it. Foster was just adorable and the entire town of Culpepper won my heart. This is a genuine feel-good book, that explores some deeper themes along the way. Domestic abuse, war, the loss of a parent, a dying town, unemployment, and of course illiteracy. Foster and her mother are the catalysts that spark change in Culpepper. I'm not sure if it was entirely believ ...more

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Sep 09, 2011 Shazzer rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: middle-grade, 2011-middle-grade

As posted on Outside of a Dog:

Illiteracy was a hot topic last year. That is, if you can consider two books a hot topic (which in the small world of really, really good books for children, I do). Early last year Gary Schmidt published Okay for Now which dealt with its main character's lack of reading skills, and here I discover that even earlier in the year, Joan Bauer came out with her own stunning middle grade novel about a protagonist who could not read called Close to Famous. The two books ar As posted on Outside of a Dog:

Illiteracy was a hot topic last year. That is, if you can consider two books a hot topic (which in the small world of really, really good books for children, I do). Early last year Gary Schmidt published Okay for Now which dealt with its main character's lack of reading skills, and here I discover that even earlier in the year, Joan Bauer came out with her own stunning middle grade novel about a protagonist who could not read called Close to Famous. The two books are related in others ways as well. Both narrators come from less than ideal home situations, both encounter abuse in some form, and both find relief in an artistic outlet. For Doug Swieteck it was drawing. For Foster McFee, it's baking.

Foster has always wanted to be a kid chef on the Food Network, alongside her idol, chef Sonny Kroll. No matter where her life with her mother takes her, she bakes. She bakes cookies, she bakes cakes. She makes muffins, and best of all, she makes cupcakes. Nothing heals a broken heart like a cupcake. At least, nothing else can go so far as to try. When Foster and her mother end up living in a trailer in Culpepper, West Virginia, she needs all the help she can get. Slowly Foster makes a home of her trailer and Culpepper, and starts to make friends, odd though they may be. And she continues to bake, making herself a small business out of supplying a local eatery. And when she meets the eccentric, retired movie star Miss Charleena, her life really begins to change, because here is one person ready and willing to help Foster learn to read, and not taking no for an answer.

Close to Famous is a novel that shouldn't really work, but it does. It should be too crowded with themes and characters. It's a book about illiteracy, it's a book about the death of a parent, it's a book about abuse, it's a book where everyone's got a dream, etc. You get my drift. There's a lot going on in its fast-moving 250 pages, and for any writer less skilled than Bauer, it would be a mess. But with this book, you've got an expert on your side, navigating you through the murky waters of "issues" and delivering you on the other side with what is really a book about a girl, living the best way she knows how. Foster is a tower of strength, even, and especially when, she doesn't know it. She has strength for her mother, when they have to leave their home in Memphis at the blink of an eye. She has strength for Miss Charleena when an agent calls with offers the actress doesn't want to hear. She has strength for Macon Dillard, who wants more than anything to be a documentary filmmaker, despite not owning so much as a camera phone. Foster’s strength helps her through some tough and scary times, but never fails her. She is definitely a character to be admired.

Bauer’s supporting cast is just as well defined as Foster. Miss Charleena is tough, slightly nuts and just a little bit ailing of the heart, enough to make her human behind her movie star façade. Macon is determined and passionate and about the “little people” he wants to help with his documentaries. Even Angry Wayne, who buys and sells Foster’s baked goods, has his soft side, though it needs prodding to be seen. My one quibble is with the villain of the piece, Huck, who is rather one-dimensionally nasty, but then again, some people are just lemons and that’s that. But I would have liked to see his character fleshed out a bit more.

A side note: The issue of illiteracy also makes an appearance in Steven Arntson’s The Wikkeling, which is not quite as successful as Okay for Now and Close to Famous.

a funny note: when writing this review I found myself constantly typing "famouse". I've been reading too much Geronimo Stilton!
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Jun 07, 2013 Dawn rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: juvenile, 2013, caudill-bluestem-monarch

Eleven-year-old Foster and her mother leave Memphis in a rush, driving off with their belongings in garbage bags. Her mother grows tired, and they stop on the side of the road in a small town in West Virginia, and that’s where they end up staying. Naturally, the town is full of quirky folks, including a has-been actress. Foster makes friends fairly quickly, as she loves to bake, and passing out cupcakes is a sure way to make friends. Her mom finds a job without too much trouble as well, so this ...more

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Mar 06, 2011 Lisa Nagel rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Grades 6 and up. I loved this one. A feisty and smart Foster, may not be able to read, but she sure loves to bake, and her cupcakes are something I could almost taste. Her determination to face what life throws at her, also changes the lives of the people around her. She says baking saved her, including the time a cupcake saved her from an escaped con. You don't know the power of a cupcake until your life depends upon it. A fun sweet and empowering read. Bring on the cupcakes! ...more

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Feb 01, 2012 Jenn added it · review of another edition

Shelves: middle-grade

Delightful contemporary middle-grade read about a girl, Foster, and her mother who flee Memphis and find themselves in the tiny town of Culpepper. Foster wants to be the first kid with a show on Food Network and the book is infused with a great love of cupcakes. (You will crave them as you read, I assure you.) Although I found the life lessons a little heavy-handed near the end, it's a fast-paced, enjoyable book with memorable characters. Do not read on an empty stomach! ...more

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Feb 16, 2013 Vicki rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2014-il-caudill-books-6-8th-grd

This 2014 IL Rebecca Caudill nominee had several characters who had to overcome challenges. If you like books with characters who are learning how to read, are amazing bakers and refer to the Food Network throughout the story, you will like this book.

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Apr 24, 2012 The Styling Librarian rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: kids-books, middle-school, realistic-fiction, moving-books

Another beautiful community strength book- enjoyed the cupcake business development but could see my cynicism coming through each time I thought about cooking permits, etc.

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Jun 25, 2013 Kirsten rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: middle-readers

Nice girl power, underdog message. Made me hungry for cupcakes. Well written. Especially good for reluctant readers.

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Apr 14, 2011 Kim rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: chapter, family

Foster and her mom run away from her mom's abusive boyfriend and end up in Culpepper, West Virginia. Foster wants to be a chef on t.v. and she bakes for everyone in town. This is a story strangers becoming family. ...more

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