Maddison McQueen and the Cupcake Mystery

Bailey, age 9 ~ Your story was absolutely amazing!!! I love the way the characters had amazing personalities, had a huge love for dogs and were adventurous people. I loved the characters’ names, the way you described them, everything. While I was reading it, I felt… cool and adventurous on the inside. The story felt AMAZINGLY REAL. (although I would NEVER do something like that in real life. 😂)

Adele Broadbent, WhatBookNext.com ~ Set in Wanaka (NZ), this mystery novel for 7+ is a fun, refreshing read with kiwi kids solving a cupcake crime. Bike riding, dog training, and sneaking out at night brings tension and excitement, and more trouble than they imagined, but the characters believe it is all worth it to solve the mystery of missing cupcakes and changes in their friendship dynamics. With lots of tips on training dogs sprinkled throughout, the cute depictions of a border collie at the beginning of each chapter and a dyslexia friendly, clear font, this fast-paced mystery is the first in a series featuring Maddie and her friends solving more local mysteries. Read the full review.

Leila Austin, The Sapling ~ Sure, this book might be cute and sweet, but it’s not at all shallow. Gordon-Smith has done an artful job of writing a rip-roaring plot but sneaking in all kinds of thoughtful details that give her world a rare depth for a junior fiction series. It makes sense to me that Gordon-Smith is a bookseller, because I get the impression this is an author who knows her audience inside out. Much like a plate of Maddie’s white chocolate and passionfruit cupcakes, I could see seven to nine year olds devouring this one. With its short, punchy chapters and dyslexia friendly formatting, it has potential to draw in a fair few reluctant readers too. Read the full review.

Rebekah Lyall, NZ Booklovers ~ Author Kate Gordon-Smith navigates friendships, intergenerational relationships, diversity, mental health and much more. These topics are handled sensitively and realistically. Gordon-Smith doesn’t let the topics dominate either, allowing readers to lose themselves in the story. She knows her audience too, pitching the book bang on for those readers taking their first steps into novels. The language used is spot on for those developing fluency, while the unknown words aren’t going to break the flow. This book will also make for a great read-aloud, with short, snappy chapters and plenty of pace. Read the full review.