Note: I received a digital galley of this book through NetGalley. ( )

As far as a book for a first grader, I was nothing but pleased with Original Recipe! Often times in books for this age, children are doing things beyond what a child their age should be able to do. I loved how realistic these characters felt. The ending was different than one would have thought. I loved that they didn't win the competition. I loved that the person that Finley already had a problem with won. That is something kids can really relate to. Kids don't always win, no matter how great their intentions are. More often than not, the person you are really jealous of does well. In a lot of books the characters would come to a cheesy unrealistic friendship with their "enemy." That didn't need to happen. The character development wasn't much- which is what being a kid is sometimes.
I really loved this book and am excited to read the 2nd book to my 6 year old daughter. ( )

RL 3.2