Even after her parents disappear at sea, an 11-year-old girl is convinced that they are still alive. As she is shuffled from household to household, the heroine delivers a "lively recital of her misadventures," PW wrote in a starred review. "A laugh-out-loud pleasure from beginning to triumphant end." Ages 10-up. (Sept.) Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Horvath (The Trolls) delivers another hilariously puckish read with this tale of a (possibly) orphaned girl from a small Canadian fishing village. Eleven-year-old Primrose Squarp refuses to attend the memorial service for her parents after they disappear at sea. "Haven't you ever just known something deep in your heart without reason?" she demands of all and sundry, convinced her parents are still alive. Meanwhile, she is shuffled from the custody of her elderly neighbor Miss Perfidy to her likable but somewhat feckless Uncle Jack. Not unlike another beloved red-haired Canadian heroine, Primrose whose own hair is "the color of carrots in an apricot glaze (recipe to follow)" attracts trouble like a magnet. In addition to singeing the fur on the class guinea pig, she manages to lose a baby toe and part of a finger in chapters entitled "I Lose a Toe" and "I Lose Another Digit" accidents that land her in the foster care of an older couple whose stature and girth give them the look of "kindly old hard-boiled eggs." Primrose's lively recital of her misadventures comes complete with recipes, pungent descriptions ("the feeling of joy swept through my soul like fire up a vacuum") and memorable characters, among them the tough-talking, golden-hearted owner of a local restaurant that serves everything (even fish and chips) on waffles. A laugh-out-loud pleasure from beginning to triumphant end. Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

Gr 4-6 "Didn't you ever believe anything just because you knew it was true?" Eleven-year-old Primrose asks this question of the inhabitants of Coal Harbour, British Columbia whenever the topic of her parents' disappearance comes up. They were lost in a storm at sea, and she is the only one who believes they will return. Polly Horvath's Everything on a Waffle (Farrar, 2001) is Primrose's sweet and often quirky observations of the townspeople who help her cope with her loss. Moving from Miss Perfidy, the elderly babysitter, to Uncle Jack, her reluctant only relative, to foster parents Bert and Evie, with plenty of input from Miss Honeycut, the school counselor, and Miss Bowzer, the owner and operator of The Girl on the Red Swing, Primrose develops a philosophy of life that will satisfy young and old alike. This is a coming-of-age story of a child who believes with her heart while trying to make sense of the world around her. Primrose has a very strong voice, and Kathleen McInerney is the perfect narrator. She is girlish without being cloying, and conveys Primrose's youthful innocence and sense of humor without sarcasm or cynicism, Her reading of the recipes that appear at the end of each chapter not only binds the work together but illustrates Primrose's spirit. This unusual novel is a must for elementary school libraries. If you only have enough money in your budget for one audio purchase this year, make sure to buy this high quality and uplifting performance. -Maura Martin Smith, Somerset Elementary School, Shawnee Mission, KS Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.

In [Horvath's] capable hands the dilemma of Primrose Squarp is revealed with hilarity and buoyant good nature. . . . Subtlety and slapstick is a challenging combination; Horvath pulls it off beautifully.” —The Horn Book Magazine, Starred Review

“Horvath delivers another hilariously puckish read with this tale of a (possibly) orphaned girl from a small Canadian fishing village. . . . A laugh-out-loud pleasure from beginning to triumphant end.” —Publishers Weekly, Starred Review

“The story is full of subtle humor and wisdom, presented through the eyes of a uniquely appealing young protagonist.” —School Library Journal

“. . . a deeply touching novel about irrational faith.” —Orlando Sentinel

“Delightful. Hilarious. Entertaining. Insightful. These adjectives don't even begin to describe a novel I simply couldn't put down. . . . You'll love it.” —The Syracuse Post-Standard

Start with that wacky name--Primrose Squarp--and the fact that her best friend’s restaurant serves everything on a waffle (even if you order a waffle!)--and it’s a good guess that listeners are in for a tall tale. Eleven-year-old Primrose, a Coal Harbor, British Columbia, orphan, believes that both of her parents, thought to have been lost at sea, will one day return to her, from the belly of the whale, as it were. Life with her mothball-ridden, squeaky-voiced, acrimonious guardian, Miss Perfidy, is dreary, with only the gruff, tough Miss Bowzer and her recipes to cheer her. When the vibrant but self-important Uncle Jack arrives to take over her care, he further complicates the plot with his real estate dealings and neglect. Kathleen McInerney’s reading of the confident, earnest, and pragmatic first-person narration includes the delivery of a series of recipes between chapters. A wild romp through unlikely and humorous waters. T.B. 2003 ALA Notable Recording © AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine