The Candymakers

This review will not spoil anything for you if you read it all. What an amazing story this was!! I was reading it in hopes to find more novels to read aloud to my third graders. I was amazed at how well the author put this story together for kids to read from 4 different points of view. THAT right there was a plus for me from the get go. Then, it just simply kept getting better and better. As long as it is, there were no dry areas. It kept me going. From the detailed character descriptions, dialogue, and the overall connections between them, you really feel as if you KNEW them. They are your friends! The connections between the characters was so unique and so beautifully written that even I was crying with tears of happiness in the end. The author mentions something a couple times throughout the book that had me asking myself if that was meant to symbolize something. And I was right! Which was why I cried in the end. The moral of the story is one I personally will never forget. Almost life changing actually. Also, I must point out that even as an adult, this book has a few twists that had me fly right off my seat saying, "Whaaaaaaat! WOW!" Got to love a book with more than one unpredicted twist! LOVE LOVE LOVE this book! I have now made this book the main driving point for the Module A in my ELA block for teaching character development and sequence of events. Thank you Wendy Mass for writing such a wonderful novel that even adults can fall in love with.

I read this book to my 7 year old son and we both decided it was in our top 5 of favorites books ever. It is the story of a candymaker's son who has been disfigured in an accident and thus kept sheltered in the factory where he naturally came to be an expert in all things candy. At 12 years old he was finally eligible to enter the yearly candymaking contest-an event he had waited for all of his life. His father and grandfather were previous contest winners and legendary figures in the candymaking world. Three other contestants were invited to a candymaker boot camp of sorts, where they would learn the techniques required to create their visions. The characters are rich in complexity and they each have secrets which unfold slowly as the story progresses. This is a wonderful book for children as it contains, mystery, excitement, novelty and some important life lessons. Some of the plot and some of the characters were a bit too complex for my 7 year old son to grasp immediately, but the book provoked a lot of conversations and most importantly, kept his interest until the last word. Neither of us wanted it to end and we savored every delicious word. You won't regret buying this book

This is a great book, and I would recommend it to all who are reading my review, and many more. The fact that the perspective keeps changing focus from one character to the next lets you see all sides of the story, and what each main character is thinking. The story has more action and suspense than what the title suggests. There is the distraction made many Phillip at the judging ceremony, leaving you wondering what he is doing and whether he is safe. There is the unexpected meeting of all four characters at night at the Cocoa Room, as well as Daisy's brief scuffle with Phillip. Still, this book is a device for a whopping load of humor. This would make the most serious businessman, such as Phillip, laugh out loud. There are some points that tend to get a bit confusing. This includes how Bo is just AJ being called Bo by Daisy, why Phillip decides the cloud is a Bubbletastic ChocoRocket while Logan decides it is a Harmonicandy, which are probably two completely different shapes. Still, many readers, including me, are screaming for a sequel. The mystery of Daisy's brother and what the group does as true candy makers makes suspense so intense that it is killing me.

I'm a big Wendy Mass fan. So be warned, I may be a little biased.One of my favorite books of all time is JEREMY FINK AND THE MEANING OF LIFE. After reading it, I discovered A MANGO SHAPED SPACE, HEAVEN LOOKS A LOT LIKE THE MALL, EVERY SOUL A STAR, and ELEVEN BIRTHDAYS. I think her novels do appeal more to the younger female gender (not me), but Jeremy Fink was so great that it is hard for me not to be impressed with the unique storytelling approach she takes in each of her books. She finds a way to change things up with each novel and explore some truly original ideas in an extremely kid-friendly way. In my opinion, she's one of the best, most popular, and consistent authors writing for children today.I even had the pleasure of meeting Wendy Mass when she visited the school district I teach in last spring. I'm on a small committee of teachers and librarians that help fund and plan and bring in popular working authors for kids. The 5th grade classes in our district spend the week meeting with these authors and listening to their inspiring stories. Wendy was very down-to-earth and genuine and a big hit amongst our students.At the time of her visit, THE CANDYMAKERS had not yet been released but she gave us a sneak peek of it. I had also been following it's creation on her blog. In similar Willy Wonka fashion, THE CANDYMAKERS tells the story of 4 kids each inventing a candy for a candymaking contest: Logan (the candymaker's son), Miles (allergic to everything), Daisy (daughter of a musician), and Philip (son of a rich businessman). The book is split into four sections, with each character getting a crack at narrating. Logan shares the story first, then we read Miles' version of the same happenings, then Daisy's, then Philip's. The book ends with with a fifth section of Logan tying up any and all loose ends.Without being blown away, I was pleasantly surprised by THE CANDYMAKERS. Wendy Mass warns readers from the beginning to be on the lookout so it was obvious that not all the narrators were exactly who they seemed to be. This puts readers on edge, not willing to trust wholeheartedly everything the four children say. Maybe the surprises would have been more effective without the warning . . . However, some significant plot twists are thrown in (true surprises) that will surely thrill young readers.If there's a theme present in many of Wendy Mass's novels, it's perspective. In A MANGO SHAPED SPACE she viewed the world through the eyes of a girl with synesthesia. In EVERY SOUL A STAR she viewed the world through three very different sets of preteen eyes. And in 11 BIRTHDAYS her two main characters, best friends, are in the midst of a terrible fight with neither considering the others' perspective.The same is true with THE CANDYMAKERS. Logan is our guide through the first section of the story. He is innocent, sweet, and kindhearted. From this perspective it would seem that his only handicap in life is his lack of social experiences. He wants a best friend badly, but doesn't know how to go about it. A terrible accident in the past has led his parents to keep him sheltered and away from the world outside their candy factory's gates. By the time Miles takes the microphone however, the narrative is flipped upside down revealing the first of many surprises. It's not until we have stepped into each character's shoes that true perspective is achieved and Wendy Mass has a lot to say about judging a book by it's cover. I feel like she's captured their emotions and feelings perfectly, but their dialogue comes off a bit wordy and unnatural.I can't say this is Wendy Mass's best book, but it's easily her most ambitious. The text is easy to read and with short chapters in each of the five sections the book feels as if it goes by quickly. However with more than 450 pages, there's a lot of plot twists to digest and when the same story is told from four different points of view, there's a lot of information for young readers to juggle. Each section converges at the same cliffhanger and that leaves readers wanting more, but it couldn't keep my fifth grade class from becoming very antsy at multiple times throughout this book.Wendy Mass is a popular author who knows who her readers are. She's one of my personal favorites, even though this particular book wasn't.

I got this book because my grandson had to read it for school. We read it together even though we live apart - he reads the paper book, I read the Kindle book, and Facetime keeps us together. I like the story - I'm getting caught up in it. The author's approach of telling the story from the perspective of each of the 4 contestants is quite fascinating.

If you are looking for a book that is captivating,yet light,this is the best option there is. The delivery and packaging is also very neatly organised. I give this a 6 star if there was one.

This was a gift for my great granddaughter she loved it

キレイ、良い商品、書いてあった通りに届きました！

I wasn't sure what to expect and didn't Pre-read this story before choosing it for a family read aloud. One chapter is barely enough to,satisfy our craving for more! What happens next? The twist and turns in the plot are surprising and unexpected. They have led to great discussion in our family. We are not finished yet and I can hardly wait to find out what happens next!