Love Sugar Magic

The Logro�o family is preparing for the arrival of the Magi on D�a de los Reyes, but surprise visitors throw a wrench in the works in Meriano's sequel to A Dash of Trouble (2018). After the fiasco around D�a de los Muertos, Leo has finally been initiated into the family bruja tradition and has begun her apprenticeship in the culinary and magical arts. As the winter holiday break wanes, Leo feels pulled in too many directions: by her mother's expectations, her sisters' advice, and the desire to maintain friendships despite her family's secrets. When she is awakened one morning by the corporeal spirit, she knows something terrible must be amiss and worries that her untrained magical abilities might be the cause. Her abuela has not crossed over alone, however; at least five others with unfinished business have arrived in Rose Hill ahead of D�a de los Reyes, leaving trails of marigold petals in their wakes. Leo must find balance between family and friendships in order to return the spirits to el Otro Lado before they are cursed to wander, like La Llorona. Meriano's magical contemporary world is steeped in Latinx culture, and though Leo faces fantastical complications, her struggle to find her place is a universal adolescent experience. Leo and her sisters are half-white and half-Mexican and live in a fairly diverse small town in Texas. A sweet second helping that will leave readers hungry for more. (Fantasy. 9-13)

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November 13, 2017
In this effervescent kickoff to the Love Sugar Magic series, Leonora “Leo” Logroño is tired of being the baby of the family: her four older sisters all speak Spanish and get to help out at the family bakery, especially as they prepare for Diá de los Muertos. Then Leo discovers that her mother and sisters are actually brujas, able to bake magic spells into their pastries. “Our power comes from the magic of sweetness,” explains one sister. “Sweetness from love and sweetness from sugar.” Leo will be initiated at age 15, but she can’t wait to try her hand at magic, resulting in a love spell that goes horribly wrong. Meriano’s first novel is steeped in Mexican culture, family lore, and delicious baked goods. Readers who don’t speak Spanish will share in Leo’s confusion (the magical recipes are all written in Spanish), and those who do will enjoy being in on the family’s secrets. A warmhearted read that will satisfy readers and leave them eager for a second helping. Art not seen by PW. A Cake Literary property. Ages 8–12. Author’s agent: Victoria Marini, Irene Goodman Literary.

July 1, 2019
In the second book set in and around the Logro�o family's Amor y Az�car Panaderia bakery, Leonora's friend Caroline tries her own hand at brujer�a. In so doing she bungles a spell to see her deceased mother, instead summoning spirits from el Otro Lado. A wide-ranging cast tries to send them back; the result is pure slapstick. Meriano smoothly incorporates universal pre-adolescent issues of friendship and family throughout the novel.

(Copyright 2019 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

July 1, 2019
Following her discovery in Love Sugar Magic: A Dash of Trouble (rev. 3/18) that she (like all the females in her family) is a bruja, Leonora Logro�o is busy learning about potions and spells while working in the family's bakery, Amor y Az�car Panaderia. Such intense study, however, locks out her BFF Caroline, so Caroline (who acquired a little knowledge of spells in the earlier book), decides to try a little brujer�a on her own. She manages to bungle a spell to see her recently deceased mother once again, summoning a gang of spirits from el Otro Lado. A wide-ranging cast of characters (fully introduced in the first volume, but perhaps confusing for those new to the series) tries to contain the spirits and send them back; the result is pure slapstick, conjuring up images of the Keystone Cops playing Whac-A-Mole. Meriano smoothly incorporates universal pre-adolescent issues of friendship and family relationships throughout, as well as including a poignant scene in which the spirit of Caroline's mother discusses the grieving process. With an intriguing epilogue, it appears that the Logro�o family may be cooking up yet another volume in the series. Buen provecho! betty carter

(Copyright 2019 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)