Hole in the Middle - (Donut Dreams) by Coco Simon (Paperback)

About the Book

Book Synopsis

Everything's better with a donut.

Lindsay Cooper is about to start middle school. In her free time, she works at her family's restaurant, The Park View, handing out the world's most delicious donuts at the Donut Dreams counter. Her grandmother started the counter as a way to send Lindsay's dad to college, and Lindsay wants to use her job the same way--to make her dream of going to school far away from her small town a reality.

Home feels different ever since Lindsay's mom passed away two years ago. And not having her mom around to help her get through the start of middle school doesn't help her "first day of school" angst. But with her cousins Kelsey and Molly by her side, not to mention her BFF Casey, Lindsay soon discovers family and friends go a long way towards filling any hole in your heart. And life can still be as fun as a pink donut with rainbow sprinkles!

Review Quotes

Though many of her friends spend summer days at the lake, Lindsay has dreams of going away to college; her steadfast commitment to work motivates her to not lounge the summer away. This summer is different, though, as middle school looms. Since her mother died two years ago, Lindsay's paternal grandparents spend a lot of time helping Lindsay, her dad, and her younger brother, Skylar, adjust to their new reality. Once Lindsay's best friend, Casey, returns from summer camp texting a long-distance "boyfriend," the two BFF's speculate about middle school, both feeling an undercurrent of the possibility that their bond may potentially shift in a new environment. When Lindsay's maternal grandmother, Mimi, comes to visit, the family organizes a party to help Lindsay pick a dress for the upcoming fall dance. Grief finally overtakes Lindsay when she learns that the party has been organized to compensate for her mother's absence during this rite-of-passage time for Lindsay. Narrated by Lindsay, this series opener is a comforting read, set in a small town where everyone knows everyone, the donuts are sweet, and familiarity and closeness ease childhood grief. The book ends with sample chapters for the upcoming Donut Dreams title. As sweet and straightforward as...well, a donut. (Fiction. 8-12)-- "KIRKUS REVIEWS"