Summer Scavenger Hunt // Midsummer's Mayhem by Rajani LaRocca

Eleven-year-old Mimi Mackson dreams of winning a local baking contest to finally prove she’s not the least talented member of her large Indian-American family. Plus, it’ll start her on the path to becoming a celebrity chef like her culinary idol, Puffy Fay. But when Mimi’s dad returns from a business trip, he’s mysteriously lost his highly-honed sense of taste. Without his help, Mimi will never be able to bake something impressive enough to propel her to gastronomic fame.

Drawn into the woods behind her house by a strangely familiar song, Mimi meets Vik, a boy who brings her to parts of the forest she’s never seen. Who knew there were banyan trees and wild boars in Massachusetts? Together they discover exotic ingredients and bake them into delectable and enchanting treats.

But as her dad acts stranger every day, and her siblings’ romantic entanglements cause trouble in their town, Mimi begins to wonder whether the ingredients she and Vik found are somehow the cause of it all. She needs to use her skills, deductive and epicurean, to uncover what’s happened. In the process, she learns that in life, as in baking, not everything is sweet…

Squabbling sisters, rhyming waitresses, and culinary saboteurs mix up a recipe for mayhem in this Indian-American mashup of A Midsummer Night’s Dream and competitive baking.

I've never read A Midsummer's Night Dream but I have read plenty of baking-related fiction. And after reading this I realize it's been a while since I've read such scrumptious foodie descriptions! This made me want to bake something delicious by the end. Luckily, the author shares some of the recipes Mimi makes while baking for the competition. I've got my eye on the Cinnamon-Cayenne Brownies recipe. I only wish I baked more often to understand how wonderful the combination of ingredients Mimi put together. She uses a lot of inspiration from her Indian heritage and adds lots of typical and not-so-typical ingredients. This is guaranteed to make you hungry!

All the family members were distinct (even the parents) and each had their own passion. Jules was a dancer, Riya loved soccer, and Henry loved the drama of the theatre. All were affected in one way or another by some magical mischief but none more than their dad who used to be able to describe perfectly what he ate. He was the perfect partner in baking goodies that Mimi could hope for but now all he does is eat whatever food is in his path. I was a little disappointed Mimi didn't have her dad at any point helping her to bake but the plot needed him on the sidelines.

I got a sense of what A Midsummer's Night Dream was loosely about while reading this story. I liked how because it was a retelling everything felt very whimsical especially when Vik, Mimi's new mysterious friend, would tell her stories. Most middle graders haven't read the original story but there is really no need to. I could see Midsummer's Mayhem sparking an interest in Shakespeare for young readers.

Midsummer's Mayhem was a magically delectable read with a great family dynamic. I liked how the bickering siblings all came together at the end for Mimi. Mimi who feels overlooked but like her siblings has a passion they excel in but just needed her moment to shine. I was happy to see that all of the siblings were able to take something important away from the experience. They all became closer because of it. I will have to for sure make those brownies and read more by LaRocca soon!