Naples!

Recipe for Adventure #1

by Giada De Laurentiis, Francesca Gambatesa (Illustrations)

When Zia Donatella comes to live with the Bertolizzi family, little do Alfie and his older sister Emilia know what's in store for them. Zia Dontella is determined to show the kids how a home-cooked meal is better than even the best take-out pizza or burrito. And when Zia's plan actually transports Alfie and Emilia to famous food cities around the world, they learn first-hand how food can not only take you places but can also bring you back home. Alfie and Emilia find themselves transported to Naples, where they meet Marco, a young Italian boy on a very important mission to shop for the essential ingredients for his family's entry in the city's annual pizzafest contest. In their whirlwind search for the perfect items, Alfie and Emilia not only get a taste of Italy, but also find themselves refereeing a family feud between Marco's family and his uncle's family.

Genres: Cooking, Childrens, Fantasy, Italy, Chapter Books, Adventure, Middle Grade

138 pages, Paperback

First published September 3, 2013

About the author

Giada Pamela De Laurentiis is an Italian American chef, entrepreneur, writer, and television personality. She was the host of Food Network's program called Giada at Home. She also appears regularly as a contributor and guest co-host on NBC's program entitled Today. De Laurentiis is the founder of the catering business GDL Foods. She is a winner of the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lifestyle Host and the Gracie Award for Best Television Host. She was also recognized by the International Hospitality Institute as one of the Global 100 in Hospitality, a list featuring the 100 Most Powerful People in Global Hospitality.

Reviews

[Leslie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story line! Made me want to go cook something yummy to eat, and revisit Naples!

[Engrid Penny · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute book for kids. I can see it adding a spark to ignite (sorry about that) interest in cooking with fresh ingredients. Didn't care for the characterization of the older sister...all told, it was cute.

[Kirsten · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book reads as if it were written by a celebrity chef intent on promoting good, healthy cooking and eating. Huh. It sounds reasonable, but it just didn’t work, especially with the gender stereotypes. Ugh.

[Gail · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book for the under 10 group. I like to read children's books to keep up to date for my grandchildren.

[Janice · Rating 3 out of 5]

Magic Treehouse with food is how I imagine this was presented.

When Zia Donatella comes to visit anything can happen including siblings Emilia and Alfie being transported to Naples. Not sure how they got there or how to get back, they tag along with Marco who’s shopping for pizza ingredients so his family can win the annual pizza contest. Only they have to avoid pizza spy Enzo. When Emilia gets separated from Marco and Alfie, Enzo comes to the rescue. The siblings find out that Marco and Enzo are cousins and their dads (brothers) had an argument several years ago about how to make the pizza they were going to enter on the contest. Enzo confesses he misses his cousin which spurs a reunion of the family and their winning the contest. Alfie and Emilia get home by eating and remembering a family trip.

Cute story. Fun recipes.

[Becky B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alfie and Emilia are tasting their Aunt Zia's zeppole when they suddenly find themselves in Naples, Italy, the city their parents were originally from. They get involved in a pizza contest and helping their new friend Marco and his family prepare while trying to avoid spies who would steal their recipe.

Don't read this series while hungry! The plot line almost entirely revolves around the food of Italy while occasionally mentioning the sights of Naples. It's a fun way to get kids interested in exotic places and food, and a high paced adventure for kids who might get easily bored. I also liked the resolution of the food competition. It was good to see the kids help restore peace.

No content issues.

[Creolecat · Rating 4 out of 5]

While looking for children’s cookbooks for my goddaughter, I came across this book and New Orleans! (Recipe for Adventure #4) by television chef Giada De Laurentiis. Part of a series about the Bertolizzi siblings, each book takes them to a different city for a culinary adventure. I am not a follower of Giada and I don’t own any of her cookbooks. But this is a fun series. The stories have depth and the illustrations are lively. Not only do children read about Emelia and Alfie’s adventures, but they learn about history, culture and of course, food.

[Chloe (Always Booked) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a cute start to a series about siblings whose great Aunt comes to visit from Naples. Her parents are from Italy, but her Aunt is astonished at the pizza they are eating in America. She teaches them how to make authentic Italian food and then they are transported to Naples. They meet a family who is feuding over a pizza recipe. They help solve the family drama just in time to be transported back. The kids don't know how they traveled and neither do we as a reader. I really want an explanation, so hopefully we get it later in the series!

[Makenzie · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book "Naples! (Recipe for Adventure, #1)" by Giada De Laurentiis was a very interesting and well written book. The detail in the book was impeccable and made it feel as though you were in Italy yourself. Not to mention the story was plot was really original and fun to read about. I strongly recommend this book to anyone into reading books about fantasy and adventure. Especially if you like Italian cuisine!

[Chelsea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super cute kids book. Actually really enjoyed reading this at the same time as reading Stanley Tucci's memoir since they are both are about Italian food and cooking. Definitely planning on trying the recipe for Zeppole that's in the back of the book.

[Owen Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this in fourth grade, great book for young audience.

[Keira · Rating 5 out of 5]

If your kid loves cooking this is the book for them. If you love spoilers then here’s one Emilia gets stolen

[Allison Turkish · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read the book to myself and then to my kids (ages 6 and 8). It’s GREAT. Well-written with funny parts and sweet parts. I can’t wait to read the rest of the series.

I will recommend this series!

[Isla McKetta · Rating 5 out of 5]

A delightful way of exploring the world from our hammock, featuring: adventure, healthy eating, and love of family.

[Sherrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun culinary adventure which includes recipes. This series would be a good choice for young readers who enjoy travel and trying new foods.

[Leigh · Rating 3 out of 5]

I want to use this as read aloud for my elementary students to pique interest in travel and cooking. The book is good, but a bit predictable and drags at time.

[Stef · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute little adventure book for kids. Great descriptions of Naples, markets, and food. Now we want pizza!

[Katie Fitzgerald · Rating 3 out of 5]

This review covers books 1 and 2 of the Recipe for Adventure series.

Alfie and Emilia usually eat take-out for dinner because neither of their parents really likes to cook. When Zia Donatella, their great aunt, comes to live with them, she introduces them to real home-cooked cuisine. Alfie and Emilia are thrilled to learn about new foods, and even more excited when their aunt’s cooking actually transports them to other countries! In the first two books of this new series, Alfie and Emilia make unexplained magical visits to Naples, where they help resolve a family feud, and Paris, where they attend an exclusive cooking school.

There are several reasons that I chose to read this series despite its celebrity author:

In addition to the celebrity’s name, there is a second author listed on the title page (Taylor Morris) whose name I recognize.

They are chapter books about food other than cupcakes, of which there aren’t very many.

They are chapter books which might appeal to both boys and girls.

The cover artwork caught my eye.

Though I was prepared to be underwhelmed by them because of their celebrity author, I actually feel better about the Recipe for Adventure books than I do about most celebrities’ attempts at writing children’s literature. Both Naples! and Paris! are surprisingly well-plotted and well-paced, with interesting characters and a logical progression from beginning to middle to end. The writing is fairly straightforward with few frills, but the stories easily held my interest, and the hint of magic that enables the kids to travel instantly to other countries creates a nice link to the hugely popular Magic Tree House series. The two main characters have a realistic and believable brother/sister relationship, and their different approaches to the situations they encounter provide lots of great conflict that drives each of the stories.

Kirkus gave a particularly scathing review of the first book, which actually states that “De Laurentiis should be embarrassed to have her name on this trite, clichéd and overlong story,” but I think that is going a bit far. These books are not great works of literature, and they are in no danger whatsoever of winning any literary awards, but as entertainment for first and second graders who are interested in food and magic, they are perfectly adequate. Kids in my library certainly seem to enjoy them, as they went out right away when they first arrived on the shelves and haven’t been seen since.

Recipe for Adventure is a series rooted in family history and the shared memories associated with favorite foods. The books would make nice bedtime read-alouds for parents to share with kids, and they would work just as well in classrooms studying the foods of different cultures. Kids who are interested in learning to cook will also enjoy the added bonus of making the dishes listed on the recipe cards included with each book. Though these first two books focus only on European countries, the third book and fourth book will bring Alfie and Emilia to Hong Kong and New Orleans, respectively. Recommend the Recipe for Adventure books to kids who have enjoyed series such as Magic Tree House, A to Z Mysteries, Calendar Mysteries, and Cupcake Diaries.

[Elissa Schaeffer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I approached this with trepidation, knowing that Giada de Laurentiis has added yet another "dimension" to her celebrity with now writing children's books.

Upon being visited by their Zia Donatella, Alfie and Emelia, who's family dinner's consist of take out and pizza ordering, taste home cooked food from simple ingredients and find themselves whisked away to Naples for an adventure of ingredients.

This struggled at first to find it's footing, mostly because it struggled to find it's narrator before finally settling on the brother, Alfie. But once that happened and the story of being in Naples was underway (albeit a bit hard to swallow (pun intended) way of getting there), things definitely picked up. It became a cute story of a brother and sister learning to lean on each other but most importantly it's a story of the magic and beauty of cooking.

That's why I gave it 3 stars rather than 2. Giada De Laurentiis has a unique perspective on how important cooking and eating is to a family. That part was definitely authentic. She brings directly to the spotlight the idea that cooking food, with fresh ingredients, and then eating that as a family is important. Studies have proven the same idea. So good for her for playing to her strengths and pushing the message, it's a needed one in today's world.

Grades 2+.

[Jenn M · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent beginning to the Recipe for Adventure series, co-authored by Giada De Laurentiis, celebrity chef of Food Network and best selling cookbooks fame. I believe these books probably originated with Giada telling stories to her nieces/nephews and/or child(ren), because the main characters are Italian Americans, some of whom were born in Italy and emigrated and who love to cook.

This story begins with the Bertolizzi family enjoying take-out food and siblings Alfie (Alfredo) and Emilia squabbling over one variety of Presto Pizza. Then, Aunt (Zia) Donatella arrives to change everyone's mind about home-cooked versus restaurant eating. Emilia and Alfie find themselves magically transported to modern day Naples Italy, after eating Zia Donatella's zeppole (Italian doughnuts). While there, the Bertolizzi children are able to help settle a family feud about the best recipe for Neopolitan pizza, and they return home with a new love and appreciation for meals made with love and a few, simple but outstanding fresh ingredients.

While Emilia and Alfie enjoyed their unexpected journey, what is the most important realization of this time? You'll have to read the book to find out.

Enjoyable. Great for kids interested in travel, cooking, and foods of different cultures. Can't wait to read the entire series.

[Reving · Rating 1 out of 5]

So Giada De Laurentiis is writing kids books now! Recipe for Adventure #1 Naples! Is her first one, the next one is Paris! De Laurentiis was at ALA Chicago, but I didn't see her, but I did get a galley of Naples!
The premise of these books is interesting. Alfredo and Emilia and Italian-American siblings who are introduced to real Italian cooking by their Aunt Zia. When they take a bite of her zeppole, they are transported to present-day Naples where they help a family in trouble. It's kinda a Magic Tree House meets The Food Network meets Whatever After. There are also recipe cards in the back. The only thing that bugged me a little is that brother, even though he is younger is painted as the hero and Emilia is worried and nervous and all of that. It was just kind of weird in a modern book, so lopsided was the balance between brother and sister. Also I really don't much care for the television persona of Giada. There is something nasty in the way she comes across. Her treatment is Food Network Star contestant Lovely was unkind and puzzling. Very troubling to me. There was just a sense that there was something rotten in the state of Italy when it came to the way she dismissed this particular finalist. I wonder if others picked up on it.

[Namratha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Accustomed to fast-food and rushed meals, young siblings Emilia and Alfredo (Alfie) Bertolizzi will discover the finer nuances of cooking and eating when their flamboyant grand-aunt Zia comes to visit the family.

One bite of a hot sugary Zeppole and by some unexplained culinary magic, the two children are transported to the city of Naples where their elders grew up. Adventure unfolds along cobblestoned paths, inside imposing cathedrals and bustling markets. Emilia and Alfie will also discover that a simple pizza made with minimal and freshest of ingredients coupled with that good ol’smidgen of love will taste a hundred times better than the overloaded ones that they have been used to all their young harried lives. And along the way they will learn the importance of family, the joy of discovering a new place for themselves and knowing that home is still a lovely place to return to at the end of an exciting day.

This is an endearing series for youngsters (and adults like me) who are either discovering a love for cooking, already adore pottering about in the kitchen or basically just love eating. Two recipe cards at the end of the book are the perfect addition to this quick read.

Enjoyable and engaging.

[Penny McGill · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice series choice for younger kids. A brother and sister team up on adventures that have them travelling the world and helping children they meet with food-related mysteries.

The siblings don't argue as much as they should (said my 12-year old) and there isn't enough tension there to grab our attention for long. It might be that this series is too young for the readers in this house but I know that I'll be passing this one on to the strong readers who have finished everything Droon-like or Jack and Annie. There comes a time when kids are finished with the treehouse and need something else. This is a great choice.

Nice images. A fun aunt character (modeled on the author and that is just fine with us) and the opportunity to visit different countries. It's filling a spot in the market because it hits the right balance with an interesting twist - the unexpected travel to other countries - and has enough comforting elements to prevent it from being unsettling. It's in a colourful package and includes reference to cooking and new foods. Might hit the spot for parents as well.

[Gabrielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such an easy book for the culinary kid! Or the person who dreams of traveling! Or likes to eat!!

This book was one I read in an hour, it was that easy. It is the story of Alfie and his sister who are magically transported to Naples and a pizza making adventure. You can tell that Giada de Laurentiis has been to Naples, as the descriptions of the places are vividly written. Like I didn't need another reason to go to Italy.

Another highlight of the book are the Italian words and phrases that pepper the page. Children will delight in learning them! Also.....the food. I know want an authentic Italian pizza with basil, San Marzano tomatoes, and buffalo mozzarella =)

The dialogue and general writing of the book is not much to write home about. After all, Giada de Laurentiis's first role is that of a celebrity chef. But I would still recommend this easy, safe, delightfully fun read to young readers. Sometimes, when reviewing for children, I'll look past the writing style.

Especially considering it's Giada we are talking about ;-)

[Jen B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this series could be a great series for students to get hooked on. I love that it is something different, in terms of the passion for food and cooking. While there are some similarities to other series (boy/girl siblings, traveling, adventure/mystery) this new twist is something a few of my students are really excited about, that I have not seen elsewhere.

The description of Naples and the food made my mouth water and piqued my curiosity to travel to this part of the world. I want it to do the same for my students. The relationship between Alfie and Emilia was sweet, but very realistic, as far as sibling relationships go. The relationships between Marco and Enzo, as cousins, was sweet as well - and being caught up in their parents' family drama, was all-too-real, potentially, as well.

I felt the pace of the book was good, and the only thing I found myself wishing, for the sake of my students, was an appendix with a map of Naples and a glossary of the Italian words.

[KGlo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Note: This book was won on a giveaway featured on goodreads. All thoughts on the book are my own.

This is an adorable book featuring siblings Emilia and Alfie as they have an adventure in Naples. Although the plot is a little silly, it is still a cute book that focuses on family, food, and cultural traditions. This book would be perfect for an elementary school reader.

The only thing I dislike about it is the recipe cards in the back. The idea is nice, but I wish they would have included recipes that are easy for a kid to help prepare. Instead of a yeast pizza dough and zeppoles that need to be fried, a basic spaghetti sauce or a simple pasta dish would have been more appropriate.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this one second due to my library being delayed with the weather. As with the second book, the recipes were missing from this copy, a move I now feel was done by the library for whatever reason. This makes it hard to review the entire book as it was not complete. I liked the second book a little better than this one, but since this was introducing the characters, I can forgive the stiffness of it. I feel that your budding chef and early readers will like the story, and again Giada fans will see Aunt Raffy in the story.

[Elaine · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is like Magic Tree House, but going to a different location rather than a different time period. The focus is pizza and the kids mysteriously and unexpectedly travel to Naples and while they are there, they discover the pizza legacy of Naples, using fresh, simple, quality ingredients. It's a sweet story that intertwines the importance of family into the adventure. The beginning of the book was filled with annoying bickering between the siblings, but by the end of the book, they realize how important family is. E rated it a 4.

[Paula · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hmm. Yes to the celebration of cooking and eating, yes to the story of ingredients and the descriptions of Naples... No to the older sister being so frightened and trepidatious that her younger brother is constantly monitoring her comfort level, and has to make all the decisions and cajole her into action. Yes to the actual recipes included in the book (giant Yes), and I'm going to read the next book to see whether Emilia becomes emboldened in the course of these adventures.

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute chapter book about a brother and sister magically transported to Naples, Italy, after eating their great aunt's delicious zeppole. I think the series will get kids excited about both food and traveling! Also, I am now craving a pizza Margherita, and I am seriously considering using the recipe card included in the back of the book.