Paris!

Recipe for Adventure #2

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 are transported to Paris, where a case of mistaken identity finds them caught up in the behind the scenes drama at a traditional French cooking school. As they explore the beautiful city of light and try to figure out how to get back home, they meet an incredible cast of French characters, as well as sample some of the best pastries and real hot chocolate that Paris has to offer.

Genres: Cooking, France, Food, Chapter Books, Adventure, Childrens, Fiction

144 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

[Jamie Johnson Leach · Rating 4 out of 5]

So sweet 💜

[Beth · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is the second book in the Recipe for Adventure series, the first one being Naples. While I enjoyed the first book despite feeling that it lacked a clear writing voice, Paris! felt way too much like Laurentiis was trying to create a children's version of The Next Food Network Star with this story. I was especially irritated that the kids were at a cooking school in Paris and without any actual cooking instruction, were asked to create a meal for a famous chef. The kids then prepared and talked of their dishes like they had already received their culinary education. In addition, there was too much talking in platitudes that you often hear Laurentiis, Bobby Flay, and Alton Brown spouting on Food Network Star ("You should never tell your guests the hardships you have to endure to prepare their meals.") and it was written too much like an adult story with children as the characters.

As much as I love Giada and the message she wanted to get across with these books (introducing American children to REAL food rather than the processed crap they're most likely eating every day) the delivery felt heavy-handed and inexperienced. A story like this would have never been published without the celebrity name attached to it.

What I DO like about these books is communicating the idea that food can transport you to a place. I wish that had shone through in the story rather than the heavy-handed platitudes. As of now, I doubt I will be continuing with the series.

Read my entire review on my blog.

[Charlotte S · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alfie and Emilia both think that take-out food is better than a home-cooked meal, but Zia (aunt) Donatella is determined to change their minds. She magically whisks the two siblings away to Paris, France, where they learn to appreciate a wonderful home-cooked meal. When a mistaken identity causes chaos at a French cooking school, how with Alfie and Emilia help? And how will they get back home?

I absolutely love this series! It's perfect for early readers!
The characters are so amazing, and I really enjoyed getting to know them throughout the 8 books in the series.
I love how in each book you get to learn about a different culture and its food!
The illustrations are gorgeous, too! 🤩🤩🤩
I also love that there are two recipes in the back of every book, which I can confirm are delicious! 😋 I've made the banana bread from the book about Hawaii a gazillion times!

All in all, these are great, wholesome books for young readers!

Thank you for reading my review! Follow @bronteandwilder on Instagram for fun book recommendations!

[Lolo Onda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book! I read this aloud to my class of third and fourth graders and they really enjoyed it! The only thing that was a bit of a downside was trying to orally read some of the French! Both my students and I loved it and it was a great way to introduce an unfamiliar culture to my classroom! Great writing.

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so cute!! I love this way of exploring different cultures and their food.

[Owen Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

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

[Amber Greer · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s cute. In this one, Emilia and Alfie travel to Paris and try various French food.

[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.

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have to admit that I didn't know who Giada De Laurentiis was until I picked up this book, so I didn't know that she went to Le Cordon Bleu or that she worked at Spago in Los Angeles. I pretty much didn't know that she has an Emmy Award show for the Food Network, not to mention all the cookbooks she has written. Which now I think is pretty cool. She certainly brings a passion to cooking that was evident while reading. Laurentiis really gave me the feel of Paris, and the food descriptions were lovely. "He scooped another bite of the cheese and bread-it was warm and oozed slightly over the edge of the bread. He added a slather of purple olive spread, which gave each bite a tangy flavor." Yep, I'm hungry. Recipe for Adventure is a lot like The Magic Tree House series, in that siblings are magically transported, except here everything was rooted in present day Paris with all it's famous landmarks and foods. Included at the back are two recipe cards (for Hot Chocolate and Crepes), which I wonder why they didn't make them permanent pages and not one's that could be torn out. Anyways, I thought this was a very fun book, I loved the description of Paris and the foods. I would have liked a little more description on preparing the foods, but it just prompts me to do some exploring of my own. A great book for a young reader who is interested in cooking, plus the next locations sound wonderful, Hong Kong, New Orleans, Rio de Janeiro, and Hawaii.

[Namratha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Young Alfie is a good, if slightly conceited, soccer player on his school team. When his self-absorbed one-man-show earns him a benching and a terse word from the coach that he needs to learn important lessons about teamwork and sportsmanship, Alfie is angry and frustrated. Grand-aunt and rather magical Zia Donatella tries to lift his spirits with comforting hot chocolate (made from scratch) and reminisces about the pleasant days spent in Paris.

We all know by now what happens next.

The air shifts and Alfie and his sister Emilia are instantly transported to the City of Lights, Paris. As they find themselves mistaken/conveniently enrolled into a Junior Chef Cooking School, the siblings get an unexpected chance to savour the culinary delights of Paris, take in the many famous sights and justify their sudden appearance too. Along the way, Alfie will learn, through some unfortunate mishaps, that working as a team and being responsible is just as important as winning competitions.

This series continues its simple, charming trend of fusing food, travel, adventure and simple wisdom in a manner that will appeal to younger audiences.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had to read this out of order and there were references to the first book,so I would advise reading book 1 first. That said, my copy was missing the recipes from the back, and as this was a library book, my guess is as good as yours as to where they are. My review is based on the book itself, and yes, may have been different if it had had the recipes, which I would have reviewed separately had they been included.

If you are a Giada fan and have seen here with her Aunt Raffy, you will see the two of them in this book. If not, you will still get a kick out of the books and your kids will enjoy them as well. Chapters for your chapter reader,easy to follow plots and interesting bits and bobs about Paris, it's food, and markets will make this a family travel guide. The recipes are supposed to be family and kid friendly and if I come across a copy with the recipes, I will update this review.

[Jacy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really cute story. Extremely quick read and good for a lazy afternoon family read. Alfie and his sister, Emilia, get transported to Paris, after drinking some of Zia Donatella's hot chocolate. They don't know how it happens but they end up far away from home and need to figure out how. It turns out that before they can go home Alfie has something important to learn. Through some new friends and a youth cooking school, Alfie finally understands what it means to be on a team. It is similar to Magic Tree House in that the main characters, a brother and sister, travel to new places and must learn something before transporting back home. The magic in this series comes from the cuisine and the extra special magic put into the dish. Very sad that I missed the first book, but extremely happy to share this with my kids. Will defiantly be looking for more in this series.

[Jackie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lively and engaging story about siblings, Alfie and Emilia who are transported through time to Paris. Their great aunt, Zia, has a love for food and cuisine and has some mystical, magical powers that allow the children to arrive in exotic cities and experience the local cuisine first hand. In Paris: Recipe for Adventure, #2, the kids find themselves at the Young Chef's School of Fine French Cooking in Paris, where Alfie learns not only about cooking, but about team work and what it means to be a good friend.

Filled with deliciously enticing food snippets, the series will appeal to young kids who have a hunger (pun intended) for culinary arts, travel, and adventure.

[Steph · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am pleasantly surprised by this series! I bought this book as a joke for my hubby because he adores Giada. Surprisingly, I actually enjoyed the story quite a bit. I am a huge fan of inspiring kids to both travel and cook (a WAY better outlet and hobby than video games), and I think this series does both. The recipe cards at the end of each book are a perk, too. I'm excited to see that book 3 in the series is about Hong Kong, so it doesn't seem to me that Giada will just still to North America and Europe, which is great. :)

I will be excited to put these books in the hands of my students!

[Sara Truog · Rating 3 out of 5]

There's a perception out there that anyone can write a children's book... and so when celebrity authors pick up their pens to write for kids, I often get nervous. I'm pleased to report that this is not the case with Giada, who has written a very nice series about a brother and sister who cook with a beloved aunt, and magically travel to the countries where the cuisine they're cooking is produced. Think Magic Tree House with food. In this, the first in the series, they go to Paris. Cute series that will be great for kids in grades 2-4 who are interested in cooking and travel.

[Lessa · Rating 2 out of 5]

The children seemed to speak like adults much of the time and the moral of the story felt a little heavy handed. This book would be good for a foodie child or a child who really loves magic tree house but is out of other options for reading.

Mostly this book just made me hungry for baguettes and cheese!

[Gianna · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was amazing! I definitely recommend it. I had to read an action/adventure book so I new that I just had to read it. This adventure takes place in Paris, but they didn't end up there on a plane, Alfie, and his sister,Emilias' great aunt sends them there. They end up in a french cooking school. And Alfie is not too happy.

[Cheryl Blackburn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. There is nothing I would love than being transported to a new city after I ate a piece of mouth-watering food. great series!! I cannot wait to read the next one!!

[pati · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another yum filled novel about Alfredo and Emilia learning how to be team players and how to cook!

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great literature? No. But a cute fun read. Instead of time travel, it's travel through space. With a lesson on what it means to be on a team (although this is a little muddled).

[James A Gordon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book!

I read it in one day I liked it so much! I also read the first one it's great too. And I would love to try to make some of the recipes with my mom.

[Ashley Barrett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cute read! Loved it!

[Katy Lovejoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a good series but now I hungry for French food which I don't think I've ever eaten!

[Lyn · Rating 1 out of 5]

I didn't like this book.

[Mai]

It's exiting and adventurous