The Perfect Hamburger and Other Delicious Stories

by Alexander McCall Smith, Laura Rankin (Illustrator)

The Appetizer: The Perfect Hamburger
When a snazzy fast-food chain moves into town, business at Joe's favorite hamburger restaurant begins to suffer. He gets an idea that's sure to bring back the diners, but there's just one problem. The secret recipe for the burgers is missing! Can Joe figure out the ingredients to recreate the perfect hamburger before it's too late?

The Entrée: The S paghetti Tangle
John and Nicky, forced to live with their vegetable-loving Aunt Rebecca, dream of eating spaghetti for every meal. So when they enter a recipe contest and win a trip to Mr. Pipelli's spaghetti factory, they couldn't be happier! But are they prepared for an encounter with the spaghetti spinner?

The Dessert: The Doughnut Ring
Jim thinks a doughnut sale is the perfect fund-raiser to help his friend, Mr. Pride. And it is—at first. But when an e-mail chain asking for donations gets out of control, Jim finds himself up to his ears in doughnuts! Will he ever be able to sell all the stock, and stop the doughnut ring for good?

Genres: Fiction, Childrens, Food, Young Adult, Short Stories, Juvenile

288 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1982

About the author

Alexander McCall Smith is the author of the international phenomenon The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series, the Isabel Dalhousie Series, the Portuguese Irregular Verbs series, and the 44 Scotland Street series. He is professor emeritus of medical law at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland and has served on many national and international bodies concerned with bioethics. He was born in what is now known as Zimbabwe and he was a law professor at the University of Botswana. He lives in Scotland. Visit him online at www.alexandermccallsmith.com, on Facebook, and on Twitter.

Reviews

[Şeyda Nicoletta]

super

[James Piss · Rating 5 out of 5]

hmm. hamburger? yeah. ok. now i can see where these guys are coming from

[Catherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Perfect Hambuger was my favorite book as a child. I can still remember how marvelous the hamburger tasted in my head. My son is now 8 so I will be buying him a new copy.

[Aaliyah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Only tip I'd give is to not read this book on an empty stomach, as I could literally taste the hamburger in my mouth
Great book about friendship and resilience with a happy ending => perfect for young readers!

[Mira · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rediscovered one of my favourite books to read as a little girl and delighted when I realised the author is Alexander McCall Smith! One of my favorite authors to read as a grup

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ellyn also gives this one two thumbs up!

[Tonia Kestner · Rating 3 out of 5]

too cute!

[Scott Benjamin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sweet story of a young boy helping a old man. With a happy ending to boot.

[Heather McLaughlin]

Cute.

[Veronica Molina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Simpático, simple, con toques detectivescos y un final feliz. Recomendable para lectores no tan ávidos, ya que se lee rápido y es cortito.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great short stories for kids. All about food.

[Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favourite book as a child, still brilliant.

[Ruth · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sweet, simple stories - I was a bit disappointed, to be honest, but they are quick & easy to read.

[Joy]

really want to eat a hamburger now— wait no, MAKE and eat a hamburger

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

KSMS

[Rebecca Reid · Rating 3 out of 5]

Alexander McCall-Smith has always been a favorite author of mine. This particular collection of middle-grade stories are all related to food, and kids are somehow the heroes.

In one story, a boy wants to help save his favorite hamburger joint from the chain restaurants which are taking away his business. The boy is able to help his friend (the chef and owner) by helping him find a recipe for a perfect hamburger. In the second story, two kids, who live with their health-conscious and onion salad-loving aunt, seek out a recipe for the perfect spaghetti, and win a chance to tour the spaghetti factory. In the last story, a group of kids from school decide to hold a weekly donut sale to help raise funds for their janitor, who had his car stolen and has no way to retire. When there proves to be too much demand for the donuts, they must find a way to meet the demand!

All of these books were fun to read. I read them aloud to my son, and he was always eager to hear what happened next. I believe his favorite was the spaghetti story. There is something fun about the idea of playing in spaghetti. I enjoyed the stories, but as an adult, I had to suspend disbelief so frequently that I cannot say this collection is my favorite contribution by McCall-Smith. Since I’m an amateur foodie and cook, I found some of the attitudes a bit annoying (such as that a professional cook would be “above” eating a hamburger). I am not the main audience, however, so I do not think parents or kids should avoid this book for those reasons. This is a middle-grade work perfectly geared to the middle-grade and younger audience.

Cross-posted on my blog

[Kimberli · Rating 3 out of 5]

In The Perfect Hamburger and other Delicious Stories by Alexander McCall Smith, you get three hilariously cooked up tales all in one book. First, in The Perfect Hamburger, Joe's favorite hamburger joint is going out of business unless he can figure out the ingredients for the perfect hamburger. Will he get it right before it's too late? Second, in The Spaghetti Tangle, John and Nicky would love to eat spaghetti for every meal, but instead they get vegetarian dishes. To get a decent meal they enter a recipe contest. When they win a visit to Mr. Pipelli’s spaghetti factory, they are thrilled! But what happens when the meet up with the spaghetti spinner? And third, in The Doughnut Ring Jim tries to help Mr. Pride by selling doughnuts to raise money. He decides to send out tons of emails asking for donations. This seems to work but it soon gets out of control and Jim finds himself practically covered in doughnuts! Will he be able to sell all of his yummy treats, or will he be stuck with the sticky goods forever?

[Sherrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has 3 stories. Hamburger, Spaghetti and Doughnuts. The Perfect Hamburger story is all about finding a mysterious spice to make the perfect hamburger. They are trying to save a little restaurant from being pushed out of business by a big chain. The Spaghetti Tangle is about 2 kids who don't get to eat regular food. Their aunt is a health food nut. They win a trip to a spaghetti factory and the machine goes haywire and tangles them all up in spaghetti. The Doughnut Ring is about kids trying to raise the money for their school janitor to get a new car after his was stolen. They send an e-mail chain out asking for help with doughnuts and then they so many they don't know what to do with them. And do they find the spice for the perfect hamburger? Do the kids get untangled from the spaghetti? Do the kids find a place for all those doughnuts and get a new car for the school janitor? You'll have to read the book to find out.

[Luann · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the first children's book I've read by Alexander McCall Smith. While it's really not up to the caliber of the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency books, this is still a fun book of three short stories for children. The common thread of delicious food is a bit thin, but I did like the idea. Each story had a few improbable bits, but still managed to make me hungry for its featured type of food. (I had a delicious hamburger tonight! Maybe tomorrow I'll have to have spaghetti.) This was a light, quick read that some children might really enjoy. 2.5 stars.

[Paula · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a quick, light read for kids, with a food theme. As much as I love McCall Smith, the problem I had with this book is that it didn't have (for me) a lot of humor or mystery, two elements which I think really appeal to kids. But if you're looking to recommend something to a kid who doesn't really know what he or she wants, this might be a good pick, if only for the fact that most people like food, and the three stories give some variety.

[Marti · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is not a single book, but three stories about food--hamburgers, spaghetti, and donuts. They are rather simplistic, apparently being written for children. In the second one, two children take a gift of money and go to a restaurant. Nothing is said how they explain this to the aunt with whom they live. The scene in the spaghetti factory is quite fanciful. The third story isquite fanciful as well. These are quite different from The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency.

[Sadie-Jane Huff · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a little bit of fun this book.it does make you want to taste the perfect hamburger though... Alexander McCall smith knows how to make you sailvate with his feel gooodd kids' stories. I have to admit I've not read his other books apart from Portuguese verbs series - professor Von iglefeld...

I'm definitely planning on catching up. 44 Scotland street series is next...

[Clarissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

was so refreshing to read a simple yet heartwarming books like this :’)

[Gill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great fun, it will be on its way to my nephews in Australia whom I am sure will enjoy it as much as I did. AMS has a knack with taking a simple idea and making it into a story full of character and life's little surprises.

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

These stories are simple, saccharine and ridiculous, far removed from the realms of reality, even for a children's book. While I love McCall Smith's adult works, his children's works are far too patronizing and simple for the level at which they're written.

[Ellen · Rating 4 out of 5]

My family enjoyed this trio of funny food stories. Hamburgers, spaghetti and donuts - what's not to like? In each case, the kids in the story seek to solve a problem with these delicious delectables. My son laughed as I read them to him, although he said it made him hungry. :-)

[Kalwinder Dhindsa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I asked my daughter today who her favourite author was. She brought over this book - Alexander McCall Smith. About half an hour later I had finished reading it.

A very enjoyable read for a 7 year old indeed...and for a 36 year old too :)

[Peter · Rating 3 out of 5]

A really nice tale of an independent restaurant owner taking on a nasty franchise. A boy’s unwillingness to give up rescues the situation. I found myself thinking a similar story would work with WWII veterans and a boy or girl of today. What would they be taking on? Tyranny.

[Kristen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I intended just to flip through this new book, and found myself absorbed in these yummy short stories!

[Laura Bird · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book, made me want to eat hamburgers and make the perfect one, as a child I think it may have been part of what sparked my interest in cooking. My mum and dad also had a lot to do with it.