Holiday Magic

Two of a Kind Diaries #38

by Diana G. Gallagher

It's the White Oak Holiday Food Festival, and Mary-Kate and Ashley are creating their own restaurant called Sugar and Spice as part of a school competition. But when the important alumni arrive for dinner, Ashley still can't remember grandma's secret ingredient for the main course, Mary-Kate is overrun with chickens, and the pine cone garlands are dripping into the soup. Help!

Genres: Childrens

112 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 2004

About the author

Diana G. Gallagher was an American author who wrote books for children and young adults. She also wrote the space opera The Alien Dark (1990), but was best known for her tie-in work for television properties including Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Charmed, Star Trek and The Secret World of Alex Mack, among others.

She was also a prolific filk creator, winning Pegasus Awards in 1986 and ’94. Gallagher won a Hugo Award for Best Fan Artist in 1988 under the name Diana Gallagher Wu. She sometimes also wrote under the name Diana Burke.

Born in 1946, in Paterson, New Jersey, she lived in Florida with her husband, the writer Martin R. Burke, who predeceased her in 2011. Gallagher was married four times; her third marriage was to author William F. Wu (divorced 1990).

Gallagher died December 2, 2021 of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease at 75 years of age.

Reviews

[August Grey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish I’d made notes on this at the time of reading it, but alas...
The kids are setting up a school project to run a restaurant, and as part of her research Mary-Kate volunteers at an actual restaurant. I really enjoyed this book because it shows so many different aspects of life, each character has their own issues and conflicts, it gives us a little bit of genuine insight into what it’s like to work in the service industry, and because of the way everyone works together and finds solutions to the problems. Everyone struggles in this book, and they all win. Maybe the outcome isn’t what they’d originally expected or hoped for, but this way might have been better.
The conflicts in this book were realistic and character-appropriate, and the resolutions all came together neatly at the end.

[Vasundhra Jaiswal · Rating 4 out of 5]

I started reading this book back in school days, picked up from my school's Library, and had a lot of fun reading through the night. I read quite too many of this series. I can't begin to recall how many. I'm glad to have started my reading journey through such light hearted series.

[Rebecca Wright · Rating 3 out of 5]

just because your parents are the best in something doesn't mean you have to be, or lie that you can do it. just be honest about it. glad everything worked out in the end for all the girls. and the restaurant in town

[Ciera Legue · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved how it included such a good cause and not just something for white oak or Harrington this was the best holiday book in this series from the previous Christmas themed ones.

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm so glad I didn't request this from ILL until closer to Christmas, because this was just so cute and so perfect for December.

[Maisie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pre teen days

[Susan Stumbaugh · Rating 1 out of 5]

HA! I knew they'd win.