The Doughnut Fix by Jessie Janowitz

The Doughnut Fix is about a family that moves from New York City, where everything is conveniently close by, to a rural country town up-state, where it takes a hilly, sometimes treacherous, bike ride just to get a dozen eggs.  Tristan, a 12-year-old boy, Jeanine, a 'gifted & talented' 10-year old, and Zoe, a 4-year-old girl are siblings that argue and pout like most kids.  There is some mischief, like when Jeanine gets stuck in a tree and Zoe clouds the basement in flour, but both episodes end with the siblings helping each other.

Country life in a big old house is a culture shock that is exasperated by their moving in November, after the school year started, and the school principal suggesting they wait until January to start attending their new school.  In order to pass the time constructively, their parents assign Tristan and Jeanine a project to work on.  Tristan’s project is to make doughnuts, but not just any doughnuts, he is working to bring back the town’s famous chocolate cream doughnuts.  In order to do so, he must first research what it takes to start a business, analyze his production costs, and present his plan to the grumpy old lady who owns the recipe.  He encounters odd characters and befriends a local boy along the way, not realizing until later that he actually likes his new town and lifestyle.

The tagline for The Doughnut Fix is “everything is less terrible with doughnuts” and maybe it’s true that a stressful situation won’t be so bad if we focus on doing something good. This is a sweet book (pun intended) for young teens, boys, girls, and anyone who appreciates sibling rivalry and family bonds.