skip to main content

About the Book


Close to Famous

Foster McFee wants to make the world a better place one cupcake at a time, but first she has to face the thing that makes her feel like an all-out loser.

Foster’s dream is huge — one day she hopes to have her own TV cooking show like her idol, Sonny Kroll.  But it’s hard to hold onto a big dream when you’ve been chased out of Memphis by an Elvis impersonator and end up in the tiny town of Culpepper, WV where nothing much seems to happen.  Still, Foster has learned, no matter what, you’ve got to keep baking.

Soon she discovers she’s not the only one in Culpepper with a dream of fame.  Macon desperately wants to make documentary films.  Miss Charleena longs to return in triumph to Hollywood, and Foster’s mother hopes to be a headliner instead of a backup singer.  Culpepper seems to be a safe haven for now, but Foster and Mama can’t hide forever.

  •  Winner of the American Library Association’s Schneider Family Book Award
  •  Winner of the Christopher Award
  •  Winner of the Judy Lopez Memorial Prize
  •  Nominated for 14 state awards

"{A} heartwarming novel about a determined girl who faces adversity with humor, heart -- and cupcakes."
-- Publishers Weekly

"It's a feel-good tale with life-affirming lessons laid on like the frosting on Foster's cupcakes, and as expertly wrought. Foster's engaging first-person voice and interior monologue, the solid characterization, and the nimble, fast-paced prose are the quality ingredients of this tale cooked to perfection. The ending is best read with a cupcake in hand...but don't let tears spoil the frosting."
-- Horn Book

"All we can say is order it now. We are way over the age of 10 and we truly loved this sweet book."
-- CupcakeMag

"Bauer skillfully brings readers to the heart of Culpepper with rich descriptions of a contemporary small town and its residents and rhythms. The characters' eventual triumphs are the type that ... fans eat up."
-- Publishers Weekly

"Bauer gently and effortlessly incorporates race (Foster's mother is black; her father was white), religion, social justice, and class issues into a guaranteed feel-good story that dodges sentimentality with humor. Readers who want contemporary fiction with a happy ending will find it here."
-- Booklist

"Tastier than a batch of Foster's triple chocolate cupcakes."
-- School Library Journal