Cookie is about to lose her job at the local bakery.

Cookie dreams of owning her own bakery but doesn't think she has the skills or money to do it. Most of all, she doesn't have the self-confidence. When she takes a course at the local college, she finds she has much more going for her than she imagined. With the help of her community, she figures out how to make sure no one has to go without her famous doily cookies for long!

This short novel is a high-interest, low-reading level book for older teen readers and adults who are building reading skills, want a quick read or say they don’t like to read!

Gail Anderson-Dargatz, whose fictional style has been coined as "Pacific Northwest Gothic" by the Boston Globe, has been published worldwide in English and in many other languages. A Recipe for Bees and The Cure For Death By Lightning were international bestsellers, and were both finalists for the prestigious Giller Prize in Canada. The Cure For Death By Lightning won the UK’s Betty Trask Prize among other awards. A Rhinestone Button was a national bestseller in Canada and her first book, The Miss Hereford Stories, was short-listed for the Leacock Award for humour. Her most recent novel, The Spawning Grounds, released in fall 2016, was again a bestseller. After nearly a decade of teaching within the Optional-Residency MFA program in creative writing at the University of British Columbia, Gail now mentors writers around the world through her own on-line forums. She lives in the Shuswap, the landscape found in so much of her writing.

Gail Anderson-Dargatz's profile page

"Cookie's perseverance through hardship is certainly inspiring, and her bonds with the local community heartwarming. For readers who need a little encouragement, this is just the ticket."

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"While From Scratch is written using simple language, the story is strong and the characters believable. Readers will immediately find themselves on Team Eva, and, alongside her, will learn just what it takes to start one's own business…From Scratch is a quick and touching story of pride and perseverance, as well as a novel that offers a lot of practical information. Readers struggling with English as their second language will be drawn easily into this story about a woman who, with a little support, reaches her true potential while realizing a life long dream."

BC Booklook