Jeremy Bender vs. the Cupcake Cadets
When eleven-year-old Jeremy Bender does major damage to his father's prized boat, he figures he has one way to avoid being grounded for life: Fix it before Dad finds out. But even if Jeremy and his best friend, Slater, combined their allowances for a year, they still wouldn't have enough money for the cost of repairs.
Inspiration strikes when the boys see an ad for the Windjammer Whirl. Sponsored by the Cupcake Cadets, the model sailboat race pays five hundred dollars to the winner. There's just one problem: You must be a Cadet--and a girl--to compete.
Confident that it will be the easiest money they've ever made, Jeremy convinces Slater they should dress up like girls and infiltrate the troop. But as the boys proceed to botch everything from camping to field hockey, they realize that being a Cadet is no piece of cupcake.
Can Jeremy and Slater earn their badges and win the money? Or will their Cupcake careers be over faster than you can say "vanilla frosting"?
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Although Eric Luper never masqueraded as a girl to enter a competition, he did enter a lot of contests, some of which he actually won! Eric is the author of the teen novels Seth Baumgartner's Love Manifesto, Bug Boy, and Big Slick. This is his first novel for middle-grade readers.
Eric lives in upstate New York with his family.
"Clever plot twists and genuinely endearing main characters. The ending will leave readers satisfied, but possibly craving cupcakes." -- School Library Journal
"Jeremy and Slater are likable bumblers, and the situations they find themselves in are campy fun. Readers who enjoy over-the-top silliness that settles into credible camaraderie will appreciate the plot arc here. " -- Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
"Hats (and tams) off to Jeremy Bender for a belly-laugh not even the densest cupcakes could hold down!" -- Gordon Korman, bestselling author of The 39 Clues: One False Note and Pop
"This book has it all: a laugh on each page, outrageous plot, snappy dialogue, mega-wedgies, and of course, cupcakes. Perfect for boys and girls. " -- Julia DeVillers, author of How My Private, Personal Journal Became a Bestseller (now the Disney Channel Original Movie Read It and Weep)
