Winner Bakes All by Sheryl Berk

fork and used a spoon to taste it. “I have to agree with Fiero. I like the flavor of your vanilla bean cupcake, and the chocolate fudge is divine, but the ice cream made this sad little puddle on my plate.”
    â€œOh, no,” Kylie groaned. “She thinks our cupcake is sad!”
    As if that wasn’t bad enough, Mrs. Vanderwall threw in, “Yes, very disappointing indeed!”
    While the judges deliberated, the cupcake club members huddled in their kitchen.
    â€œDon’t give up yet,” Sadie begged. “Fiero chipped a tooth…maybe they’ll be disqualified for that.”
    â€¢â€¢â€¢
    Jerry cleared his throat. “Okay, bakers, time to face the judges.”
    Sadie took her spot in between Cece and Dina.
    â€œThis was not an easy decision,” Carly began. “We didn’t feel that any of the bakers truly baked cupcakes worthy of Battle of the Bakers in this round.”
    Sadie’s heart was doing jumping jacks. Had they all failed? Were they all going home?
    â€œHowever, one baker did nothing new to impress us with her cupcake,” Carly continued. “Dina…I’m sorry, you’re done in Battle of the Bakers .”
    â€œThat’s okay…I’ve won twice. Time to pass the torch!” Dina said. Then she winked at Sadie. “Good luck!”

Sadie had no time to let the good news sink in before Jerry started barking orders.
    â€œCupcake bakers! You have two hours to create a 500-cupcake display. Since you’ve spent all day learning that opposites attract, we want to see a cupcake display that proves it. You can use a master builder of your own and one additional assistant. Ready…set…bake!”
    â€œWe want Mommy to help us!” Cece and Chloe yelled. Their mother appeared from the side of the set, giving them a thumbs-up. “And my husband, Stan, the NASA engineer,” Cece said, grinning.
    â€œWhat do you think Connecticut Cupcake is going to make?” Lexi asked.
    â€œWe can’t worry about them,” Kylie insisted. “Our display has to stand on its own two feet.”
    â€œThat’s it!” Sadie yelled. “Two feet!” She grabbed a pencil and made a stick figure. Then she drew another on the other side of the page.
    â€œWhat is that supposed to be?” Lexi said, turning Sadie’s drawing upside down. “It looks like a bunny rabbit…or maybe a turtle with a top hat?”
    â€œIt’s not a bunny or a turtle,” Sadie explained. “See? It’s a couple?”
    â€œA couple of what?” teased Jenna.
    â€œA man and a woman,” Sadie sighed. “You guys…it’ll work! Trust me!”
    Kylie looked over Sadie’s scribbles. “I get it. What if we put them on wheels and push them together? Each one will have his and her own cupcakes, and then in the middle, we’ll mix the two together. See…opposites attract.”
    â€œAnd let’s make the frosting two different flavors, for example, sweet chocolate and salty peanut butter, so when they come together, they make a beautiful new swirled frosting,” said Lexi.
    Sadie was relieved that PLC had a game plan, but she was still worried what Cece and Chloe were up to. She looked over and saw their sketch: it was a giant “U” shape covered with mini-cupcakes coated in silver fondant.
    â€œWhat are they making? A horseshoe?” Delaney asked.
    Kylie shook her head. “Not a horseshoe. A giant magnet. It’s really clever.”
    â€œBut our idea is better,” Sadie insisted. “If we can build it.”
    â€œDid someone say they needed a builder?” came a voice from the edge of the set.
    â€œDaddy?” Sadie gasped. “What are you doing here? I thought you and Mom were mad at me.”
    â€œAfter that sweet presentation? Not a chance!” said Mrs. Harris. “Thank you, Sadie. It was really lovely. We were trying to get