A Time to Eat Cake

The fruits of a sweet collaboration between Meg Ray, from Miette, and the students of 826 Valencia, A Time to Eat Cake features a mixture of odes to cake, students memories of cakes, and fantastical cakes straight out of students' imaginations. The project started after Miette provided cupcakes and other sweets for numerous parties at 826 Valencia, and every time they sparked delight in students and adults alike. Meg and the students of 826 Valencia's after-school tutoring program spent a month recalling their favorite cakes and describing them in the pieces that appear in the book.

A Time to Eat Cake has a great foreword by Meg Ray about the significance of cakes in her life and their role in her memory. This foreword, which Meg wrote after the success of her own bestselling book, sets the tone for a whimsical and sweet collection of stories by the student authors. The book also contains gorgeous illustrations and cover art that are as enticing and playful as the cake pieces inside. Released in time for the 2011 holiday season, the book would make a great gift for anyone who loves cake (and who doesn't?) or anyone who loves great student writing (again, who doesn't love that?). Easy for children as young as six to read, the book is also entertaining for adults.

Meg Ray is the author of the book, Miette: Recipes from San Francisco's Most Charming Pastry Shop, and the owner of the hit pastry shop, Miette. 826 Valencia is an educational nonprofit located in San Francisco's Mission district. Founded in 2002 by Dave Eggers and Ninive Calegari, 826 Valencia offers free writing tutoring to San Francisco Public school students, and support to teachers in their classrooms. The 826 model has been duplicated in seven other cities all over the United States.