Basil  Dahlia, Joy McCullough
Basil  Dahlia, Joy McCullough
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Basil & Dahlia
A Tragical Tale of Sinister Sweetness

Author: Joy McCullough

Narrator: Matthew Lloyd Davies

Unabridged: 5 hr 30 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 05/21/2024


Synopsis

Two orphan siblings with truly terrible luck battle an evil celebrity chef in this “bitingly humorous and appealingly weird” (Publishers Weekly) illustrated middle grade romp in the vein of A Series of Unfortunate Events.

It’s hard to imagine things could get worse after one’s parents die in a greenhouse explosion. But that is precisely what happens to Basil and his younger sister, Dahlia. They escape from the social worker who wants to split them up to different foster homes by jumping off a moving train, only to find themselves wounded (Dahlia) and bedraggled (Basil) and without a soul to care for them. What’s more, they’re lost in the wilds of New York City.

Famished and alone, they wander into Cravings, the delectable bakery owned by Laurel Fox, disgraced celebrity chef with a soft spot for poor, hungry orphans. When she offers them luxurious accommodations and all the éclairs they can eat, Basil and Dahlia dare to hope their luck has changed at last. But the savvy reader will know it can’t be as simple as all that! Laurel Fox is out for redemption, and she’ll do anything to get the sinister secret ingredient she requires.

About Joy McCullough

Joy McCullough writes books and plays from her home in the Seattle area, where she lives with her husband and two children. She is the author of the middle grade novels Across the Pond, A Field Guide to Getting LostNot Starring Zadie LouiseCode Red, and Basil & Dahlia, as well as the middle grade series Team Awkward, and the picture books Harriet’s Ruffled Feathers, Champ and Major: First Dogs, and The Story of a Book. Her debut novel Blood Water Paint was longlisted for the National Book Award and was a William C. Morris Debut Award Finalist. Visit her at JoyMcCullough.com.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Stephanie on October 18, 2024

OMG SO MUCH FUN! Joy has an *enviable* MG voice in all her MG novels and this one has me applauding so many lines. I finished i way too quickly and now I'm sad. But since I always want more to read, I read the acknowledgements and GASP ... "[BASIL & DAHLIA is] a book I wrote may years ago. It was, in......more

Goodreads review by Shannon on June 20, 2024

Another quirky middle grade story about two orphan siblings forced to endure a number of unsuitable guardians. This was great on audio with a fun third person narrator very similar in style to the Lemony Snicket Series of Unfortunate events. If you liked those books, this one is HIGHLY recommended.......more

Goodreads review by Debby on February 03, 2025

Fun, funny and silly (but with sad and meaningful moments too) this book is perfect for fans of Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians by Brandon Sanderson and anyone who loves the Great British Baking Show. Occasionally art livens up the reading and even as an adult, illustrations are appreciated. Favori......more

Goodreads review by Melanie on August 26, 2024

Prolific writer Joy McCullough (playwright as well as writer of picture books and those for middle grades and young adult) brings her middle grade audience an adventure story of two orphaned siblings taken in by a successful and seemingly generous premier baker. But alas, not is all as it should be......more

Goodreads review by Glenna on September 14, 2024

Basil and Dahlia are on their way to a new home after their parents' deaths when they discover they will be placed separately. Dahlia, the impulsive sibling, decides to jump off the slow-moving train and Basil follows her, if only to protect her. Through this and other devious ways, the two orphans......more