Although twelve-year-old Isabel has never left Oregon, she has big dreams of traveling the world. It seems like everyone is going somewhere for the summer, but she is stuck working in her mother's cupcake shop. When Isabel hears of a baking contest where the winner gets to compete in New York City, she decides to go for it. But things get tricky when her mom wants Isabel to enter one of her cupcake recipes, rather than Isabel's own. Should she follow her instincts and use her own recipe? Will she ever get out of her small town in Oregon?

This is a cute and squeaky clean story about an ambitious girl hungry to see world. She works and saves for this goal, while working for free (out of family duty) in her mom's shop. Her mom is a fragile character, prone to depression and quitting when things get tough. Isabel is always cheering her mom on, and pulling her up and out of her funks. Family and friendships are very supportive. Themes in this book include not being afraid of failure, taking chances, and that success is not always best measured in dollars. Rather, success is how well something is working for you.

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