Dessert First

( 2 )
Hardcover
$12.45
BN.com price
$14.99 List Price (Save 17%)
Marketplace (New and Used)
from
$0.01
$14.99 List Price (Save 100%)
Usually ships in 1-2 business days
All (34)  
Used (20)  
New (14)  
Close
Sort by
Page 1 of 4
Showing 1 – 10 of 34 (4 pages)
$0.01
(Save 100%)
Better World Books
Seller since 2006

Feedback rating:

(50891)

Condition:

New — never opened or used in original packaging.

Like New — packaging may have been opened. A "Like New" item is suitable to give as a gift.

Very Good — may have minor signs of wear on packaging but item works perfectly and has no damage.

Good — item is in good condition but packaging may have signs of shelf wear/aging or torn packaging. All specific defects should be noted in the Comments section associated with each item.

Acceptable — item is in working order but may show signs of wear such as scratches or torn packaging. All specific defects should be noted in the Comments section associated with each item.

Used — An item that has been opened and may show signs of wear. All specific defects should be noted in the Comments section associated with each item.

Refurbished — A used item that has been renewed or updated and verified to be in proper working condition. Not necessarily completed by the original manufacturer.

Very Good
Former Library book. Great condition for a used book! Minimal wear. 100% Money Back Guarantee. Shipped to over one million happy customers. Your purchase benefits world literacy!

Ships from: Mishawaka, IN

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • •Canadian
  • •International
  • •Standard, 48 States
  • •Standard (AK, HI)
  • •Express, 48 States
  • •Express (AK, HI)
$0.01
(Save 100%)
Better World Books
Seller since 2006

Feedback rating:

(50891)

Condition: Good
Shows some signs of wear, and may have some markings on the inside. 100% Money Back Guarantee. Shipped to over one million happy customers. Your purchase benefits world literacy!

Ships from: Mishawaka, IN

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • •Canadian
  • •International
  • •Standard, 48 States
  • •Standard (AK, HI)
  • •Express, 48 States
  • •Express (AK, HI)
$0.99
(Save 93%)
Ebooksweb
Seller since 2009

Feedback rating:

(1776)

Condition: Very Good
5/19/2009 Hardcover Very Good 1416963855 Minor Crease on Cover Ships Within 24 Hours. Tracking Number available for all USA orders. Excellent Customer Service. Upto 15 Days ... 100% Money Back Gurantee. Try Our Fast! ! ! ! Shipping With Tracking Number. Read more Show Less

Ships from: Bensalem, PA

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • •Canadian
  • •International
  • •Standard, 48 States
  • •Standard (AK, HI)
  • •Express, 48 States
  • •Express (AK, HI)
$0.99
(Save 93%)
Alibris NV
Seller since 2005

Feedback rating:

(20386)

Condition: Very Good
2009-05-19 Trade Paperback Very Good

Ships from: Sparks, NV

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • •Canadian
  • •International
  • •Standard, 48 States
  • •Standard (AK, HI)
  • •Express, 48 States
  • •Express (AK, HI)
$1.00
(Save 93%)
Goodwillnyonline
Seller since 2009

Feedback rating:

(552)

Condition: Good
Good Goodwillnyonline carries a wide range of quality new and used items at competitive prices. Goodwillnyonline is operated by Goodwill Industries of Greater New York & ... Northern New Jersey. A major provider of services for people with disabilities and other barriers to employment. Read more Show Less

Ships from: Astoria, NY

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • •Canadian
  • •International
  • •Standard, 48 States
  • •Standard (AK, HI)
  • •Express, 48 States
  • •Express (AK, HI)
$1.99
(Save 87%)
New Chapter Recycling
Seller since 2010

Feedback rating:

(3293)

Condition: Good

Ships from: Lakewood, WA

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • •Canadian
  • •International
  • •Standard, 48 States
  • •Standard (AK, HI)
  • •Express, 48 States
  • •Express (AK, HI)
$1.99
(Save 87%)
BargainBookStores
Seller since 2010

Feedback rating:

(7946)

Condition: Very Good
100% Satisfaction Guarantee. Tracking provided on most orders. Buy with Confidence! Millions of books sold!

Ships from: Grand Rapids, MI

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • •Canadian
  • •International
  • •Standard, 48 States
  • •Standard (AK, HI)
  • •Express, 48 States
  • •Express (AK, HI)
$1.99
(Save 87%)
BargainBookStores
Seller since 2010

Feedback rating:

(7946)

Condition: Like New
100% Satisfaction Guarantee. Tracking provided on most orders. Buy with Confidence! Millions of books sold!

Ships from: Grand Rapids, MI

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • •Canadian
  • •International
  • •Standard, 48 States
  • •Standard (AK, HI)
  • •Express, 48 States
  • •Express (AK, HI)
$1.99
(Save 87%)
thriftbooks-com
Seller since 2007

Feedback rating:

(5906)

Condition: Like New
Almost in new condition. Book shows only very slight signs of use. Cover and binding are undamaged and pages show minimal use. Millions of satisfied customers and climbing. ... Thriftbooks is the name you can trust, guaranteed. Spend Less. Read More. Read more Show Less

Ships from: Auburn, WA

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • •Canadian
  • •International
  • •Standard, 48 States
  • •Standard (AK, HI)
  • •Express, 48 States
  • •Express (AK, HI)
$1.99
(Save 87%)
Books Squared
Seller since 2009

Feedback rating:

(4450)

Condition: Good
Only lightly used. Book has minimal wear to cover and binding. A few pages may have small creases and minimal underlining. Book selection as BIG as Texas.

Ships from: Dallas, TX

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • •Canadian
  • •International
  • •Standard, 48 States
  • •Standard (AK, HI)
  • •Express, 48 States
  • •Express (AK, HI)
Page 1 of 4
Showing 1 – 10 of 34 (4 pages)
Close
Sort by
NOOK Book (eBook)
$5.99
BN.com price

Available on NOOK devices and apps

  • Nook Devices
  • NOOK
  • NOOK Color
  • NOOK Tablet
  • Tablet/Phone
  • NOOK for iPad
  • NOOK for iPhone
  • NOOK for Android
  • NOOK for Android (Tablet)
  • NOOK Kids for iPad
  • PC/Mac
  • NOOK Study
  • NOOK for PC
  • NOOK for Mac

Want a NOOK? Explore Now

Available for Pre-Order
This item will be available on July 24, 2012.
Note: Kids' Club Eligible. See More Details.

More About This Book

Overview

Dessert Schneider has her very own personal style. But sometimes walking to the beat of her own drum means walking right into a heap of mischief, especially when it comes to the legendary family recipe (and Dessert's all-time favorite treat), Grandma Reine's Double-Decker Chocolate Bars. As the oldest in a rambunctious, restaurant-owning family, with a four-year-old sister who is going through a "phase" and two little brothers called “the Beasties,” Dessert seems to be better at getting into trouble than getting out of it. And that's because for this eight-year-old, saying sorry is definitely not a piece o'cake!

Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly

As might be expected from her name alone, Dessert, the spunky narrator of this refreshing debut, takes to heart her third-grade teacher's advice to march to one's own drummer. First on Dessert's agenda: getting to eat dessert before dinner ("Mummy and Daddy, in a perfect world, dessert comes before supper. My body is calling for dessert first"). Durand displays a knack for comedic timing in a sequence in which Dessert discovers a box of Double-Decker Chocolate Bars and, despite her mother's warnings ("Stay away from the Double-Ds"), she samples (and finishes) the treats over several visits to the fridge. Her voice rings as true in somber moments. After a climactic scene in which the empty box is discovered (with much howling by both mother and daughter), a remorseful Dessert asks her teacher, Mrs. Howdy Doody, how she can make amends. When the teacher responds, "Try to think like you usually do," Dessert laments, "That's how I got into trouble." Davenier's (the Iris and Walter series) humorous b&w pictures ably convey this endearing heroine's mercurial moods. Readers will be left craving a second helping. Ages 7-10. (May)

Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Children's Literature
Dessert Scheinder comes from a "food family." Her parents' fondue restaurant has instilled Dessert's love for… well, dessert. After her new third-grade teacher, Mrs. Howdy Doody, encourages the class to march to their own drummers, Dessert decides that her first initiative in doing this will be to persuade her family to eat dessert before dinner. Once she is successful in this, Dessert thinks her life can't be any better. That is, until she "accidentally" eats the whole box of the especially delicious Double Decker Chocolate Bars that her mom specifically told her not to touch! How will she ever find a way to make it up to her parents? Dessert has a two-part plan: make a new batch of Double Deckers, and commit to giving up dessert for the Doody Drive. The French-inspired illustration gives good company to a story about the love of delectable delicacies. However, it seemed as if part of the plot was missing that could leave children confused, as if there was a prequel we have not read, or missing chapters with more character description. But any child will be able to relate to Dessert's mischievous desires with a conscience to do what's right. This book would be helpful in getting kids into the kitchen with their parents to create their own sweet treats! (There is even a recipe for the Double Decker Chocolate Bars, Dessert's favorite, on the back cover.) Reviewer: Jillian Hurst
More Reviews (3) Fewer Reviews
School Library Journal
Gr 2-5–Eight-year-old Dessert, a lover of all things sweet and delicious, is trying to follow her third-grade teacher’s advice to march to her own drummer. But it is not as easy as it sounds. Her first task is to convince her parents that dessert should be eaten before dinner, but they have other ideas. And when her mother forbids her to touch the irresistible homemade double-decker fudge bars in the refrigerator, Dessert cannot resist, and winds up eating all of them. Now she must find a way to make it up to her family, and so she cooks up a scheme that involves helping out at her family’s restaurant. But when her class nemesis arrives at Fondue Paris, all of her grand plans may fall apart. This is a delectable story narrated by a plucky young heroine. Davenier’s clever illustrations, reminiscent of Hilary Knight’s work in Eloise, add to the charm. This book will be especially popular with fans of Clementine, Junie B. Jones, and Ramona.–Jessica Marie, Renton Public Library, WA
Kirkus Reviews
Dessert Schneider loves her sweets so much she even draws a maraschino cherry by her name. She convinces her family to eat dessert before dinner, but when her mother forbids her from eating the coveted Double-Decker Chocolate Bars, Dessert's sticky fingers ruin a family celebration. She learns the significance of sacrifice when she abstains from sweets for her school's fundraiser. The plot nimbly balances Dessert's home and school life, and teacher Mrs. Howdy Doody's inspiring presence-"my dear, happy learners, show me what you love"-provides necessary support for Dessert's character development. The family's French background and their restaurant, Fondue, provide an interesting milieu, and each dinner and dessert is delectably described. Experiences are delightfully imagined through Dessert's realistic, child-centered perspective. Short chapters interspersed with Davenier's pen-and-ink washes add immediacy to the text. Let us hope that Durand's promising debut will be the first in a series; readers would benefit from a second helping of lovable Dessert's adventures. (Fiction. 7-10)
Children's Literature
Dessert Schneider is a bubbly third grader with an unusual teacher, Mrs. Howdy-Doody. Mrs. Howdy-Doody encourages everyone to march to their own drummer, which makes Dessert convince her parents to allow the family to eat dessert first. But sweets become Dessert's downfall when a box of double-decker brownies appears in the refrigerator. She sneaks bites and slivers here and there until late one night, she eats the whole box!Meanwhile, the other children in her class are pledging to make sacrifices for the Doody Drive to raise money for a school tree house. It's quite obvious what Dessert needs to give up, but her unusual interpretation of her sacrifice will intrigue most children. Dessert is a very likeable character, fun yet responsible, and very age appropriate. She has a little bit of Eloise's fanciness and charm, and enough spunk to keep readers engaged. The drawings give a wonderful picture of Dessert's family and school life. Dessert First will be a welcome addition to the lineup of middle grade series novels, with a little more substance than some. Reviewer: Tiffany Erickson

Product Details

  • ISBN-13: 9781416963851
  • Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers
  • Publication date: 5/19/2009
  • Pages: 160
  • Sales rank: 541,521
  • Age range: 7 - 10 Years
  • Lexile: 750L (what's this?)
  • Product dimensions: 5.20 (w) x 7.10 (h) x 0.80 (d)

Meet the Author

Hallie Durand grew up in a large, food-loving family, much like Dessert’s. When Hallie is not writing, she likes to visit fondue restaurants for “research.” A debut author, she lives in New Jersey. Visit her online at halliedurand.com.

Christine Davenier is the illustrator of many books for children, including the Iris and Walter series by Elissa Haden Guest. She lives in Paris.

Read an Excerpt

Chapter One

MRS. HOWDY DOODY


I don't know if Mrs. Howdy Doody is her real God-given name or not, but on the very f irst day of third grade, our teacher told us to call her that. She also told us, on that very f irst day, to march to our own drummers. Then she said, "Watch and learn." And right there in front of us, even though we didn't know her very well, she put on her white snowball slippers and marched around the classroom. She has big feet, and she took big steps, but she didn't make a sound because of the slippers.

"It's time to get acquainted," she said when she sat back down. I didn't know what to expect after the marching, but she reached under her desk and brought out a shiny piece of wood. She held it up for the class to see — it had a pair of roller skates and a pair of swim f ins painted on it. "This is my coat of arms," she said, "and you can see that it tells you something about me. It tells you that I am a creature of land and sea, for starters.

"Now, reach into your desk," she said. I was disappointed that the "watching" part hadn't lasted very long, but I put my hand in my desk and pulled out a shiny piece of wood just like Mrs. Howdy Doody's. I reached in again and pulled out a perfectly new set of paints, with a brand-new brush for each color. From what I could tell, Mrs. Howdy Doody and I were going to get along pretty well.

"You now have your raw materials," she said, as she held up her coat of arms again. "Traditionally," she continued, "a coat of arms is used to indicate your family dis-tinctions. But I want yours to tell me what you are most passionate about.

"My dear happy learners," she said, "show me what you love!"

I'd never been called a happy learner before, and I wasn't sure I liked it, but I did try to think about what I loved. I saw that Donnie and Billy were already painting action f igures. Donnie and Billy are twins, and I've known them for a long time. For sure, action f igures are their passion. They always have a few in their pockets. Then Melissa R. asked if she could use rubber cement, and Emily V. asked for glitter. I didn't understand how they all knew what to do so fast.

Even Amy D. had something already. It was either a roller coaster or my sister Charlie's hair (they look the same the way she draws). I couldn't believe I was stuck in the same class as Amy D. again. We've been enemies since f irst grade, ever since she stuf fed leaves in my mouth and called me "Tree."

It still makes me mad to think about that Leaf Stuf fer, and here she was almost finished with her coat of arms when I hadn't even started.

What oh what did I love?

It certainly wasn't Charlie, and it certainly wasn't either of my brothers, Wolfgang or Mushy (they could be cute once in a while but not all the time). And it certainly was not mayonnaise. Just thinking about mayonnaise made me sick. There was only one thing I knew that I loved all the time. And that was my dog, Chunky — he's been with me since I was one. I wouldn't even need all the paints to color him; all I needed was black and white. I drew him to f ill up the entire board because he is big — he's part Rotty. I added a few gray hairs around his eyes, just to let people know how wise he is.

Then I signed my name.

Dessert

You might want to know about the cherry. I call it f lair. It could be on top of a banana split, a cornf lake-cream-cheese cookie, a hot-fudge sundae, or even a freshly baked lemon square, like the ones Mummy made last night. Also, it shows my personal style.

Mrs. Howdy Doody came by and said, "That looks like a very large dog to me."

"This is Chunky," I said. "I've known him since I was one — that makes him forty-nine years old in our system."

"That's almost half a lifetime," Mrs. Howdy Doody said. Then she looked at my signature and said, "What in the wide world is that, Dessert Schneider?"

"It's a cherry," I said.

"A cherry?"

"Yes," I said. "A maraschino cherry."

"A maraschino cherry," said Mrs. Howdy Doody. "When it comes right down to it, that's really all you need in life, isn't it?"

"Plus something to put it on," I said, and we nodded at each other. I was convinced it was going to be an amazing year (except for Amy D.).

Text copyright © 2009 by Hallie Durand

Customer Reviews

Average Rating 4.5
( 2 )

Rating Distribution

5 Star

(1)

4 Star

(1)

3 Star

(0)

2 Star

(0)

1 Star

(0)

Your Rating:

Review Guidelines
Add Recommendations
Your Name: Create a Pen Name or Leave Anonymously

Barnes & Noble.com Review Rules

Our reader reviews allow you to share your comments on titles you liked, or didn't, with others. By submitting an online review, you are representing to Barnes & Noble.com that all information contained in your review is original and accurate in all respects, and that the submission of such content by you and the posting of such content by Barnes & Noble.com does not and will not violate the rights of any third party. Please follow the rules below to help ensure that your review can be posted.

Reviews by Our Customers Under the Age of 13

We highly value and respect everyone's opinion concerning the titles we offer. However, we cannot allow persons under the age of 13 to have accounts at BN.com or to post customer reviews. Please see our Terms of Use for more details.

What to exclude from your review:

Please do not write about reviews, commentary, or information posted on the product page. If you see any errors in the information on the product page, please send us an email.

Reviews should not contain any of the following:

  • - HTML tags, profanity, obscenities, vulgarities, or comments that defame anyone
  • - Time-sensitive information such as tour dates, signings, lectures, etc.
  • - Single-word reviews. Other people will read your review to discover why you liked or didn't like the title. Be descriptive.
  • - Comments focusing on the author or that may ruin the ending for others
  • - Phone numbers, addresses, URLs
  • - Pricing and availability information or alternative ordering information
  • - Advertisements or commercial solicitation

Reminder:

  • - By submitting a review, you grant to Barnes & Noble.com and its sublicensees the royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable right and license to use the review in accordance with the Barnes & Noble.com Terms of Use.
  • - Barnes & Noble.com reserves the right not to post any review -- particularly those that do not follow the terms and conditions of these Rules. Barnes & Noble.com also reserves the right to remove any review at any time without notice.
  • - See Terms of Use for other conditions and disclaimers.
Search for Products You'd Like to Recommend

Recommend other products that relate to your review. Just search for them below and share!

Create a Pen Name

Your Pen Name is your unique identiy on BN.com. It will appear on the reviews you write and other website activities. Your Pen Name cannot be edited, changed or deleted once submitted.

Your Pen Name can be any combination of alphanumeric characters (plus - and _), and must be at least two characters long.

Continue Anonymously

We're sorry, but penname is already taken.

Please select one of the following:
Your Pen Name can be any combination of alphanumeric characters (plus - and _), and must be at least two characters long.

Continue Anonymously

penname is available!

By visiting the BN.com website or marking a purchase on BN.com, a User is deemed to have accepted the Terms of Use.

Continue Anonymously

Welcome, penname

You have successfully created your Pen Name. Start enjoying the benefits of the BN.com Community today.

Sort by: Showing all of 2 Customer Reviews

  • Posted February 27, 2012

    more from this reviewer

    from missprint.wordpress.com

    Dessert Schneider doesn't know what to think on the first day of third grade when her teacher introduces herself as Mrs. Howdy Doody and starts marching around in fluffy white slippers. But then Mrs. Howdy Doody tells the class that they should all find their own personal style and march to their very own drummers. And Dessert kind of likes that idea because it means she might have a chance to eat dessert first (before dinner) once in a while--if she marches just right.

    Dessert comes from a family of foodies. Her younger sister Charlie and brothers Wolfie and Mushy all love food. And her parents own Fondue Paris, a very cool restaurant specializing in all things fondue. Coming from this background, it is no surpise that Dessert signs her name with a Maraschino cherry anymore than she believes that cherry is all you need in life, along with something to put the cherry on of course.

    The problem with belonging to a food family, though, is that sometimes food--especially sweet chocolately foods--can be really distracting. When Dessert discovers an off limit box of special Double-Decker Bars at home, she knows she has to try just one. At least, it was supposed to be just one. Sometimes, without Dessert meaning to, things get out of hand because she spends too much time getting into trouble and not enough time thinking about how to avoid it.

    Dessert First by Hallie Durand (with illustrations by Christine Davenier) is the first book about Dessert Schneider and her family. While not as good as the first Clementine book (possibly because it's just plain shorter), I saw a lot of similarities between the two books. Dessert is a really likable eight-year-old with a fascinating family.

    The illustrations add a lot to the story as well. Sometimes I find myself dissappointed, after seeing the colorful cover, to discover that a book has black-and-white illustrations but Davenier's are done with thick lines and bold geometric patterns (mostly on Dessert's dresses) that really make them work.

    That said, some aspects of the plot did bother me. I was never a eat-dessert-first kind of kid so I found Dessert's singular interest in the matter to be . . . interersting. An eight-year-old sneaking not one but twelve brownies without anyone noticing was also interesting. It set up a chance to learn an important lesson, but it was also just strange because Dessert didn't seem to have any self control. I get it in terms of the story but I wonder if it could happen in the real world. Finally, I had issues with the Doody Drive at the end of the story where all of the elementary school is asked to give up something they love for two weeks to pledge money to build a tree house. It just seemed bizarre and not entirely appropriate for a grade school to me. Maybe that's just me. . . .

    Weird bits aside, I see big things in Dessert's future and hope that Dessert First leads to bigger and better installments about the Schneider family.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted June 6, 2009

    Read this book!

    This book was so funny. I mean, there is a whole page that looks like this: "AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" screamed Mummy. How funnier can you get? I always have some way to complain about a book, but not for this one!

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
Sort by: Showing all of 2 Customer Reviews
If you find inappropriate content, please report it to Barnes & Noble
Why is this product inappropriate?
Comments (optional)
500 character limit