"An Amazing Chocolate Cake Summer deftly combines the everyday magic of a community coming together with the fantastical delight of a self-replenishing chocolate cake. A lovely summery read for children and children at heart." – Helen Vivienne Fletcher

An Amazing Chocolate Cake Summer follows the escapades of four children through a hot, dry, New Zealand summer bizarrely hijacked by an extraordinary chocolate cake.

Kind-hearted, recent immigrant, 13-year-old Alex, and his wily nemesis, 13-year-old Kristofer (aka Fish), have money worries – their pocket money isn’t going to fund repairs to Alex’s bike, which Fish wrecked in a malicious act designed to hurt Alex in front of their classmates. 

The answer to this problem, and the intervention of a peculiar variation on Alex’s mother’s regular chocolate cake, triggers a significant neighbourhood project, which transforms the relationships and lives of the boys and everyone else in their street.  

While the older boys are busy on the project with the street’s adults, Alex’s ultra-curious, ten-year-old sister, Anwen, and her friend, nine-year-old Theo, stumble upon a theft that leads to a greater mystery.  This pair has a problem - how to escape family surveillance so they have the space and freedom to investigate the mysterious Miss Hartley.

Written by Marie Munro, illustrated by Anton Rayner.

ISBN 978-1-99-117873-2

Paperback, 290 pages