Lola out loud: The recipe for disaster by Shannan & Tayla Stedman

Well, young vlogger and sweet tooth lover Lola is back again, with even more chaos, drama and OTT situations than before. Joining in the drama is her best friend Vee, her younger brother Ryan, good friend Mitch and who can forget, her number one fan Piper. Also featuring throughout the novel is Lola’s famous cat, Stampy, the country western music lover, and now famous chef! This is the second book in the series Lola, by Shannon and Tayla Stedman, and if you enjoyed the first one, then you are sure to enjoy this one too!

As school holidays approach, Lola is extremely excited that Aunt Helen, the coolest aunt ever, is coming to look after them for two weeks. But when Aunt Helen arrives something major is wrong. She isn’t the Aunt Helen that they all know and love. She won’t get off the couch, keeps eating bucket loads of ice cream and watching The Titanic on repeat. How are they possibly going to have a fun filled holiday, and more importantly how is Ryan going to win his laser skirmish tournament, when winning is the only option? What can they do to help Aunt Helen get back to her fun adventurous ways and keep their plans on track? This is where Lola has the ‘best plan ever’. Lola has it all worked out, and with her friends she devises a full proof idea to help Aunt Helen rediscover her fun and humour. However, when you look online to solve situations, are the ideas presented always what they seem? While Lola thinks she has outsmarted everyone, will she really have fixed her problem or created one that could potentially be even worse?

The recipe for disaster is a fun and entertaining story that many young readers will enjoy. It is an easy read, with many laughable moments and engaging illustrations. Again, exploring the potential risks and dilemmas when using the internet, this story explores friendships, teamwork and ingenuity.

Themes: Humour, Cyber safety, Problem Solving, Teamwork.

Michelle O'Connell