Book Club Kits: The Candymakers

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Four children have been chosen to compete in a national competition to find the tastiest confection in the country. Who will invent a candy more delicious than the Oozing Crunchorama or the Neon Lightning Chew?

Logan, the Candymaker’s son, who can detect the color of chocolate by touch alone?

Miles, the boy who is allergic to merry-go-rounds and the color pink?

Daisy, the cheerful girl who can lift a fifty-pound lump of taffy like it’s a feather?

Or Philip, the suit-and-tie wearing boy who’s always scribbling in a secret notebook?

This sweet, charming, and cleverly crafted story, told from each contestant’s perspective, is filled with mystery, friendship, and juicy revelations.

• Logan loves living in his family’s candy factory. Why does he love living there? What do you love about where you live? If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?
  
  
• The name of the candy company is LIFE IS SWEET. The name of the factory is an example of word play. How many ways can LIFE IS SWEET be interpreted in the context of the story?
  
  
• Did reading The Candymakers make you want to try making candy? If you were going to enter a contest like the one in the book, what kind of candy would you make and what would be your inspiration for that candy? What was the inspiration for the candies created by Logan, Daisy, Miles, and Philip?
  
  
• After Part One: Logan, the author reveals a secret about each character. Were you surprised when these secrets were revealed? What is each character’s secret? How are the secrets all connected?
  
  
• In the factory, there are rooms for specific ingredients or processes such as the Cocoa Room, Marshmallow Room, and Taffy Room. Logan’s favorite room is the Tropical Room. Which room is your favorite and why?
  
  
• At the end of the book, the Candymaker’s secret ingredient is revealed to the four young candymakers. What is this secret ingredient and why is it important?
  
  
• What is each character’s motive for entering and wanting to win the contest? Do their motives change as the story progresses? If yes, why do these motives change?
  
  
• On the surface, the relationships Logan, Daisy, Philip, and Miles have with their respective parents differ quite a bit. How would you describe those relationships? How are they different and how are they the same? What does your relationship with your parents have in common with the relationships in the book?
  
  
• Why does Philip have to win the contest? If you were in Logan, Daisy, or Miles’s shoes, would you work with Philip and let him win? Do you think Philip would have won without Logan, Daisy, and Miles’ help? What successes have you had with the help of your friends or family?
  
  
• What do you think will happen next for these four young candymakers and friends?