Mifflin Community Library officials admitted they were cooking the books Saturday, but it was all in the spirit of fun and having a punderful time rustling up interest in reading.
The occasion was the library's second annual Edible Book Festival, a contest to create edible works of art on a book theme.
It drew 10 entries ranging from a condiment bottle stuck in a loaf of bread ("Ketchup in the Rye") to a "Little House on the Prairie" built of chocolate wafers and coconut shavings.
Linda Gross submitted the entry she said was the most cutting edge: a devil's food cake with ganache and chocolate icing, and a butcher knife stuck down through the top.
It illustrated "The Devil's Food Cake Murder," one of a series of whodunits that somehow also include rather good recipes.
But children's librarian Kristin Brumbach pulled off a double pun, a devil's food cake iced with a clothing label.
The name of her entry: "The Devil's Food Cake Wears Prada."
Library director Helen Flynn said she fell in love with the Edible Book Festival that began in 2000 and now is an annual event in more than two-dozen countries. Its website is www.books2eat.org.
It's usually held around April 1 since that's considered a good day to eat your words.
Flynn said Brumbach, the children's librarian, had started the festival at Albright College several years ago, then at Alvernia University before coming to Mifflin.
Flynn said it promotes reading and an understanding of how to think about books.
"It's fun," she said. "And you get to eat it."
To illustrate the children's book "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie," Abigail Hartranft used a marshmallow mouse on a bed of chocolate chip cookies in a sea of brownies.
Flynn herself took off on the book "Tortilla Flat" by using - what else? - a flat tortilla in a salad of lettuce, tomatoes and salsa.
Taking off on the kids' book "Kiss! Kiss! Yuck! Yuck!" contest coordinator Diane Kozar entered two spinach quiches with faces, called "Quiche! Quiche! Yuck! Yuck!"
Entries were judged by Albright communications professor Claudia Strauss, who said she had too many good contenders.
Library patrons themselves voted for the Best of Show: "Ketchup in the Rye" by Kozar's husband, Mark.
The four children of Steve and Patty Angstadt of Mohnton each had an entry, and each won first or second in their categories.
"They read a ton, and they wanted to do it for fun," Patty Angstadt said.
The occasion was the library's second annual Edible Book Festival, a contest to create edible works of art on a book theme.
It drew 10 entries ranging from a condiment bottle stuck in a loaf of bread ("Ketchup in the Rye") to a "Little House on the Prairie" built of chocolate wafers and coconut shavings.
Linda Gross submitted the entry she said was the most cutting edge: a devil's food cake with ganache and chocolate icing, and a butcher knife stuck down through the top.
It illustrated "The Devil's Food Cake Murder," one of a series of whodunits that somehow also include rather good recipes.
But children's librarian Kristin Brumbach pulled off a double pun, a devil's food cake iced with a clothing label.
The name of her entry: "The Devil's Food Cake Wears Prada."
Library director Helen Flynn said she fell in love with the Edible Book Festival that began in 2000 and now is an annual event in more than two-dozen countries. Its website is www.books2eat.org.
It's usually held around April 1 since that's considered a good day to eat your words.
Flynn said Brumbach, the children's librarian, had started the festival at Albright College several years ago, then at Alvernia University before coming to Mifflin.
Flynn said it promotes reading and an understanding of how to think about books.
"It's fun," she said. "And you get to eat it."
To illustrate the children's book "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie," Abigail Hartranft used a marshmallow mouse on a bed of chocolate chip cookies in a sea of brownies.
Flynn herself took off on the book "Tortilla Flat" by using - what else? - a flat tortilla in a salad of lettuce, tomatoes and salsa.
Taking off on the kids' book "Kiss! Kiss! Yuck! Yuck!" contest coordinator Diane Kozar entered two spinach quiches with faces, called "Quiche! Quiche! Yuck! Yuck!"
Entries were judged by Albright communications professor Claudia Strauss, who said she had too many good contenders.
Library patrons themselves voted for the Best of Show: "Ketchup in the Rye" by Kozar's husband, Mark.
The four children of Steve and Patty Angstadt of Mohnton each had an entry, and each won first or second in their categories.
"They read a ton, and they wanted to do it for fun," Patty Angstadt said.
