Name: So You Want To Be A Baker
Author: Linda Soules
ISBN: 9798951756473

About So You Want To Be A Baker

From the award-winning So You Want To Be A... Series GRAND PRIZE - 2026 Purple Dragonfly Book Awards SILVER AWARD - 2026 CIPA EVVY Book Awards, Children's Nonfiction Bread rises because of yeast burps. That is just the start of what young readers learn in this book. So You Want To Be A Baker shows kids that baking works more like chemistry than cooking. Readers learn how yeast and gluten trap millions of tiny bubbles, why baking soda needs an acid to fizz, and how bakers fold butter into dough to create the flaky layers of a croissant. Along the way they pick up real bakery words like proof, crumb, oven spring, and lame. A Day in the Life starts at 3:30 AM, when the head baker unlocks the door in the dark, and follows the team through singing loaves, flat cinnamon rolls, and a birthday cake shaped like a dragon. The book is honest about the hard parts too, from early hours and burns to thin profit margins and food allergies, and explains how people become bakers. Baking history is full of surprises, from 14,400-year-old bread crumbs found in Jordan and 81 loaves preserved at Pompeii to the Great Fire of London, which started in a bakery. Profiles feature Malinda Russell, Kimura Yasubei, Ruth Wakefield, Dominique Ansel, Nadiya Hussain, and Bryan Ford. Readers also meet bakeries with big hearts and the Bread Lab, where scientists grow purple and black wheat. Hands-on activities let kids blow up a balloon with yeast, test kneaded dough, and grow a sourdough starter with an adult. The back matter includes a 24-term glossary, recommended books and websites, and baking organizations to explore. Written for ages 10 to 14 and accessible to younger readers with a grown-up, this illustrated nonfiction book is a perfect gift for kids who love baking and kitchen science, and a great fit for STEM lessons, homeschool families, and school libraries. Part of the award-winning So You Want To Be A... career exploration series by Linda Soules.

ISBN (print): 979-8-951756-47-3 / Published: 2026-11-7

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About Linda Soules

Linda Soules

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Linda Soules is the author and creator of the So You Want To Be A... series, a growing collection of career-exploration books for readers ages 10–14 (and beyond!). The series is envisioned to span more than 180 titles in total, with over 60 published to date and new releases on a steady cadence — covering everything from astronauts and marine biologists to magicians, stunt performers, and roller coaster designers. Her philosophy is straightforward: never talk down to kids. Young readers are smarter, more curious, and more capable than the publishing world often gives them credit for, and they deserve books that respect their intelligence while genuinely sparking their enthusiasm. Each title is written to pull back the curtain on a real career — its joys, its challenges, the path to get there — and to leave readers with the sense that the world is wider, more interesting, and more reachable than they imagined. Before turning to children's publishing, Linda spent 25 years in law and finance, advising hedge funds and sophisticated financial institutions on legal and regulatory matters — a career that taught her precision, discipline, and how to translate intricate subjects into language anyone can use. She brings that same clarity and care to every book she writes, paired with a deep belief that curiosity is the engine of a meaningful life. Linda lives in Seattle with her husband and two children, where the steady rhythm of family life, the natural beauty of the Pacific Northwest, and the questions her own kids ask every day continue to fuel her work.

Other Books by Linda Soules

So You Want To Be An Astronaut

So You Want To Be A Veterinarian

So You Want To Be A Dinosaur Hunter (Paleontologist)

So You Want To Be A Video Game Designer

So You Want To Be A Firefighter

So You Want To Be A Zookeeper

So You Want To Be A Marine Biologist

So You Want To Be A Spy (Intelligence Agent)

So You Want To Be A Race Car Driver

So You Want To Be A Doctor

So You Want To Be A Robot Builder (Robotics Engineer)

So You Want To Be A Roller Coaster Designer (Theme Park Engineer)

So You Want To Be A Pilot

So You Want To Be An Inventor

So You Want To Be A Magician

So You Want To Be A Shark Researcher

So You Want To Be A Police Officer

So You Want To Be A Chef

So You Want To Be An Explorer

So You Want To Be A Professional Athlete

So You Want To Be A Scientist

So You Want To Be A Surgeon

So You Want To Be An Actor

So You Want To Be A Stunt Performer

So You Want To Be A Toy Designer

So You Want To Be A Singer

So You Want To Be A Voice Actor

So You Want To Be A Deep Sea Diver

So You Want To Be A Vaccine Developer (Immunologist)

So You Want To Be A Treasure Hunter (Archaeologist)

So You Want To Be A Crime Scene Investigator

So You Want To Be An Animator

So You Want To Be A Ballet Dancer

So You Want To Be An Astronomer & Exoplanet Hunter

So You Want To Be A Waterslide Tester

So You Want To Be A Coder (Computer Programmer)

So You Want To Be A Diplomat

So You Want To Be An Ice Cream Flavor Inventor

So You Want To Be A Fashion Designer

So You Want To Be A Candy Scientist

So You Want To Be An Animal Rescue Worker

So You Want To Be An Activist

So You Want To Be A Lawyer

So You Want To Be A Journalist

So You Want To Be A Psychotherapist

So You Want To Be A Psychologist

So You Want To Be An Architect

So You Want To Be A Teacher

So You Want To Be A Librarian

So You Want To Be A Geologist

So You Want To Be A Mathematician

So You Want To Be A Documentary Filmmaker

So You Want To Be An International Aid Worker

So You Want To Be A Public Defender

So You Want To Be An Anthropologist

So You Want To Be An Interior Designer

So You Want To Be An Engineer

So You Want To Be A Nurse

So You Want To Be A Hedge Fund Manager

So You Want To Be A Rocket Scientist

So You Want To Be A Movie Director

So You Want To Be A Soccer Player

About So You Want To Be A Baker

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About Linda Soules

Other Books by Linda Soules

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