Free Sweet Victory by Sheryl Berk Page B

heads and our hearts every day. She died suddenly in 2014, after a fierce, courageous battle that included enduring numerous surgeries and treatments. She was unflinchingly brave and upbeat through it all. Her family and friends are continuing her charity to honor her memory. They welcome donations: dancerswithcancer.org/ .
    In Elizabeth’s own words:
    â€œI’ve said it once, but I’ll say it again: I believe in miracles. Never give up on anybody, but more importantly, never give up on yourself. Miracles happen every day. In all you do, never lose hope.”

Many thanks to:
    The Kahns, Berks, and Saperstones, as always, for their love and support. Daddy and Maddie: love you to the moon and back!
    Steve Walsh and Fatima Walsh-Espinal, Elizabeth Maria’s wonderful parents. We hope seeing her words in print brings a smile to your faces. We love her so much!
    Becky Keren, Carrie’s Hebrew tutor and great friend who gets a shout-out in the form of Coach Keren! Besides your very own character, we owe you a dozen gluten-free cupcakes! xo
    Dr. Beth Cohen at Uptown Pediatrics: you’ve always been our biggest cheerleader! Hope you like “Dr. Cohan” in this book! ;-)
    Our super sweet agent, Katherine Latshaw, from Folio Lit; our great team at Sourcebooks Jabberwocky: Steve Geck, Kate Prosswimmer, Alex Yeadon, and Elizabeth Boyer.
    All of our Cupcake Club fans who come to every signing, preorder our books, and race to bookstores the day the next book is out, and share their enthusiasm for the series with us! Hugs and sprinkles!

Check out the Fashion Academy series from Sheryl and Carrie Berk!

From the time she was old enough to hold her first pair of scissors in kindergarten, Mickey Williams knew she wanted to be a fashion designer. Way before she could even read, she and her mom pored over issues of Vogue, Elle , and InStyle together, tearing out pages of their favorite couture looks. Not many little girls knew who Coco Chanel was, but Mickey considered the fashion icon her idol and inspiration—not to mention Donatella Versace, Miuccia Prada, and Stella McCartney.
    â€œWhat do you think?” she asked her mom. It was her sixth birthday, and she was giving one of her presents—Pink and Pretty Barbie—an extreme makeover.
    She held up the doll that she’d wrapped head to toe in tinfoil and stickers. She’d braided its hair into an intricate updo and topped it off with a red-pen cap.
    Her mom studied the outfit. She was always one hundred percent honest with her.
    â€œI think it’s a bit avant-garde,” her mom replied. “A little edgy for Barbie. But that said…I like it. It’s very Alexander McQueen.”
    Mickey nodded. “I was trying to dress her for a runway show in outer space.”
    â€œAha,” her mom replied thoughtfully. “Then I’d say that look fits the bill.”
    Mickey smiled. Her friends in first grade all thought she was crazy for chopping off her dolls’ hair and coloring it with neon-green highlighter markers. They were grossed out when she replaced each doll’s elegant evening gown with scraps of old clothing. But who wanted her Barbie to look like a clone of thousands of others on the toy store shelf? Mickey wanted all her dolls to be individuals in one-of-a-kind outfits. She could always find tons of fabric scraps at the Sunday flea market—all sorts of velvets, satins, plaids, and brocades in every color of the rainbow. For five dollars, she could take home a whole bag full! She and her mom loved hunting for treasures among the rows of cluttered booths.
    â€œDo you like this?” her mom asked one Sunday as they roamed through the stalls of treasures. She held up a brooch shaped like a peacock that was missing a few blue stones and attached it to the lapel of her denim jacket. “If you don’t get too close, you don’t even notice.”
    Mickey examined the pin with a critical eye. It