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A review by chardeemacdennis
Pie in the Sky by Remy Lai
4.0
Don't read this book while hungry. It seems as though the stack of books I checked out to read over quarantine had a common theme: the main character loves to bake. This book did include one recipe at the back of the book, but I would have loved to have several of the Pie in the Sky recipes included. You better believe that the first recipe I looked up was triple cookie layer cake. YUM.
Now that I mentioned the delicious part of the book, the rest of the book is also excellent. Jingwen's family plans to move to Australia and open up a bakery called, Pie in the Sky. To Jingwen's dismay, his family still moves to Australia even after the death of his father. Jingwen feels like an alien in a country where he doesn't speak the language. He's held back a grade because his English is considered too poor for his correct grade. Jingwen isn't happy that both his mom and brother seem happy in Australia and that their English is steadily improving. When Jingwen's younger brother asks for cake for dinner one night, Jingwen relents and decides he'll make him cake. In fact, they'll make each of the cakes that should have been on the Pie in the Sky menu. Unbeknowst to Jingwen, baking cakes from Australian cookbooks will help him learn English. There is just one problem with this plan. Jingwen's mother works 3rd shift and has made the boys promise not to touch the oven when she's gone. Is this the type of lie that doesn't hurt someone? Or should Jingwen listen to her?
I really enjoyed this book. The story between brothers and how they can both learn something from each other, the story of feeling lost in another country, elements of fitting in at school, and baked goods. This book has it all.
Now that I mentioned the delicious part of the book, the rest of the book is also excellent. Jingwen's family plans to move to Australia and open up a bakery called, Pie in the Sky. To Jingwen's dismay, his family still moves to Australia even after the death of his father. Jingwen feels like an alien in a country where he doesn't speak the language. He's held back a grade because his English is considered too poor for his correct grade. Jingwen isn't happy that both his mom and brother seem happy in Australia and that their English is steadily improving. When Jingwen's younger brother asks for cake for dinner one night, Jingwen relents and decides he'll make him cake. In fact, they'll make each of the cakes that should have been on the Pie in the Sky menu. Unbeknowst to Jingwen, baking cakes from Australian cookbooks will help him learn English. There is just one problem with this plan. Jingwen's mother works 3rd shift and has made the boys promise not to touch the oven when she's gone. Is this the type of lie that doesn't hurt someone? Or should Jingwen listen to her?
I really enjoyed this book. The story between brothers and how they can both learn something from each other, the story of feeling lost in another country, elements of fitting in at school, and baked goods. This book has it all.