Pie in the Sky

Eleven-year-old Jingwen moves with his mother and younger brother from their home in Asia to Australia. While struggling to learn English at his new school, Jingwen copes by focusing on his late father's dream of opening a cake shop, secretly baking elaborate cakes with his brother when their mother is at work. The story is told through a mix of prose and graphic novel-style illustrations that help convey Jingwen's perspective. To him, his non-English-speaking life feels like being on Mars, while his classmates and teachers speak an incomprehensible alien language. The novel explores immigration, grief, and the complex relationship between siblings who must navigate a new world together. Through cake-making and memories of their father, the story examines how families preserve connections to their past while building a future in an unfamiliar place.

Readers connect with the authentic portrayal of immigration challenges and family dynamics. The story resonates with children who've experienced moving to new countries or dealing with language barriers. Many note the effective blend of text and illustrations to convey emotions and cultural experiences. Liked: - Relatable brother relationship - Honest depiction of grief and adaptation - Humor balancing serious themes - Cake illustrations and baking details - Successful mix of comic panels and text Disliked: - Some found the pacing slow in middle sections - A few readers wanted more depth in secondary characters - Occasional confusion about illustrated English vs Chinese dialogue Ratings: Goodreads: 4.3/5 (2,800+ ratings) Amazon: 4.7/5 (180+ ratings) Common Sense Media: 4/5 Reader quote: "The way Lai shows language barriers through scribbled text is brilliant - my ESL students finally saw themselves represented." - Teacher review on Goodreads

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🥧 Author Remy Lai both wrote and illustrated this graphic novel hybrid, combining traditional text with comic-style illustrations to tell the story. 🍰 The baking scenes in the book were inspired by Lai's own experiences learning to bake through YouTube videos and cooking shows. 🧁 The story draws from Lai's personal experience of moving from Indonesia to Australia as a child and struggling with the English language. 🥐 The book tackles themes of immigration, language barriers, and cultural identity while weaving in over 20 mouthwatering cake recipes throughout the narrative. 🍪 Pie in the Sky won multiple awards, including being named a Kirkus Best Middle Grade Book of 2019 and receiving a Parents' Choice Gold Award.