A poignant illustrated middle-grade novel about an eleven-year-old boy's immigration experience, his annoying little brother, and their cake-baking hijinks!
When Jingwen moves to a new country, he feels like he's landed on Mars. School is torture, making friends is impossible since he doesn't speak English, and he's often stuck looking after his (extremely irritating) little brother, Yanghao.
To distract himself from the loneliness, Jingwen daydreams about making all the cakes on the menu of Pie in the Sky, the bakery his father had planned to open before he unexpectedly passed away. The only problem is his mother has laid down one major rule: the brothers are not to use the oven while she's at work. As Jingwen and Yanghao bake elaborate cakes, they'll have to cook up elaborate excuses to keep the cake making a secret from Mama.
In her hilarious, emotional middle-grade debut, Remy Lai delivers a scrumptious combination of vibrant graphic art and pitch-perfect writing that will appeal to fans of Real Friends.
Publisher: Macmillan
Original Binding: Trade Paperback
Pages: 384 pages
ISBN-10: 1250314100
Item Weight: 1.0 lbs
Dimensions: 5.6 x 0.8 x 8.0 inches
A Junior Library Guild selection! "Pie in the Sky is like enjoying a decadent cake: it's multilayered, thoughtfully prepared, and sweet. It's both heartwarming and rib-tickling. Thoroughly satisfying." --Terri Libenson, bestselling author of Invisible Emmie
* "Like salted caramel, a perfect balance of flavors, this deftly drawn story is a heartfelt treat." --Kirkus Reviews, STARRED review
"Remy Lai seamlessly mixes together equal parts of humor, loss, identity, discovery, and love to create a delicious concoction of a story." --Veera Hiranandani, Newbery Honor-winning author of The Night Diary "If this is what Remy Lai's got going on straight out of the gate, I can't wait to see what she comes up with next." --Betsy Bird, Fuse #8
* "Prose chapters interwoven with comic-book panels excellently illustrate language as a barrier that makes Jingwen feel alien . . . Lai imbues this [story] with an undeniable sweetness." --BCCB, STARRED review
"Lai's cartoon illustrations depict Jingwen's sense of alienation with care and sensitivity. An emotional tale about loss and letting go, pleasantly buoyed by comedy and cake baking." --Booklist
Remy Lai studied fine arts, with a major in painting and drawing. She was born in Indonesia, grew up in Singapore, and currently lives in Brisbane, Australia where she writes and draws stories for kids, with her two dogs by her side. Pie in the Sky is her debut middle-grade novel. Follow Remy on Twitter @Remy_Lai.
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