Pie

( 142 )

Overview

From the award-winning author of SO B. IT, a story about family, friendship, and...pie!

When Alice's Aunt Polly passes away, she takes with her the secret to her world-famous pie-crust recipe. Or does she? In her will, Polly leaves the recipe to her extraordinarily surly cat Lardo . . . and then leaves Lardo in the care of Alice.

Suddenly Alice is thrust into the center of a piestorm, with everyone in town trying to be the next pie-contest ...

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Pie

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More About This Book

Overview

From the award-winning author of SO B. IT, a story about family, friendship, and...pie!

When Alice's Aunt Polly passes away, she takes with her the secret to her world-famous pie-crust recipe. Or does she? In her will, Polly leaves the recipe to her extraordinarily surly cat Lardo . . . and then leaves Lardo in the care of Alice.

Suddenly Alice is thrust into the center of a piestorm, with everyone in town trying to be the next pie-contest winner ... including Alice's mother and some of Alice's friends. The whole community is going pie-crazy . . . and it's up to Alice to discover the ingredients that really matter. Like family. And friendship. And enjoying what you do.

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Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly
Delightfully quirky characters populate the 1950s-era small town of Ipswitch, Pa., beginning with 10-year-old Alice’s aunt Polly, pie baker extraordinaire, who confounds her family and neighbors by giving away—rather than selling—her shop’s mouthwatering pies. Astonish­ing­ly, her nonprofit business flourishes, lifting the town’s economy and fame, as Polly repeatedly wins the coveted Blueberry Award. Polly’s death leads to widespread grieving, as well as anxiety about Ipswitch’s future. Humor and mystery ensue when the town learns that Polly inexplicably bequeathed her secret piecrust recipe to her grouchy cat, Lardo, and Lardo to Alice. In response, adults indulge in behavior ranging from bizarre to criminal: the entire town begins baking pies, someone catnaps Lardo and ransacks Polly’s store, and Alice’s unpleasant and money-grubbing mother becomes even more so, feeling jilted by being left out of Polly’s will. Alice and her friend Charlie become amateur sleuths and prevail over adult immaturity, while Polly’s generous spirit resonates from beyond the grave. With pie recipes introducing each chapter, Weeks’s (As Simple as It Seems) novel stimulates both sweet tooths and sweet nostalgia. Ages 9–12. (Oct.)
Children's Literature - Lois Rubin Gross
Alice's Aunt Polly makes perfect pies. The crusts are flaky, flavorful, and full of Lardo shortening. The fillings are simply scrumptious. People come from far and wide to get Polly's pies; but she will not sell them. She barters them for more ingredients. This system does not make Polly rich; but it makes her famous, especially when she wins thirteen consecutive Blueberry Awards for baking excellence. Aunt Polly is also Alice's beloved confidant and, when Polly dies, Alice is bereft. Not only has she lost her aunt and her favorite peach pie, but she has inherited Polly's nasty cat, Lardo (named for the shortening and his plentiful physique). Who may—or may not—be connected to Polly's secret crust recipe and someone is trying to catnap Lardo to get the recipe. The book is set in the 1950s, and Polly and her friend, Charlie Erdman, set out like their TV idols, Sky King and his niece, Penny, to solve the mystery of the elusive catnapper. That piece of fifties trivia will be lost on all but grandparent readers, but astute adults will see similarities in this book and the quirky TV show Pushing Up Daisies, also set in a peculiar pie shop. The "read alike" for this book would be Roald Dahl's Matilda, since Alice has the spunk of Dahl's beloved heroine and there is more than a passing resemblance between Alice's body-building principal, Miss Gurke, and Dahl's evil Miss Trunchbull. This book is generously laced with fun, early adolescent friendship, and a lesson about how everyone has their own gifts to share with the world. The author brings the story full circle with Alice grown and the godmother to a new Polly, who has a talent for baking. Readers will sigh with satisfaction. Reviewer: Lois Rubin Gross
School Library Journal
Gr 4–6—In the 1950s, the small town of Ipswitch, PA, is famous due to the proprietor of Pie, who gives her wares away rather than selling them. Polly Portman, 13-time winner of the coveted Blueberry Medal, knows everyone's favorites and keeps meticulous notes for each filling, but not the crust. That recipe is in her head. She also lavishes love and attention on her niece, Alice, an only child who can never please her mother. So when Polly Portman dies unexpectedly, the town is bereft. Many selfishly wonder where they are going to get their pie fix, and some wonder what will happen to the tourist industry that was built around Polly's fame. Alice cries for two days and "felt like a slice of Swiss cheese inside, all limp and full of holes." At the reading of her aunt's will, she learns that Polly left her piecrust recipe to her fat, grumpy cat, Lardo, and that she left Lardo to Alice. It isn't long before the animal is catnapped, the bakery is trashed, and Blueberry Medal fever hits Ipswitch. Someone wants Aunt Polly's piecrust recipe badly. With the aid of Charlie, a newfound friend, Alice sets out to get to the bottom of the mystery. Weeks deftly leavens moments of hilarity with the process of grieving in this sweet coming-of-age story in which Alice learns from Aunt Polly to follow her heart and to open it as well. Readers will close the book with a satisfied sigh and may seek out an adult to help them bake a pie. Recipes included, but not for the crust.—Brenda Kahn, Tenakill Middle School, Closter, NJ
Kirkus Reviews

What do you get when you take some scrumptious pie recipes, stir in a mix-up of a mystery involving an overweight cat and a legacy, then add a sly satirical nod to the Newbery Medal? This irresistible confection.

In 1955, 10-year-old Alice's beloved Aunt Polly, the peerless "Pie Queen of Ipswitch," who has always given away the extraordinary products of her oven simply because it makes her happy, dies. She bequeaths her incomparable piecrust recipe to Lardo, her cat—or does she?—and leaves Lardo to Alice. Thus the stage is set for a rich, layered and funny tale about friendship, family relationships and doing what's right. The characters are wonderfully drawn. While doing her best to carry on Aunt Polly's legacy, trying to figure out how to wrest the secret from the cat, dealing with a nefarious woman poking around town and learning about the renowned "Blueberry Medal," which everyone in town is trying to win, Alice draws closer to her mom, a resolution Aunt Polly would have cherished. Alice and her family eventually discover the solution to the mystery in a plot twist that is both comical and plausible. An epilogue, set in 1995, is deeply poignant and gratifying. In addition to the beautifully wrought story, readers will savor and want to attempt the 14 recipes, each of which precedes a chapter.

Warm, delicious and filling. (recipes, pie credits)(Historical fiction. 9-12)

From the Publisher
Praise for PIE:

* "Weeks deftly leavens moments of hilarity with the process of grieving in this sweet coming-of-age story in which Alice learns from Aunt Polly to follow her heart and to open it as well. Readers will close the book with a satisfied sigh and may seek out an adult to help them bake a pie." - School Library Journal, starred review

* "What do you get when you take some scrumptious pie recipes, stir in a mix-up of a mystery involving an overweight cat and a legacy, then add a sly satirical nod to the Newbery Medal? This irresistible confection....Warm, delicious and filling." - Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"The text richly describes the pie-making (and eating) process and includes multiple mouth-watering recipes for readers to try themselves. This would make a tasty readaloud for classrooms or families; stock up on pie ingredients first." - BCCB

"This enjoyable chapter book is a real charmer" - Booklist

"Stimulates both sweet tooths and sweet nostalgia" - Publishers Weekly

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Product Details

  • ISBN-13: 9780545270113
  • Publisher: Scholastic, Inc.
  • Publication date: 10/1/2011
  • Pages: 192
  • Sales rank: 61,261
  • Age range: 8 - 12 Years
  • Lexile: 930L (what's this?)
  • Product dimensions: 5.80 (w) x 8.40 (h) x 0.90 (d)

Meet the Author

Sarah Weeks is the author of Oggie Cooder, So B. It, Jumping the Scratch, and the Guy series. She lives in New York, where she writes and bakes. Her favorite pie is blueberry.

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Customer Reviews

Average Rating 4.5
( 142 )
Rating Distribution

5 Star

(105)

4 Star

(19)

3 Star

(7)

2 Star

(4)

1 Star

(7)

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See All Sort by: Showing 1 – 20 of 142 Customer Reviews

  • Posted November 18, 2011

    Any pie lovers would like this book :)

    I think it shows how clever a person is to leave a world famous pie recipe to a fat cat. The book gives you recipes and tells a amazing tale of fiction.Please consdier getting this book. Its a page turner you wont be able to put it down when you start. Each line is beautifully crafted in every way. And i know once you get the book you will read it over and over again.

    11 out of 12 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted December 25, 2011

    I love it

    Its amazing i realy love it. I read this like 2 months ago. I couldnt put it down. Allso it has recipes at the end of each chapter

    10 out of 14 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted February 18, 2012

    OMG!

    I loved That book i read it at school about a few weeks ago and i picked out cause i was hungry but turned out to be an awesome book

    5 out of 6 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted March 8, 2012

    Awesome

    It is a great story when you like mystery cats and...pie!!!

    4 out of 5 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted January 25, 2012

    This book is amazing

    Im telling you this book is good

    4 out of 6 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted December 31, 2011

    Great book

    This book is amazing . A must buy !!!!!

    4 out of 5 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted May 9, 2012

    ?..

    It Is An Awesome Book!

    3 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted February 24, 2012

    PIE

    This book was really good but not over the top amazing! It also made me hungry for pie!!!!!! I recomend you read it!

    3 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted February 16, 2012

    Pie hits the spot

    Pie is a great book inspired by lending and trusting a cat with the responsability of a human should have instead of a cat

    3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted January 12, 2012

    BUY THIS BOOK!!!

    I just finished this book. It was totally worth buying! It was fantastic! And when I finished this book, I was sad. Not because the book was sad, I was sad because it ended! It also had great real pie recipes that you can make. I highly recommend. BUY IT!!!

    3 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted March 30, 2012

    PIE

    I love the book Pie it is amazing .I am reading it at school. It is just great!!! PS. This is coming from a 9 year old. BUY IT!!!!!!!!!

    2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted February 17, 2012

    I LOVE THIS BOOK!

    My review is that this book is amazing so far

    2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted January 27, 2012

    Great book

    Godd for people that like mysteries

    2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted April 6, 2013

    Book

    So friggan cool the best book read it!!!!!!

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted March 15, 2013

    MUST READ BOOK!!!!! YOU WONT WASTE YOUR MONEY!!!

    This book took me through an adventure!! I love it so much its my new favorite book! I hope there is a series if PIE! Pie is about a girl named Alice who spends a lot of time with her aunt, Polly Portman, the pie queen. Everyone in the city of Ipswitch loves her pies, when suddenly she passes away. No one knew what to do. The whole city is stired up in the confusion of who will win the next blueberry. The blueberry is the award they give for the best pie which Polly won 13 times in a row. Everyone tries to make their own pie to win. Alice is very sad so she goes to check in the pie shop where she meets a boy named Charlie. They go on the big adveture to see who stole polly's cat and broke into Polly's shop. I already gave too much away but stay tuned for more!!! Best book ever! Read the comedy novel now

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted October 29, 2012

    Leafpool

    Ihave not reaf it yeat ,but I think it will be a good. Anyone want to talk to me about it because I would LOVE that. Thanks

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted February 3, 2013

    Ydfc

    From a nerd. I love it! Id give it a 9 if there were that many stars but thetes not so heres a 5 instead! Pi is 3.1415926535897932384626433832795028841971... etc. etc.

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted September 19, 2012

    Great book!

    I personally loved this book! It kept me wondering, what will happen next. This book was recommended to me and im glad it was! Great job Sarah Weeks!

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted September 19, 2012

    Awesome........MUST READ !!!!!!!!

    Awesome book just finished it sept.19,2012 it is so sad at the end lardo dies and she doesnt mary charlie but anyway an excellent finished in my fifth grade class awesome



    1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted September 13, 2012

    Bookworms Read

    It is a must read.If you live in Rhode Island it is one of the Rhode Island Children's Book Award Nomminee 2013.

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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