05/20/2019
Cady, 12, is used to being homeless, sleeping next to her father in his old van, and getting taunted at school. Her life changes abruptly, though, when social services arranges for her to live with an aunt she’s never met in the tiny village of Julian, apple pie capital of greater San Diego. At first, Cady is wary of pie shop owner Aunt Shell and her partner Suzanne, but it doesn’t take long for her to warm up to their hospitality and their quaint town, where people offer support. Here, Cady has a chance to practice her baking skills as Aunt Shell and her employees teach her how to make pie. When the business flails, and Aunt Shell is in danger of losing both her shop and her home, Cady is determined to find a solution. In a novel that evokes the warmth of home, newfound security, and friendship, Dilloway (the Momotaro books) effectively contrasts Cady’s old life with her new one while examining her muddled emotions, including the mixture of anger and love she feels toward her father. Those who share the protagonist’s passion for the culinary arts will delight in the easy-to-follow pie recipes following the story’s gratifying conclusion. Ages 8–12. Agent: Patricia Nelson, Marsal Lyon Literary Agency. (Apr.)
Inspiring and hopeful…. [a] tender coming-of-age story, perfect for fans for Lynda Mullaly Hunt and Ali Benjamin.
Margaret Dilloway approaches tough topics with a fine touch. Readers are going to love Cady’s spunk, determination, and grit.
Readers will delight in Cady’s new world of baking and friends and learning that with both, she’ll be able to get through just about anything. This fabulous book about making pies will leave you hungry, while Cady’s journey toward making a life will leave you entirely satisfied.
12/01/2018
Gr 4–6—Since her mother's death, Cady's father has been adrift, struggling to maintain a job and provide a home and basic parental care. When long-standing sobriety issues land him in jail, 12-year-old Cady is once again placed in foster care, this time with her Aunt Shell, her mother's sister whom she hardly knows. Life in remote, yet close-knit Julian, CA, is quite different from living homeless on the San Diego streets. At Aunt Shell's pie shop, Cady discovers a sense of belonging she never knew, making friends with the employees and regular customers, while also learning some hard truths about her parents. But Aunt Shell's business struggles have jeopardized the future of the pie shop, and Cady's scrappiness, ingenuity, and drive to be a great pie-maker gets everyone in her newfound home involved to save the establishment. Eight recipes with notes from Cady are included as back matter. Memorable characters and strong writing make this more than just a book about pie. Homelessness, substance abuse, undocumented immigrants, and same-sex relationships are weaved into the plot, along with themes of belonging, acceptance, and finding one's place in the world. Though some social issues would have benefited from deeper development and others are not wholly rectified, they are present and, to the author's credit, vital aspects of the narrative. VERDICT Realistic fiction with substance. This would be a fine purchase for mid to large collections.—Rebecca Gueorguiev, New York Public Library
2019-01-28
Twelve-year old Cady Bennett sets her sights on becoming the best baker in this tale of home, family, friendship, and, of course, pies.
Cady's had it tough. With a deceased mom and in and out of foster care because of her neglectful yet loving dad, who struggles with alcoholism, she finds herself in a child welfare center just before gruff Aunt Shell, whom Cady has never met, steps in as her temporary guardian. Cady has no idea what to expect when she is whisked away to small-town Julian, California, to live in her mother's childhood home with Aunt Shell and her partner, Suzanne. Over the course of a summer, Cady works diligently in her aunt's pie shop baking 1,000 pies—a personal goal. Contemporary topics such as immigration, bullying, and celiac disease mix easily into the plot. Dilloway whips up a gentle mix of sweet and savory themes with a lovable and diverse cast that includes an undocumented Latinx family and a same-sex couple; Cady herself has olive skin, and her grandpa—Shell's father—was Mexican. (Cady's dad and Suzanne seem to be white.) None of the issues feel forced; rather, there is an authentic compassion underlying them. Fans of Anne of Green Gables will find a satisfying story and another heroine to cheer on as Cady faces her past traumas from neglect and bullying in her search for permanence. While at times the pace slows, readers will ultimately find Cady's journey deeply rewarding.
Sweet as pie. (recipes) (Fiction. 8-12)
Inspiring and hopeful…. [a] tender coming-of-age story, perfect for fans for Lynda Mullaly Hunt and Ali Benjamin.” — ALA Booklist
“Evok[ing] the warmth of home, newfound security, and friendship, Dilloway effectively contrasts Cady’s old life with her new one while examining her muddled emotions.... Those who share the protagonist’s passion for the culinary arts will delight in the easy-to-follow pie recipes following the story’s gratifying conclusion.” — Publishers Weekly
“Fans of Anne of Green Gables will find a satisfying story and another heroine to cheer on…. Sweet as pie.” — Kirkus Reviews
“Memorable characters and strong writing make this more than just a book about pie.” — School Library Journal
“Readers will delight in Cady’s new world of baking and friends and learning that with both, she’ll be able to get through just about anything. This fabulous book about making pies will leave you hungry, while Cady’s journey toward making a life will leave you entirely satisfied.” — Donna Gephart, award-winning author of Lily and Dunkin and In Your Shoes
“Margaret Dilloway approaches tough topics with a fine touch. Readers are going to love Cady’s spunk, determination, and grit.” — Karina Yan Glaser, the author of The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street
“The writing is lovely, and the main character is sensitively portrayed. Summer of a Thousand Pies is delightful reading for summer or any other season.” — Margarita Engle, Young People’s Poet Laureate and Newbery Honor-winning author of The Surrender Tree
The writing is lovely, and the main character is sensitively portrayed. Summer of a Thousand Pies is delightful reading for summer or any other season.