Jingwen’s journey through loss will resonate with readers, while his quest to bake all the “Pie in the Sky” cakes deepens this story from typical middle-grade tearjerker to delectable page-turner. Lai’s debut illustrated middle-grade novel delves into Jingwen’s grief and onerous fraternal responsibilities while providing a window into the strain of adjusting to life in an “alien” world. All Jingwen wants to do is bake the elaborate cakes he and his father perfected (in preparation for the cake shop his father was going to open in Australia called “Pie in the Sky”) without his strict mother finding out that he is breaking her no-baking rule.
The novel begins with Jingwen, his mother, and his (annoying) younger brother Yanghao landing in Australia, where Jingwen does not know the language and isn’t interested in learning English or making friends at his new school. It’s been almost two years since Jingwen lost his father in a tragic accident he now finds himself starting over in a new country.
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