Book Review: Pie

I don't always post reviews of the books I read aloud to the boys, but in this case, I felt compelled.  This was a wonderfully fun book!  The boys both loved it (even though it features a cat instead of a dog).  It was well-written and engaging.  Plus, each chapter began with a different pie recipe (yum).

Alice Anderson's Aunt Polly is a master pie baker.  She is so good at it that she has won 13 of the coveted Blueberry Awards.  But, she's also a generous-hearted woman who can't bear to sell her pies, insisting on giving them away.  The whole town is thrown into a tizzy when Aunt Polly suddenly dies, leaving her secret pie-crust recipe to her cat Lardo, whom she leaves to Alice.  Everyone wants a shot at winning the Blueberry now that Polly is gone.  Plus, someone seems intent upon finding the missing recipe (stealing the cat and the key to the pie shop, then ransacking the shop).  Alice and her good friend, Charlie, are determined to solve the mystery and keep Aunt Polly's memory alive.

I loved that this book highlighted the propensity of each individual to certain gifts and the need to use those gifts to shine wherever you are.  Even though there were sad moments (yes, I cried during the read-aloud and the boys definitely noticed me tearing up), it was a joyful story full of lessons on the importance of friendship, family, and faithfulness to one's gifts.  The book was an absolute delight and I may just have to try one or two of those pie recipes (like the Chocolate Cream Pie and the Peanut Butter Raspberry Cream Pie).  Thankfully, baking is one of my gifts.