Pie (2024)

A seriously cute book! Alice's coming to terms after losing her beloved Aunt Polly, AKA the pie lady, her strained relationship with her mother, her new friend Charlie, and the cat, Lardo (!) make for a great read with a lot of laugh-out-loud moments. Made all that more special reading with my ten year old granddaughter!

A sweet, old-fashioned mystery with a pie recipe in front of every chapter. Enjoyed listening to the audio and imagining Lardo the cat and all the other fine citizens of Ipswitch. When Aunt Polly passed away why did she leave her pie crust recipe to a cat? And now that Alice has been bequeathed that very cat, what will she and the town do when Lardo disappears in the middle of the night? They all miss Polly and her pies. Will the magic of pies and the famous Blueberry prize ever return to Ipswitch?

This book was an absolute delight to read !

I would have loved it when in 3rd or 4th grade and am pleased that now in my mid 50s I got immense pleasure from reading it.

I am happy to see wonderful stories are still being written today and even more pleased that I have never lost my childlike traits and that I can be thrilled to bits over a kid's book, rather than always reading adult material.

A+++++++++

Thoughts After Reading:

Pie was a really sweet story with recipes mixed in the chapters. The whole town's love of Polly's pies and Polly herself was heartwarming. I'm happy with how everything turned out. I'm a little surprised there was an epilogue, but I didn't see it as a bad thing.

Review:

Aunt Polly, the Pie Queen of Ipswitch, has passed away. Her pies were famous and she was known as a kind, caring woman. She gave away her pies and with the help of her neighbors has been supplied the ingredients. The thing with Polly was that she didn't get money out of making these delicious, famous pies. She got satisfaction and happiness out of it. Her sister, our narrator's mother, didn't see eye to eye with Polly. She thought she was selfish not to make money off her pies and she was selfish when she foud our she left her secret pie crust recipe to her cat Lardo.

Alice, Polly's niece and our narrator, with her friend Charlie go on an adventure to find out what the strange goings on are in their hometown of Ipswitch. There's something that just doesn't feel right to Alice, but her mother who's all hung up on creating a winning pie doesn't believe her. Alice is also dealing with the loss of her aunt who she loved dearly. She's the only one who really knew her and encouraged to be a songwriter. Alice is a perfect narrator. I absolutely loved how she and he whole story was written. Pie is the perfect book for children and for people of all ages. It's one of those children books that anyone can enjoy because the writing is so brilliant and the story so heartwarming.

Alice's connection to her aunt Polly was such a treat. Polly was so loving to Alice. Polly, in general, was such a kindhearted soul and really encompasses the idea of that you should live your life as a good person, who gives to others, who isn't overly concerned with making money, and lives her life to the fullest.

Alice was standing beside the bed when her aunt Polly reached a trembling hand out from underneath the leopard print bedspread (Polly loved leopard print) and pulled the girl close to whisper in her ear.
"Thank you very much."
They would be the last words Polly Portman, the Pie Queen of Ipswitch, ever spoke.

There's a bit of a mystery going on that Alice and Charlie begin to investigate. Charlie isn't completely convinced there is something going on, but he helps out Alice anyway. They form a tight friendship that's really sweet. I mostly enjoyed their investigation and, of course, the imagery of all those delicious sounding pies whose recipes are all in here. You don't know how tempting it is for me to try my hand at making chocolate cream pie.

Pie is a delightful story that will leave you feeling pretty good about the world and most likely wanting to eat some scrumptious piece of pie.

"I'll miss you, Aunt Polly," Alice would say at the end of the day when it was time for her to go.
"I'll miss you even more," Polly would tell her. Then she'd hand Alice a pie to bring home to her parents, kiss her on the forehead, and send her on her way."

I like things that are not pie but which remind me of pie. Pushing Daisies. Twin Peaks (which I am, coincidentally, re-watching right now). Er, other things I can't think of right now. Will I be adding this to the list? Sure, why not? It's a cute little slice (haha, puns are dumb) of historical/mystery/small-town whatever. I didn't love it and, while others found the "Blueberry Award" and "Mock Blueberry" competition cute, it was a little too insider-y, wink wink, nudge nudge for me. But it's an easy read that comes with delicious recipes - although none for the perfect pie crust, and everyone knows that's the hardest part of pie-making, so what's up with that?

Nice but I don't see what all the hubbub is.

Perhaps I am not the right audience for this novel. It was loaned to me by my younger sister, maybe it is intended for a younger audience. For me personally, however, it missed the mark.

This brief 180 page story follows the protagonist, Alice, as she tries to cope with her beloved Aunt Polly's passing, and solve the mystery of a catnapping. This is a lofty goal for anyone, but considering Alice is trying to accomplish this over the course of only a few days (and 180 pages), for me, that goal might have been too much.

This book was a nice little, 180-page eclair. It was kind of nice to find such a light page-turner in wake of the heavier war novels I have been reading, and I did enjoy the pie recipes the author included. But the limited page count also accounted for limited character development, which is where my main issue with the novel lies.

For me, believable characters make a novel. All the characters in this novel seemed very one dimensional; Alice's mother is jealous of her Aunt Polly's success, her father is allergic to cats and reads newspapers, the mayor's wife is ambitious, Aunt Polly was humble and nice, etc. Such a bland cast of characters makes for a story that is difficult to get into. Even Alice is pretty flat; she goes through changes in character, but most of them seem inexplicable or motivation-less. If I don't believe a character or their machinations, then I end up just feeling frustrated with the novel; in this case, I was unable to break through the pages and immerse myself in the world of Ipswitch, Pennsylvania. I was painfully aware I was reading a story, not included in it.

Like I said, perhaps I am the wrong audience for such a novel. The pies sounded wonderful, I just wish the characters had as much depth to them as these pies did.

Apple, cherry, blueberry, oh my! But wait, who holds the secrets to making the perfect pie?

When the Pie Queen of Ipswitch passes away, she appears to take the secret of her world-famous pie crust recipe with her. But what if she didn't? In a turn of events that has the town scrambling, Polly Portman leaves the recipe to her cat, Lardo... and leaves him in the care of her niece, Alice.

Suddenly, everyone wants to be the next big pie-contest winner, making everyone go pie-crazy. People become more eager than ever to get their hands on the cat, thinking he'll lead them to fame. Alice and her friend Charlie attempt to put the pieces together and solve the mystery. But what if the recipe isn't that secret?

A story about finding the most important ingredient of all. A tale of the power of pie.

Trigger warnings for death of a loved one and grief.

Tenderhearted, imaginative Alice was crushed by her aunt's death. Grief-stricken, she simultaneously found peace and sadness in the memories evoked by pie. From finding Lardo and her aunt's secrets, to her family, to becoming a person her aunt would be proud of, her determination knew no bounds. While it was definitely a struggle sometimes, I loved her journey of finding the recipe to happiness.

From good-hearted Aunt Polly to a mother who had the green eyes of jealousy, from her level headed father to helpful, humorous Charlie, to disagreeable Lardo, pie brought the town together as much as it threatened to tear them apart. A town where everybody knows everybody's business, it was interesting to see how it all kind of ebbed and flowed around one woman and the pies she so lovingly provided. The talented Polly truly left the world a better place. She transformed the lives of all she met, but perhaps no one more so than Alice. She lovingly gave her family, safety, happiness, and memories that will last her a lifetime. I can only hope to leave a legacy as special as Polly Portman's.

The community of Ipswitch was lovingly crafted, but I couldn't help but wish for more character growth within the individuals of the supporting cast. However, I did like how Alice and her mother's relationship evolved, because I truly did not see it going the way it did. A large, grumpy cat, Lardo was a gem.

Personalized recipes open up each chapter of this sweetly made confection. References to Nancy Drew and The Hardy Boys easily ensconced you further into the close-knit 1950's Ipswitch. However, I think the story could have done without the comments about gender roles. A quick mystery, Sarah Weekes baked a treat that warmly imparts the values of kindness, gratefulness, and love. A story of family and friendship, Pie gently touches on the importance of learning how to cope with loss and grief. Although I don't think it was needed, the epilogue was extremely cute. Young and old readers alike will love this delicious tale.

Grab yourself a slice of Pie and read this book.

I always loved this book. It is so heartwarming with stories of family, experiencing loss for the first time, and catching a culprit. It was also very funny when Alice was trying to catch the culprit with her friend Charlie.
I think a lot of people would enjoy this fun and delicious (As in many yummy pie descriptions!!) book.
**It also includes delicious pie recipes!**

I liked this book. I found it hard to believe that reporters would climb through children's windows in the 1950's, but the pie descriptions prompted me to get in my car and find a pie. Overall, a really sweet read.

This is a cute, heartwarming story about a pie maker and how her death affects her family, her community, and...her cat! The main character, Alice, tells the story of her aunt's pie-making talents, and why her death created such an uproar in their town. It also creates a mystery to be solved.... where is the recipe for that wonderful pie crust?! Alice must solve the mystery to save the town and her own family.

It is an entertaining middle grade book filled with mystery, fun, and excitement!

Cute children’s book about pie, grief, and cats

Such a fun book to read with my kids. We all loved it!

Great book! I am re-reading it!!

this book is......... SOOOOOOOO GOOOOD

I got a signed copy of this book from a family member (darn me, I can't remember who!). I have read this book at least three times. I don't like mysteries, but this book is just one of those exceptions. Especially since there is a cat involved.
I liked that the recipes for pies (mentioned in the book) are at the beginning of each chapter. Another thing I like is that Polly Portman put her personal notes at the bottom.
What I don't like is that Alice's mom thinks she is ignored because her sister (Polly Portman) was given attention for her pie making skills.
The plot. Polly Portman, beloved pie queen of Ipswitch Pennsylvania, dies. Her pie shop is closed down, her pie crust recipe is lost forever. In her will, Polly Portman gives her recipe to lardo, and lardo (her cat) to Alice. The crust recipe is sought after, and lardo is even stolen! It is up to Alice and her friend, Charlie Erdling, to find out who stole him. When they come to a dead end, New evidence is found.
I'm going to spare you the details and just say that it was all a misunderstanding.
Good book, weird plot, strangely addicting, please read it.
But I guess I'm just not sure why I liked it so much (besides lardo! XD)... I guess it's just one of those magical books that the author enchanted so that you HAVE to love it. XD
Whisperwind, out.

I think it was an awesome book!!! i loved how the settings always changed, because then it gets boring and then i don't like it. I liked it when every chapter it has a different pie recipe!!! it was a good mystery book and I enjoyed reading it. It is about a girl that has an aunt that is the best pie maker in the small town that they live in. When the aunt dies she leaves a note behind saying that she left he most famous apple pie recipe to Lardo the cat. When the note is passed o to different people the word spreads out that she gave the pie recipe to her cat. Then people didn't believe that you could do that they needed to do a little bit of investigating. Then when they found out the truth...

Alice a young girl had an aunt who was a really good pie baker, some people call her the queen of pies. Every Sunday she would watch her aunt give her costomers her pies. She did not charge for her pies they where all free, she belived if something makes you happy why charge. Polly (the aunt) had a cat named lardo and a small pie shop in ipswich , she has won 3 blueberry awords .When she passes a way they read her will that said the cat gets the recipes and alice got the cat. Every one in ipswich wonders how can you leave a recipe to a cat and the next blueberry aword is coming up so every one wants to win evan Alice's mom.

This book is seriously my favorite book of all time. I love how Sarah Weeks writes this book, realistic yet a little mysterious, it really pulls you in! I read it in one day so I would consider this book short and a very fast read. I can't even put it in words how amazing this book is, except for you should read this book!

What a delightful author. Loved the whole book. Yes it is sad the pie crust recipe is never given but at the same time how could you truly give one because if someone doesn't think it is the best then it ruins the mystic of the whole story.

Charming and unique. Will be interested to see what others think about this one.

Cute book we read for our brave writer curriculum. My boys are excited to try the recipes in the book. I also thought the mystery was a fun thing to sort through.
Here are my complaints: I know this book was set in the past, but I could have done without comments like “Nancy Drew being a girl book” or how “a girl could be as pretty if she wore her hair longer”. For me, even though the lesson of sharing blessings and dealing with grief in creative ways was there, it wasn’t worth the trite comments about traditional gender roles for my kids to read.
I’ll see if the recipes are good because we have our book club party this week!

I had to chew this over and digest it before I reviewed Pie. I had no expectations for this book. I bought strictly for the title, because anything about pie has to be good. This is a cute, feel-good ending kind of book. I can imagine it at an elementary to middle school book fair, but I enjoyed it. Pie is in the style of a Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys mystery involving a pie crust recipe and a missing cat.

I think that's all that needs to be said.

This book was recommended to me by my granddaughter and I loved it! It took place in 1955 and so many of the references brought back memories for me. Including when Alice folded her pajamas and put them under her pillow. I always did that as a kid and had totally forgotten about it. From where did that practice originate and why did it fade away? Of course I loved the recipes and I can’t wait to try some of them.

Well wasn’t this just the sweetest :)

Favorites:
“How lucky am I to be right here,
how lucky am I indeed?
A lifetime of love and song and pie,
what more good person need?”

“Why aren’t you mad at me?” Alice asked…
“I don’t know,” said Charlie. “ I guess I don’t like the way it feels.“
“I’d rather be mad than sad,” said Alice.
“I’d rather be happy,” Charlie said.

“Alice hoped that when she became a teenager she would have better things to do than give sleeping powder to a cat or put somebody’s tractor on the roof.”

When Aunt Polly, the award-winning owner of a shop called Pie & a big old cat named Lardo, passes away, everyone in her small town feels the loss, including her niece Alice. People miss Polly's pies. And there are worries, since the town relied on the tourism her pie shop inspired. And everyone is very interested in getting their hands on Aunt Polly's pie crust recipe.

Small town hijinks, including blueberries and burglars and grumpy cats and lots of really awful pies. Lots of fun. Recommended.

I've had my eye on this for quite some time and finally got around to it. Had I realized it was a mystery and had pie recipes in it, I would have read it sooner!
I enjoyed the premise of a sweet pie-legend lady dying and leaving the town in an uproar
over where the missing pie cru (review to be finished when my computer works better....

This was probably the book I wanted to read the least out of the books my students had to choose from for a read aloud, but low and behold it was the most voted for! It was alright. I definitely thought I knew who the “catnapper” was all along and turned out to be wrong so I enjoyed discovering that. I do think the ending was good but for a kids book, it was mediocre.

This is a fun novel for children ages 8+. I read this as a read aloud to my children ages 9, 11 and 14. Our favorite part was that each chapter begins with a different pie recipe. In fact, it encouraged us to bake a few on our own. (the peanut butter raspberry pie is amazing--too sweet, but amazing!)