What It Is About - FIVE Things You Need to Know:
1. *The main character Jingwen is not happy when he, along with his younger brother and mother, must relocate to Australia.
2. *Jingwen calls Australia, "Mars", because he doesn't understand English, he doesn't fit in with the other kids, and is quite lonely.
3. *One of the more difficult aspects of the move to Australia is that Jingwen must look after his younger "irritating" brother while their mother is at work.
4. *Jingwen and his brother miss their father who passed away before the big move.
5. *Dealing with thier grief, the brothers decide to make all the cakes their father was going to feature at his "Pie in the Sky" bakery. The only problem is they must keep this venture from their mother.
What I Thought Of It - Five Observations/Reflections:
1. *I enjoyed that this novel was illustrated. It is not a graphic novel, but there are images on about every page.
2. *The plot was unique in that the non-English speaking boys were immigrating to Australia.
3. *There were many hilarious and funny moments throughout the story. It isn't everyday that two brothers are keeping their "baking" a secret from their mother.
4. *I did think the story got a little long with the main focus being on the making of cakes in secret.
5. *After reading the story, I'm excited to add the book to our classroom collection and share the story with my fourth graders. I'm pretty sure they are going to "eat" up this story!
Who Should Read It: I would add this title to any classroom library in grades three, four, five, and six. All of those readers would enjoy the adventures and "baking" of the two brothers. This is the perfect book for those readers between graphic novels and full-blown novels without any images. Happy Reading!
Rating: 3 STARS out of 5 Stars!
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