by Remy Lai
Pie In The Sky, by Remi Lai has been one of the greatest additions to our school’s book room in recent years. Pie In The Sky is the story of a boy’s journey from his former life in China to a brand new life in Australia, following the sudden death of his father. Pie In The Sky features themes of loss, isolation, immigration, family, and community. It provides an important window into the experiences of students who exist in schools where the dominant language is not their own.
Remi Lai infuses graphic novel elements with narrative prose, bringing readers along on an emotional rollercoaster from laughter to sadness and back again. This highly engaging storytelling structure, makes it easy for readers to engage, and remain engaged with the text from the very first page of the story.
For teachers looking for texts with diverse main characters to use in book clubs, Pie In The Sky is a must read. Additionally, it provides ample opportunities to infuse book club meetings with strategy instruction. Whether you’re looking to introduce students to concepts like symbolism, time-lapse story structure, character change, or theme, Pie In The Sky should be a go-to text.
Use the links below to see how students engage with Pie In The Sky. Featured videos include a student interview/book review as well as a fifth grade book club who has used Pie In The Sky to learn about the influences on characters’ identities and to notice symbolism throughout realistic fiction. Enjoy!
