Alice is heartbroken when her favorite aunt passes away. Her mother is enraged. Polly had been an award-winning baker but had been generous to the end. And generosity does not rake in the big bucks. Alice’s mother had hoped to capitalize on Polly’s death by selling Polly’s famous pie crust recipe. There’s just one major problem with the whole scheme. It appears that the pie dough recipe has been left to…a cat? With the help of her new friend Charlie, Alice tries to solve the mysteries that seem to be brewing in town and try to come to terms with her grief.
Each chapter is introduced with a different pie recipe and I absolutely adore it when delicious looking books give me something to work with. The book also has a really strong message about what really matters in life. It’s charming! I would say it could work as a read aloud for younger students or for strong third grade readers and up.
Sex, Nudity, Dating – Alice is friends with a boy. The boy asks a girl out. A flash forward at the end of the book reveals a marriage. A character is seen in a bathing suit.
Profanity – None.
Death, Violence and Gore – Aunt Polly dies. There is some concern over a possible burglar or catnapper. Charlie nearly hits Alice with a baseball bat before he realizes she is not a burglar.
Drugs, Alcohol and Smoking – The cat is given a sleeping potion. Mother takes a prescription to make her sleep.
Frightening or Intense Things – None.
