Enemy Pie

It was going to be the perfect summer and then Jeremy Ross moved into the neighborhood right next to my best friend, Stanley. Jeremy Ross had a trampoline party and didn't even invite me, but he invited my best friend! Jeremy Ross was the one and only person on my enemy list. Dad knew all about enemies; he had some when he was my age. So I asked him how to get rid of them and that when he told me about Enemy Pie. Dad couldn't tell me the recipe, he said it was a secret, but I knew it was going to be awful. When dad took it out of the oven, it smelled and looked incredible. Dad said the enemy wouldn't eat it if it smelled or looked bad. Dad then told me the only catch was I had to hang out with my enemy for a whole day in order for the show more enemy pie to work. After hanging out with Jeremy Ross for a whole day, I didn't want him to eat the enemy pie, but it turns out it was just delicious pie.

This story is as sweet as pie(haha, see what I did there). But seriously, this is a really sweet story. I loved that the whole time the main character thought this pie was going to be awful and disgusting to get revenge on his enemy, but the dad knew the entire time that the two would be friends in the end. I also really loved how the dad pushed his son to become friends with the enemy instead of instilling more anger and hate towards the enemy; that's good parenting. Overall this is a great book that should be shared in every classroom. Kids can be mean and I think this book will show kids to give one another a chance. show less

Anticipating the best summer ever, the young narrator of this engaging picture-book about turning enemies into friends laments the arrival of new boy Jeremy Ross in his neighborhood. Although they don't get off to the best start - Jeremy laughs at him when he is struck out in a game of baseball, and doesn't invite him to his trampoline party - the boy's wise father tells him he has the perfect way to deal with enemies: Enemy Pie. But in order to convince Jeremy to eat it, first the boy must spend an entire day with him...

Apparently author Derek Munson's children's book debut, Enemy Pie is an engaging story about social dynamics among young boys, and offers a well-told, non-preachy lesson about building friendships, even when we haven't show more gotten off to the best start with newcomers. Although perceptive readers will know ahead of time where the story is going - it's fairly clear from the start what Dad is up to in the story - it is still entertaining to see the young boy-narrator get to the conclusion. Although the artwork by Tara Calahan King is not really my cup of tea, I thought it did capture the humor of the story. Recommended to anyone looking for children's stories about building bridges, and turning enemies into friends. show less

What a fantastic book about an empathetic and creative father who teaches his son a valuable lesson about friends and enemies. Go deeper here and see that we're not comfortable with the unknown, but once the unknown becomes known, then the fear gives way to love, kindness, understanding, and friendship.

I absolutely loved this book for many reasons. The language was very descriptive, as if I were living the story myself. The story was told in first person, giving an intimate feel to the book. The character telling the story was very believable, and true to his emotions. For example, when he did not get invited to Jeremy's birthday party, but his best friend did, it was clear that the narrator had a sudden hatred towards Jeremy. The plot was also very organized and well thought out. The involvement of the father in the story made it feel realistic. Another thing I enjoyed about the plot was the suspense. As the reader, it was unclear how plans would play out between the narrator and Jeremy. This made it easy to continue reading the show more book. For example, when the narrator was on his way to deliver the pie, he was not thrilled to spend time with his enemy. However, as more positive events took place, it was clear they were not true enemies at all. The illustrations in this book are very intriguing. The characters are not drawn in proportion to their bodies, but it does not take long to get used to this. Also, there are many different settings such as the treehouse, the kitchen, the street, and all are drawn to give a three-dimensional feel. The colors were also vibrant and fun to look at, yet true to life. An example of this would be the red berries in the pie. The big idea of this book is to never give up on friendships. There are plenty times that feelings are hurt by someone else whether it be intentional or not. However, just like the narrator's dad suggested, it is unfair to give up on a friendship without giving your best efforts first. It is true that you can never have too many friends, so have fun with the ones you make, just like Jeremey and the narrator of this book. show less

Enemy Pie is about a boy who uses a pie to get rid of his one and only enemy, Jeremy Ross, or so he thought. The illustrations help readers predict what will happen. The narrator's voice is unnamed throughout the story which allows the reader to maybe relate their personal stories to the book. The overall message of not judging a book by its cover is a meaningful theme that is very well represented in the book. First off, the illustrations that show the dad cooking seems to show ingredients in front of him that are not expressed in the front cover of the page. There are no worms or weeds in the cooking bowl. Using this readers can predict that enemy pie may not be what they previously thought. The narrator's name is unrevealed show more throughout the story. This is meaningful especially for young boy readers that can relate to the story even more because they can imagine themselves as the main character. This does exclude young girl readers; however, everyone can relate to the underlying message within the story. For example, when the boy realizes that getting to know Jeremy Ross allowed him to become friends with him. Everyone should not judge a person because of a few misunderstanding situations. Spending time with the person instead of resorting to hating them is a good lesson for young and old readers. This message transcends time and is a good reminder for everyone. show less

I loved the message that this book taught children. A young boy really hates the new boy in his neighborhood without ever giving him a chance. His father tells him he will make him an enemy pie, which will make all your enemies go away. For the pie to work, you have to spend a whole day being nice to your enemy. The boys become friends and learn the pie was just a regular cherry pie. But spending the day together made them realize they like each other and want to be friends. I love the message of giving everyone a fair chance and it was very relatable to young boys. They do lots of activities throughout the day that kids love. However, every child in the book (there were several) was a white boy. There were not other genders or races show more represented in the story. show less

I really enjoyed this story! It is a great book about how sometimes just trying to get to know someone can help you overcome your differences and become friends.