Violet and the Pie of LifeReview posted May 31, 2025.
Holiday House, 2021. 279 pages.
Review written December 13, 2023, from a library book.
Starred Review
2024 Mathical Honor Book, Ages 11-13
When Violet's best friend Mackenzie wants to try out for their middle school's production of The Wizard of Oz, Violet only joins in because it would be fun to go to rehearsals with Mackenzie. Never mind that Ally, the popular girl Mackenzie says is terrible, does a wonderful audition for Dorothy.
But when Violet gets the part of the Cowardly Lion, and Mackenzie gets the part of a flying monkey, Violet has to decide if she'll stick with it when her friend quits. And would it be disloyal to be friends with Ally, who really doesn't seem so bad?
Meanwhile, while Violet's navigating all this friendship stuff, her parents fight and her Dad moves out. And doesn't answer her emails. Maybe now she has a part in the play, she can get both her parents to come and remember how much they love each other.
Through all of this, Violet looks to math as something she can count on. The pages of this book are filled with charts she makes, laying out the problems of her life like math problems -- from a chart of the intensity of her parents' fights to flow charts of her plans to email her Dad. I especially liked when her affinity for math helped her quickly understand how much commission her realtor Mom would make after selling a home in Laguna Beach.
This kids' novel is no math text book, but it's math-friendly, featuring a middle school kid with relatable problems who thinks in mathematical ways.