#pie in the sky

Contributed by Remy Lai

I did not set out to write a book about immigration. It started with an image I’d had in my mind for a long time:

Then I had an AHA! moment: the boys couldn’t speak English. After that, the story that would become PIE IN THE SKY clicked into place.

From there, I borrowed things from my childhood. As a kid, I migrated and had to learn English. Books became a lifesaver. Reading books in English was how I picked up the language. Even though I had to flip through the dictionary millions of times to understand all the words, I had to find out how all those stories ended.

In PIE IN THE SKY, the book THE LITTLE PRINCE plays an important role, and that influence was inspired by my own childhood.

I got this copy of THE LITTLE PRINCE when I was about ten. I’d check the dictionary and write meanings of words I didn’t know in the margins. Back then, my handwriting was still neat and legible!

I’ve always loved reading, thanks to my parents. While they often said NO to toys, they never said no to books. They let me read whatever I wanted, from comics to doorstopper novels.

My elementary school had a fifteen-minute reading time every morning, and that was one of my favorite parts of school. There was also a reading corner where you could just sit and read, or from which you could take home any books you wanted. I spent a lot of time in that corner.

I also had access to great libraries, with friendly librarians who recommended books.

I owe a debt of gratitude to all those people who put books into my hands. Books helped me at a stage in my life when I sometimes felt like an outsider. They certainly inspired me to write PIE IN THE SKY for kids who have been uprooted from their homes for one reason or another and have to learn a whole new language. I want those kids to know that while it might seem impossible, they can do it.

Remy Lai studied fine arts, with a major in painting and drawing. She was born in Indonesia, grew up in Singapore, and currently lives in Brisbane, Australia, where she writes and draws stories for kids with her two dogs by her side. Pie in the Sky is her debut middle-grade novel.