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Pi in the Sky
Joss is the seventh son of the Supreme Overlord of the Universe. His older brothers help his dad rule the cosmos, but all Joss gets to do is deliver pies. That's pies. Of course, these pies actually hold the secrets of the universe between their buttery crusts, but they're still pies.
Joss is happy to let his older brothers shine. He has plenty to keep his hands attempting to improve his bowling score; listening to his best friend, Kal, try (and fail) to play the drums; and exploring his ever-changing home, The Realms. But when Earth suddenly disappears, Joss is tasked with the seemingly impossible job of bringing it back. With the help of Annika, an outspoken girl from Earth, he embarks on the adventure of a lifetime...and learns that the universe is an even stranger place than he'd imagined.
From the New York Times bestselling author of The Candymakers comes a world-hopping tale that leads the reader deep into the heart of the mysteries of time and space. Plus, there's pie.
Joss is happy to let his older brothers shine. He has plenty to keep his hands attempting to improve his bowling score; listening to his best friend, Kal, try (and fail) to play the drums; and exploring his ever-changing home, The Realms. But when Earth suddenly disappears, Joss is tasked with the seemingly impossible job of bringing it back. With the help of Annika, an outspoken girl from Earth, he embarks on the adventure of a lifetime...and learns that the universe is an even stranger place than he'd imagined.
From the New York Times bestselling author of The Candymakers comes a world-hopping tale that leads the reader deep into the heart of the mysteries of time and space. Plus, there's pie.
244 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2013
170 people are currently reading
1292 people want to read
About the author
Wendy Mass
82 books3,685 followersWendy Mass is the author of thirty novels for young people, including A Mango-Shaped Space, which was awarded the Schneider Family Book Award, Leap Day, the Twice Upon a Time fairy tale series, Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life, Heaven Looks a Lot Like the Mall, the Willow Falls, Space Taxi and Candymakers series. Wendy wrote the storyline for an episode of the television show Monk, entitled "Mr. Monk Goes to the Theatre," which aired during the show's second season. She tells people her hobbies are hiking and photography, but really they're collecting candy bar wrappers and searching for buried treasure with her metal detector. Wendy lives with her family in New Jersey.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 297 reviews
September 22, 2014
2.0/5
I feel like Wendy Mass binge-watched "Cosmos: A Time-Space Odyssey" on Netflix with Neil DeGrasse Tyson, dropped a tab of acid, cracked open a Mountain Dew and proceeded to pen a self-aware, theoretical science-fiction comedy for children.
It didn't end well for us, though I genuinely tip my to Wendy Mass for taking the risk on such an "ambitious" wild book. Plus, Mountain Dew is dangerous.
This is probably going to appeal to -- I don't know -- a hundred kids; but for everyone else in the target audience (10-13 year olds, or, 5th-7th graders) I think this is going to go over their heads. And even if the abstract theories *are* grasped by the kids reading this, the plot is disjointed and weak. Most kids are unlikely to finish this. It reads simultaneously random and too briskly paced, whisking the reader from chapter to chapter before any senes of character personalities, plot arcs, or environment description sinks in. There's little of it. All of it. It's basically a book which tries to make you giggle with an insane plot and a few snarky lines of dialogue. A very strange coming-of-age comic adventure that surely was only published because of this authors previous acclaim and "New York Times" best-seller status.
This book should have been in the J-fiction section, but because of the heavy-handed inclusion of science and the vocabulary comprehension required of the reader, it got shoe-horned into the Y-fiction section. It fails in both categories. Maybe she should have written a longer peice, "matured" the tone, changed the characters' ages, and published her first Young Adult book?? I don't know. May have improved my opinion of it.
Like Quentin Tarantino or George Lucas, once you create something exquisite, it seems you're free to do whatever you want to do for years to come, regardless of quality.
2/5
MH
I feel like Wendy Mass binge-watched "Cosmos: A Time-Space Odyssey" on Netflix with Neil DeGrasse Tyson, dropped a tab of acid, cracked open a Mountain Dew and proceeded to pen a self-aware, theoretical science-fiction comedy for children.
It didn't end well for us, though I genuinely tip my to Wendy Mass for taking the risk on such an "ambitious" wild book. Plus, Mountain Dew is dangerous.
This is probably going to appeal to -- I don't know -- a hundred kids; but for everyone else in the target audience (10-13 year olds, or, 5th-7th graders) I think this is going to go over their heads. And even if the abstract theories *are* grasped by the kids reading this, the plot is disjointed and weak. Most kids are unlikely to finish this. It reads simultaneously random and too briskly paced, whisking the reader from chapter to chapter before any senes of character personalities, plot arcs, or environment description sinks in. There's little of it. All of it. It's basically a book which tries to make you giggle with an insane plot and a few snarky lines of dialogue. A very strange coming-of-age comic adventure that surely was only published because of this authors previous acclaim and "New York Times" best-seller status.
This book should have been in the J-fiction section, but because of the heavy-handed inclusion of science and the vocabulary comprehension required of the reader, it got shoe-horned into the Y-fiction section. It fails in both categories. Maybe she should have written a longer peice, "matured" the tone, changed the characters' ages, and published her first Young Adult book?? I don't know. May have improved my opinion of it.
Like Quentin Tarantino or George Lucas, once you create something exquisite, it seems you're free to do whatever you want to do for years to come, regardless of quality.
2/5
MH
February 11, 2019
2.5 Stars
April 21, 2013
Very cute!
Joss lives in The Realms, seventh son of the Supreme Overlord of the Universe. His job? Deliver pies (except they're not really pies, they're encoded with stuff necessary for the birth and sustenance of planets and solar systems) and go to school. One day, someone on Earth actually sees The Realms, which draws the penalty of the entire solar system being removed from space/time... the entire solar system with the exception of Annika, a human girl. Now Joss is in charge of recreating the whole thing and restoring it to the point where Annika sees The Realms.
There's a lot here for middle grade readers to think about: what happens after death. what else might be Out There. what the universe is made of (and how it all works). The humor will also appeal, as will Joss' problem of being the youngest, sixth smartest kid in the family, not to mention still being in school despite being a few billion years old. Not fair, is it?
ARC provided by publisher.
Joss lives in The Realms, seventh son of the Supreme Overlord of the Universe. His job? Deliver pies (except they're not really pies, they're encoded with stuff necessary for the birth and sustenance of planets and solar systems) and go to school. One day, someone on Earth actually sees The Realms, which draws the penalty of the entire solar system being removed from space/time... the entire solar system with the exception of Annika, a human girl. Now Joss is in charge of recreating the whole thing and restoring it to the point where Annika sees The Realms.
There's a lot here for middle grade readers to think about: what happens after death. what else might be Out There. what the universe is made of (and how it all works). The humor will also appeal, as will Joss' problem of being the youngest, sixth smartest kid in the family, not to mention still being in school despite being a few billion years old. Not fair, is it?
ARC provided by publisher.
July 20, 2013
I just couldn't finish it. I enjoyed Wendy Mass's books 11 Birthdays and 12 Finally. My daughter tells me that The Candymakers is good, too. I was eager to read her newest book. I tried...I made it through over 1/3 of the book (about 100 pages of 250ish), but just was not interested in continuing. It just seemed so much more juvenile to me. She gives so much detailed description about this other realm and not much story. She was trying to be creative in creating this other world, but it came across as too silly for me. I think that a really good kids book can appeal to readers of all ages and this is not that kind of book.
January 9, 2017
I think this book was just trying too hard. It's obvious that the author wanted to show the reader how cool science and astronomy are, but the info dumps weren't working for me.
DNF @ 60%
DNF @ 60%
June 12, 2017
This was a difficult story to get into mainly because the main characters aren't my age. But, I did eventually like Joss and even Annika. The Realms and the discoveries were very interesting. I liked the world building literally... as well as the slight mystery and finding out what everyone was up to. The ending turned pretty sad but then very unexpected. I loved all the quotes! Made me think.
March 18, 2017
This was another Battle of the Books book for my 5th Graders. we all thought it was a very cool, geeky, book. And a clever way to get kids excited about the universe beyond Earth. And think about, what may be out there. if nothing else is out there it's a lot of wasted space.
August 11, 2020
A fun scientific fantasy for the junior set, the earth has disappeared and needs to be rebuilt...quickly. Joss from the Realms and Annika from Earth are the ones working together to save the situation. I instantly liked both of them and their relationship. And liked the ending to the book!
Some highlights:
p. 75 No one ever told me that grief felt so like fear. C.S. Lewis, professor and writer
p.135 When Carl Sagan (love!) starts reciting a poem, I just had to search out the full text...it was worth it...what a lovely poem...As you set out for Ithaka
hope your road is a long one,
full of adventure, full of discovery.
Laistrygonians, Cyclops,
angry Poseidon—don’t be afraid of them:
you’ll never find things like that on your way
as long as you keep your thoughts raised high,
as long as a rare excitement
stirs your spirit and your body.
Laistrygonians, Cyclops,
wild Poseidon—you won’t encounter them
unless you bring them along inside your soul,
unless your soul sets them up in front of you.
Hope your road is a long one.
May there be many summer mornings when,
with what pleasure, what joy,
you enter harbors you’re seeing for the first time;
may you stop at Phoenician trading stations
to buy fine things,
mother of pearl and coral, amber and ebony,
sensual perfume of every kind—
as many sensual perfumes as you can;
and may you visit many Egyptian cities
to learn and go on learning from their scholars.
Keep Ithaka always in your mind.
Arriving there is what you’re destined for.
But don’t hurry the journey at all.
Better if it lasts for years,
so you’re old by the time you reach the island,
wealthy with all you’ve gained on the way,
not expecting Ithaka to make you rich.
Ithaka gave you the marvelous journey.
Without her you wouldn’t have set out.
She has nothing left to give you now.
And if you find her poor, Ithaka won’t have fooled you.
Wise as you will have become, so full of experience,
you’ll have understood by then what these Ithakas mean.
C. P. Cavafy, “Ithaca” from C.P. Cavafy: Collected Poems (Princeton University Press, 1975). Translated by Edmund Keeley and Philip Sherrard. Translation Copyright © 1975, 1992 by Edmund Keeley and Philip Sherrard.
p.140 The description of getting earth back made me take pause at how amazing the process was...
So we make the sun. Then you'd take the dust and gas left over, allow it to clump together for about two hundred million years, until it makes one giant rock with an iron core. Then hurl another really big rock into your new planet so the pieces can fly off to form the moon. Without the moon, Earth would be unstable and its climates too severe for any complex life to survive. And make sure to tilt your planet's axis exactly twenty-three and a half degrees so you'll get the seasons. You'll need movable tectonic plates, of course, to keep a steady supply of nutrients at the surface. And don't forget the oceans. You'd have to fill them. Take some water-bearing comets, add some volcanoes, and the atmosphere will start to fill with water vapor. Then here comes the rains! And once you have water, and much later breathable oxygen, then---
Some highlights:
p. 75 No one ever told me that grief felt so like fear. C.S. Lewis, professor and writer
p.135 When Carl Sagan (love!) starts reciting a poem, I just had to search out the full text...it was worth it...what a lovely poem...As you set out for Ithaka
hope your road is a long one,
full of adventure, full of discovery.
Laistrygonians, Cyclops,
angry Poseidon—don’t be afraid of them:
you’ll never find things like that on your way
as long as you keep your thoughts raised high,
as long as a rare excitement
stirs your spirit and your body.
Laistrygonians, Cyclops,
wild Poseidon—you won’t encounter them
unless you bring them along inside your soul,
unless your soul sets them up in front of you.
Hope your road is a long one.
May there be many summer mornings when,
with what pleasure, what joy,
you enter harbors you’re seeing for the first time;
may you stop at Phoenician trading stations
to buy fine things,
mother of pearl and coral, amber and ebony,
sensual perfume of every kind—
as many sensual perfumes as you can;
and may you visit many Egyptian cities
to learn and go on learning from their scholars.
Keep Ithaka always in your mind.
Arriving there is what you’re destined for.
But don’t hurry the journey at all.
Better if it lasts for years,
so you’re old by the time you reach the island,
wealthy with all you’ve gained on the way,
not expecting Ithaka to make you rich.
Ithaka gave you the marvelous journey.
Without her you wouldn’t have set out.
She has nothing left to give you now.
And if you find her poor, Ithaka won’t have fooled you.
Wise as you will have become, so full of experience,
you’ll have understood by then what these Ithakas mean.
C. P. Cavafy, “Ithaca” from C.P. Cavafy: Collected Poems (Princeton University Press, 1975). Translated by Edmund Keeley and Philip Sherrard. Translation Copyright © 1975, 1992 by Edmund Keeley and Philip Sherrard.
p.140 The description of getting earth back made me take pause at how amazing the process was...
So we make the sun. Then you'd take the dust and gas left over, allow it to clump together for about two hundred million years, until it makes one giant rock with an iron core. Then hurl another really big rock into your new planet so the pieces can fly off to form the moon. Without the moon, Earth would be unstable and its climates too severe for any complex life to survive. And make sure to tilt your planet's axis exactly twenty-three and a half degrees so you'll get the seasons. You'll need movable tectonic plates, of course, to keep a steady supply of nutrients at the surface. And don't forget the oceans. You'd have to fill them. Take some water-bearing comets, add some volcanoes, and the atmosphere will start to fill with water vapor. Then here comes the rains! And once you have water, and much later breathable oxygen, then---
January 14, 2021
I think Pi in the Sky is a great adventurous book that has lots of imagery. I really like the part when Annika doesn’t have any idea that she is actually not in a dream. The Realms and the discoveries were very interesting, and I liked how there was a bit of mystery added and how the author thought of a really good world (Realms) to describe.
April 30, 2023
True SCIENCE fiction. I wish that this book could be the starting point or side read for many secondary school science lesson plans. This is fun, modern day mythology, with all the right amounts of character and quirk for me.
January 8, 2021
This was really good!
At first I wasn't sure about it and almost stopped but I decided to just read it and I'm happy I did! The characters and world building (literally XP) were great!
At first I wasn't sure about it and almost stopped but I decided to just read it and I'm happy I did! The characters and world building (literally XP) were great!
June 18, 2024
this makes a LOT more sense than it did when i first read it at like 9 years old... crazy!
November 26, 2017
Cute idea
July 1, 2021
so much fun 😆
March 5, 2013
When I picked this arc up at ALAMW, I knew I was in for something special b/c it's a new book by Wendy Mass. Her books are hardly ever on the shelf at my school library, so anything by her is basically an automatic purchase. Pi in the Sky is her first sci/fi and I must say we need good middle grade sci/fi. Ms. Mass is a perfect middle grade author. Her stories are unique without veering too far into quirky but accessible and underlying all her plot-lines is an innate intelligence and humanity. I don't think I'm conveying what I mean correctly. So let me tell you about the book:
I adored this book from the first quote to the last, and there are a lot of smart quotes from smart folks in this book. I appreciated the "What you need to know" pages and instantly liked Joss, the narrator. Joss' opening lines are, "If you think it's tough being the Supreme Overlord of the Universe, try being his son."
Or, more precisely, his seventh son. That whole thing about the seventh son being special in some way? Just a rumor spread by a few disgruntled seventh sons trying to make a name for themselves..."
I just ran around to the fifth grade science teacher raving about the brilliance of this book and begging them to read it and consider reading it aloud to their students. I'm always preaching that subject area teachers should use the occasional novel or picture book to punch up units and this book is perfect for a space unit.
It's also perfectly differentiated. There are tons of mind-bending, mind-blowing BIG IDEAS for the brighter students to wrap their imaginations around and it's a mystery and adventure, vivid and funny! Well, there will be tears or at least a little choking up at the end.
How much do I adore this book? I've been jumping around rereading the dog-earred pages and am ready to settle in and start from page 1.
I adored this book from the first quote to the last, and there are a lot of smart quotes from smart folks in this book. I appreciated the "What you need to know" pages and instantly liked Joss, the narrator. Joss' opening lines are, "If you think it's tough being the Supreme Overlord of the Universe, try being his son."
Or, more precisely, his seventh son. That whole thing about the seventh son being special in some way? Just a rumor spread by a few disgruntled seventh sons trying to make a name for themselves..."
I just ran around to the fifth grade science teacher raving about the brilliance of this book and begging them to read it and consider reading it aloud to their students. I'm always preaching that subject area teachers should use the occasional novel or picture book to punch up units and this book is perfect for a space unit.
It's also perfectly differentiated. There are tons of mind-bending, mind-blowing BIG IDEAS for the brighter students to wrap their imaginations around and it's a mystery and adventure, vivid and funny! Well, there will be tears or at least a little choking up at the end.
How much do I adore this book? I've been jumping around rereading the dog-earred pages and am ready to settle in and start from page 1.
July 5, 2017
"We are in the universe, and the universe is in us." Neil deGrasse Tyson. This quote captures the essence of this novel, which is both humorous and thought-provoking.
"If you think it's tough being the Supreme Overlord of the Universe, try being his son. Or, more precisely, his seventh son." This is Joss who lives in The Realms and whose job it is to deliver pies. While his brothers create new species or inspire great artists, or test state of the art video games, he delivers pies ... for billions of years. Until one day, the alarm goes off in The Realms which means a planet has spotted The Realms. So, that planet must be destroyed. The only problem? The planet is Earth and everyone in The Realms really likes Earth. To make matters worse, Joss' best friend, Kal disappears and is replaced by "a tall, skinny girl wearing a big red parka, a white ski hat, and a sour expression." In this unprecedented event, a human has come to The Realms, which no one expected to happen. It becomes Joss' responsibility to look after this human (Annika) and try to keep her out of trouble. Oh, and one more thing, he has to recreate Earth's solar system, starting from scratch, or Kal may never come back and Annika will die. Nothing like a little pressure to inspire a seventh son.
Great voice throughout the novel combines with the mysteries of the universe and beyond. It gives readers plenty to think about with regards to our own lives and our relationship with the world around us and beyond. The importance of family and friendship is another strong theme, as well as understanding your potential.
"If you think it's tough being the Supreme Overlord of the Universe, try being his son. Or, more precisely, his seventh son." This is Joss who lives in The Realms and whose job it is to deliver pies. While his brothers create new species or inspire great artists, or test state of the art video games, he delivers pies ... for billions of years. Until one day, the alarm goes off in The Realms which means a planet has spotted The Realms. So, that planet must be destroyed. The only problem? The planet is Earth and everyone in The Realms really likes Earth. To make matters worse, Joss' best friend, Kal disappears and is replaced by "a tall, skinny girl wearing a big red parka, a white ski hat, and a sour expression." In this unprecedented event, a human has come to The Realms, which no one expected to happen. It becomes Joss' responsibility to look after this human (Annika) and try to keep her out of trouble. Oh, and one more thing, he has to recreate Earth's solar system, starting from scratch, or Kal may never come back and Annika will die. Nothing like a little pressure to inspire a seventh son.
Great voice throughout the novel combines with the mysteries of the universe and beyond. It gives readers plenty to think about with regards to our own lives and our relationship with the world around us and beyond. The importance of family and friendship is another strong theme, as well as understanding your potential.
August 22, 2017
A good follow up to the Long Earth series.
http://pussreboots.com/blog/2017/comm...
http://pussreboots.com/blog/2017/comm...
August 17, 2016
Where was this book when I was 12 years old??? Okay, so it wasn't written yet, but no matter. Even now, at age 54, I loved it and that is one of the best things I can say about a book for young readers -- that it can be enjoyed by children and adults alike. This is a wonderful story about Joss, the seventh son of the Supreme Overlord of the Universe, who delivers pies which are not only delicious but hold the universe together. And if this sounds weird, hang on; it gets weirder. When Annika, a girl from Earth, spies the maker of the pies through a telescope, the Powers That Be, fearing the consequences the universe might suffer, make Earth (and the entire solar system) disappear -- except for Annika, who has slipped through a wormhole into The Realms (where the aformentioned Powers That Be reside) and meets Joss, who must find a way to recreate Earth and make sure life evolves exactly the same way it did before so the damage can be undone. A fun, mind-blowing and touching book!
September 14, 2013
I read this one right after I finished Henry Clark’s What We Found in the Sofa and How It Saved the World. Pi in the Sky was in the same sort of genre as Sofa. What genre would we call this? Young People Called to Save the World? Whatever the genre, I like it. I like the genre and I liked this story. The twist in this book is that the young person called to save the world was not an Earthling. A pretty clever twist. The young person, Joss, is the seventh son of the Supreme Overlord of the Universe, which is pretty clever, and unlike his brothers who are responsible for sunsets and creating worlds, Joss delivers pies. Or is that really all he does? And how can that save the world? Very fun read.
February 5, 2014
I've related childrens' literature to A Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy before...but no other childrens story resembles Adams' work more closely than Wendy Mass' Pi in the Sky. While Mass' novel is based in more actual science rather than wacky science-based surrealist satire, the plot of, you know, rebuilding the world after it's easily snatched away by galactic forces is pretty damn similar.
Pi in the Sky really is a wonderful way to bridge the gap between literacy and science principles the way historical fiction does for social studies classes. Recommend this novel to all middle-schoolers and share plenty of its passages. Fictional Carl Sagan says some pretty deep ish.
Even in death, Sagan continues to keep it real.
Pi in the Sky really is a wonderful way to bridge the gap between literacy and science principles the way historical fiction does for social studies classes. Recommend this novel to all middle-schoolers and share plenty of its passages. Fictional Carl Sagan says some pretty deep ish.
Even in death, Sagan continues to keep it real.
January 28, 2015
Buzzwords: Black matter, universes, astronomy, quest to restore Earth, friendship, power, siblings/family, Science Fiction
When his father, Supreme Overlord of the Universe, and the Powers That Be remove Earth from time after a girl there accidentally sees the Realms through her telescope, seventh son Joss is tasked with bringing it back...which he has no idea how to do. And his task is further complicated by the loss of his best friend and the appearance of human Annika through a wormhole...
While this maybe should have been tense/exciting, it was really more just cute and mildly entertaining. I did not find much substance in it. Good for a light read that might interest kids in aliens/other universes/astronomy.
When his father, Supreme Overlord of the Universe, and the Powers That Be remove Earth from time after a girl there accidentally sees the Realms through her telescope, seventh son Joss is tasked with bringing it back...which he has no idea how to do. And his task is further complicated by the loss of his best friend and the appearance of human Annika through a wormhole...
While this maybe should have been tense/exciting, it was really more just cute and mildly entertaining. I did not find much substance in it. Good for a light read that might interest kids in aliens/other universes/astronomy.
April 9, 2013
Wendy Mass is one of my favorite authors and she has veered off of her usual genre with this venture into sci fi. While it wasn't my favorite book that she's written, I thought she did a great job with capturing her characters and - great boy appeal as well for the 8-12 year olds. Also, loved the quotes by scientists at the beginning of every chapter.
July 9, 2013
I and my 5th grader both loved this book, read for mother-daughter book group. REAL SCIENCE and a fun story. I have a feeling we'll return to it quite often in our conversations.
January 9, 2015
This book clearly illustrates the amount of creativity in Wendy Mass's literature. It is refreshing to view a standpoint that is not solely focused on the anthropocentric human race.
March 23, 2015
Wild, cosmic, upbeat fun.
September 30, 2022
No one knows that this place exists. They are behind the scenes and secretly pulling all the strings. They are truly the ones in control but no one knows. Their jobs are simple yet extremely complicated at the same time. Everyone has to do their part. The consequences of just a small mess up can be far more extreme than they think. Pi In The Sky is another very creative book by Wendy Mass. The whole concept behind the book is so well thought out and has the reader thinking the whole time. The protagonist in the book is Joss. He experiences tremendous amounts of change throughout the book. His life was so simple and almost in a loop. His days were always very predictable. An unexpected change hits his life and he has to figure out how to handle it. So much is riding on him now. What happened to his simple life? He wanted that back now. Joss is the seventh son of the Supreme Overlord of the Universe. Being the seventh is not very easy. By the time he came around all the cool jobs were already taken. His brothers watch over the afterlife, control sunsets and sunrises, create new species, basically all the cool stuff. Joss delivers pies. Even though they might be the glue that holds the fabric of the universe together, it is not as cool. He does not mind though. He has Kal. Kal is his best friend in the whole entire Realm. The Realm is the place in which they all exist. The Realms are not somewhere they are everywhere. They exist in dark matter which is invisible therefore humans cannot see the Realms. The purpose of the Realms is basically to keep watch over the whole universe. The Powers That Be also known as the PTB are the main group of men who watch over the universe. Everyone in the Realms does their part; the PTB keeps everything organized and makes all final decisions. Joss’s dad is the main man in control. On a seemingly normal day Earth is ripped away from existence. This katastrofy causes a domino effect of crazy things to happen. Joss is left speechless by all that has happened. It is up to him now to fix everything and make it go back to normal. Joss and a surprising new friend embark on a journey that seems nearly impossible. With help from his family and people he meets along the way will he be able to save earth? “It’s up to you to protect her. To protect The Realms.” (33) says Joss’s dad who is also known as The Supreme Overlord Of The Universe.Joss must use everything he knows to save the planet he loves. He is not left with much time. Hope seems lost and even Joss does not believe in himself. Will he be able to do it? Pi In The Sky by Wendy Mass is an amazing book with many great characters. It’s a fast moving book with a lot of action throughout it all. I highly recommend this book to teens looking to read an adventure book with a lot of plot twists. This book always had me on the edge of my seat. It was impossible to put down.
January 7, 2021
For my seventh deep book badge I read a very interesting fiction book titled “Pi in the sky.” This book, along with being extremely fun to read, was an intense look into what could really be. The story begins with the seventh son of the supreme overlord of the universe, whose main job is to deliver pi’s. Not just any pi’s either. These pi’s make up the entire universe. These pi’s are stars, planets, atoms, molecules, and anything else needed to make up the universe. The seventh son of the supreme overlord, Joss, lives in a place called The Realms. The Realms is a place entirely made out of dark matter. Because the place is made out of dark matter, humans and other species that live on planets (yes there are aliens in this book) can’t normally see The Realms. However one day, while joss was waiting for his next delivery from his best friend Kal’s Aunt Rae, a young girl on the planet Earth spotted a Black hole which directly leads to The Realms. According to the Powers That Be (PTB), if anyone on the planet sees The Realms the planet must be destroyed and all the people would be delivered to the afterlife. This would normally be the case. In this case, Earth had far too many species in order for them all to go to the afterlife, so instead of destroying Earth, the PTB simply ripped Earth off of the time-space continuum. After PTB Ripps Earth off the continuum, they find out Kal, Joss’s best friend, had his parents on Earth when it ended. Normally, when a planet is destroyed any immortal is sent back to the realms completely okay. But because this time Earth had essentially never existed, neither did Kal’s parents. If Kal’s parents didn’t exist, neither did Kal. Kal gets replaced with the very girl who spotted the black hole, Annika. Annika is a human girl who in the beginning doesn’t even know she's in the realms. At first she thinks she is dreaming, but eventually she figures out she's not on Earth. Now, Gluck, a PTB leader, seeks out Joss and Annika’s help in order to rebuild earth. The two go on a journey searching for lost information about Earth in order to build it again perfectly. They soon find out that they can’t remake earth just yet because of another Species that is looking for a home. They can’t rebuild yet because if they do, then the species will just kill and destroy Earth. Eventually, Joss builds the planet perfectly how it was and Annika goes back home with her family. Every now and again Joss wonders how she is doing.
Overall, this book helped me in my hero's journey by not only opening up a new type of writing style, but a newfound creativeness. I would recommend this book to anyone, freedom level 1 for highschool, any freedom level. This book is profound and fun, which is a very hard thing to mix.
My deadline for my review to be approved is 1/15/21
Overall, this book helped me in my hero's journey by not only opening up a new type of writing style, but a newfound creativeness. I would recommend this book to anyone, freedom level 1 for highschool, any freedom level. This book is profound and fun, which is a very hard thing to mix.
My deadline for my review to be approved is 1/15/21
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 13, 2018
When I became fascinated with the topic of space in elementary schools, I was always looking for new novels to add to my list of read intergalactic books. Whether I was reading “Magic Tree House 8: Moon Mission!” or watching “Interstellar”, I thought it was a riveting thing to imagine galaxies upon galaxies upon universes upon universes beyond our own tiny Earth. Some of them had similar events, but none of the authors found a way to connect to me, the reader. None except Wendy Mass.
Pi in the Sky connected life as a kid to the daunting world of dark matter and the universe around us. Joss, the seventh son of the supreme overlord of the universe models this. Joss is a teenager in the Realms, (the world inside of dark matter, and the setting of the book) and lives life mostly like a human would. You probably haven’t heard of the idea of the Realms, and you might think that alone sets this book apart from others. But what makes this book really special is how Wendy Mass collides the two literal worlds of two teenagers to get them back something they both physically and emotionally need: Earth.
After Annika, a human, broke the laws of physics by looking at the Realms through a telescope, Earth was ripped out of the space-time continuum, with the parents of Joss’ best friend on it. Since Earth no longer ever existed, neither does Joss’ friend Kal. With the task of bringing Earth back, the two have different perspectives, and personalities. Annika is strong-willed and stubborn, and doesn’t have a broad understanding of the Realms, like Joss. As the seventh son, Joss refers to himself as the “sixth smartest” and doesn’t understand his importance, and potential.
You could imagine that the pair would have some issues rebuilding everything from scratch, (especially since Joss got a C in planet building class) and you would imagine that people can't just build planets. But if you suspend your disbelief, just like you do for many other novels, you realize how people can bond to save something, even if it means saving that one thing means letting go of someone that you’ve grown fond of. Joss learns this when he harnesses the energy of a newborn sun to create the solar system of Earth, and when he creates Earth, everything from it returns, including Annika, his perfect companion.
At some points, this book can seem far fetched, but it relates to something that doesn’t hurt to hear time and time again, you sometimes never realize you loved something/someone until after it’s gone.
Pi in the Sky connected life as a kid to the daunting world of dark matter and the universe around us. Joss, the seventh son of the supreme overlord of the universe models this. Joss is a teenager in the Realms, (the world inside of dark matter, and the setting of the book) and lives life mostly like a human would. You probably haven’t heard of the idea of the Realms, and you might think that alone sets this book apart from others. But what makes this book really special is how Wendy Mass collides the two literal worlds of two teenagers to get them back something they both physically and emotionally need: Earth.
After Annika, a human, broke the laws of physics by looking at the Realms through a telescope, Earth was ripped out of the space-time continuum, with the parents of Joss’ best friend on it. Since Earth no longer ever existed, neither does Joss’ friend Kal. With the task of bringing Earth back, the two have different perspectives, and personalities. Annika is strong-willed and stubborn, and doesn’t have a broad understanding of the Realms, like Joss. As the seventh son, Joss refers to himself as the “sixth smartest” and doesn’t understand his importance, and potential.
You could imagine that the pair would have some issues rebuilding everything from scratch, (especially since Joss got a C in planet building class) and you would imagine that people can't just build planets. But if you suspend your disbelief, just like you do for many other novels, you realize how people can bond to save something, even if it means saving that one thing means letting go of someone that you’ve grown fond of. Joss learns this when he harnesses the energy of a newborn sun to create the solar system of Earth, and when he creates Earth, everything from it returns, including Annika, his perfect companion.
At some points, this book can seem far fetched, but it relates to something that doesn’t hurt to hear time and time again, you sometimes never realize you loved something/someone until after it’s gone.
July 13, 2017
Being the seventh son of the Supreme Overlord of the Universe isn’t as great as it sounds. Joss’s older brothers all have jobs helping to run the universe and all he gets to do is deliver pies. Sure, the pies might have the secrets of the universe in them, but it’s not as cool as the jobs his brothers have. When someone on Earth makes the huge mistake of looking at the person who makes the pies and his best friend’s parents are erased along with the whole planet, Joss wants to do whatever it takes to bring Earth back. With the help of Annika, a girl from earth, Joss rushes to discover the secrets of the universe so he can recreate Earth and discover his own role in running the universe.
This book is educational about science and the universe, but not in a way that will discourage readers. It’s a little absurd and wacky, somewhat reminiscent of Douglas Adams, and the two characters are spunky and relatable, even though Joss is an alien living in a different world. The concept of the book is wonderfully creative, and there are many parts of the story and characters that will make readers smile. There isn’t a lot of action in most of the book, but it will still keep readers entertained. Some of the things in the book don’t make sense and the readers just have to accept that it’s the way things work in Joss’s world. The beautiful blend of science into enjoyable children’s fiction help make this book charming, even when the overall point of the story and the ending isn’t clear.
This book is educational about science and the universe, but not in a way that will discourage readers. It’s a little absurd and wacky, somewhat reminiscent of Douglas Adams, and the two characters are spunky and relatable, even though Joss is an alien living in a different world. The concept of the book is wonderfully creative, and there are many parts of the story and characters that will make readers smile. There isn’t a lot of action in most of the book, but it will still keep readers entertained. Some of the things in the book don’t make sense and the readers just have to accept that it’s the way things work in Joss’s world. The beautiful blend of science into enjoyable children’s fiction help make this book charming, even when the overall point of the story and the ending isn’t clear.
November 7, 2017
So my family & I went to a mystery lock-in at my parents' local library and my dad realized that we were really out of touch with children's books AND that these shelves looked pretty cool. Therefore he needed to check out a few of them and we each needed to read at least one of them and tell him whether it lived up to the initial isn't-that-cool feeling. Pi in the Sky, which is the story of a boy living in the dark matter regions of space (he's the son of the Supreme Overlord of the Universe, but that's played less for villainy drama than it might sound) who is forced to take care of a human girl not entirely compatible with these regions when she becomes trapped there after a violation of the Laws of Physics.
There are several Carl Sagan quotes and each chapter features its own relevant quote from a scientist or author. The author does a good job of suggesting the environment and characters as the story moves along and the resolution was not what I would have predicted.
I don't have any reason to read what I'm assuming is middle-grade fiction and it's been years (decades...millennia) since I was in the relevant age range, but I found this a fun book and a quick story that made me laugh and insist that my dad did, in fact, need to go ahead and read it. As a throwback read, it was entertaining and if I had known of it when our local libraries were accepting donations, I would have happily sent it along.
There are several Carl Sagan quotes and each chapter features its own relevant quote from a scientist or author. The author does a good job of suggesting the environment and characters as the story moves along and the resolution was not what I would have predicted.
I don't have any reason to read what I'm assuming is middle-grade fiction and it's been years (decades...millennia) since I was in the relevant age range, but I found this a fun book and a quick story that made me laugh and insist that my dad did, in fact, need to go ahead and read it. As a throwback read, it was entertaining and if I had known of it when our local libraries were accepting donations, I would have happily sent it along.
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