Enemy Pie
Picture Book Read Aloud
book summary
Summer was off to the perfect start until Jeremy Ross moved into the neighborhood. Jeremy laughs at the narrator when he strikes him out in a baseball game. He gets upset and is convinced that Jeremy Ross is his number one enemy and that he needs to get rid of him forever. The narrator tells his dad he doesn’t really like Jeremy, so his father decides to give him a suggestion for him to get along with his enemy.
Luckily, Jeremy’s dad knew just how to get rid of enemies! His dad told him to wait for a minute while he went and got an old recipe out of the cupboard. His dad explains that all he needs to do is make an enemy pie, but the secret ingredient in the recipe is that he had to spend the whole day being nice to Jeremy before they eat the pie. The young boy was so excited because he just knew that the enemy pie recipe would work and that he would never have to worry about Jeremy again.
So, the boys spend the whole day morning together, jumping on the trampoline, playing basketball, and throwing water balloons at some girls in the neighborhood. They go to Jeremy’s house for lunch and then spend the afternoon hanging out in the treehouse. “I was having fun with my enemy. He actually seemed nice!” The boy’s dad makes macaroni and cheese for dinner and then serves big slices of enemy pie with a couple of huge scoops of ice cream. When the pie is set on the table, he gets nervous that Jeremy might get sick or die if he eats the pie. After glancing over at his dad, he notices that his dad had eaten a whole slice of the pie, so it must not be poisonous after all. Soon, both boys were digging into their pie and ice cream Jeremy goes home after eating the pie, but not before the two boys made plans to play together the next day.
Like often happens, after spending the day together, something special happens! Jeremy realizes that he has more in common with Jeremy and that Jeremy was not as bad as he had initially thought. At the end of the day, Jeremy had become his friend. It turns out that Enemy Pie does get rid of your enemies, just not in the way one might expect!
Our little friend realized that he just lost his best enemy. Enemy Pie provides a lesson about friendship and conflict resolution. It also shares an excellent message that some of our best friendships come from unlikely sources if we just take some time getting to know them better. The simple act of making an effort to get to know someone can change your entire perception of them.
suggested teaching point
The Enemy Pie provides several opportunities for students to make inferences.
On page 6, Dad promises that he knows how to get rid of enemies. Use what you have learned about the main character to make an inference about how he is feeling now that he knows his dad has a plan. Turn to your partner and share your idea.
On page 10, the boy is smelling something really good. He is confused by what he is smelling. Why do you think he is confused? Turn to your partner and share your idea.
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