The Great Peach Experiment 1: When Life Gives You Lemons, Make Peach Pie

Mix together a used food truck, a road trip that doesn't exactly go as planned, and a lot of pie, and you have the recipe for this sweet middle grade series starter brimming with humor, heart, and a family you'll fall in love with. Perfect for readers who gobbled down The Penderwicks and The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street.

Sweet summer has taken a rotten turn . . .

After a tough year, Lucy, Freddy, and Herb Peach are ready for vacation. Lucy wants to read all of the books on the summer reading list. Freddy wants to work on his art projects (when he isn't stuck in summer school). Herb wants to swim every day.

Then their dad makes a big announcement: one of the inventions their mom came up with before she passed away has sold, and now they're millionaires!

But Dad has bigger plans than blowing the cash on fun stuff or investing it. He's bought a used food truck. The Peaches are going to spend the summer traveling the country selling pies. It will be the Great Peach Experiment--a summer of bonding while living out one of Mom's dreams. Summer plans, sunk. And there's one more issue Dad's neglected: none of them knows how to bake. . . .

A perfect blend of humor, heart, and family antics, When Life Gives You Lemons, Make Peach Pie is a delectable treat to be gobbled down or savored slowly. (Slice of pie on the side, optional, but highly recommended.)

A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection

"Memories and loss juxtapose with curious slices of American roadside kitsch, adding up to a life-affirming, nostalgic adventure with an uplifting finale. The Great Peach Experiment is a cheering middle grade novel about a family’s madcap project that includes subtle lessons about overcoming grief."—Foreword Reviews
 
"Many, many mishaps and adventures follow the Peaches through their Midwest foray, each relayed with understated insight, while the adroit characterization of the self-absorbedly neglectful dad is heart-rending. On occasion, the plot twists veer to the delightfully quirky, and the whole tale is filled with both authenticity and originality. . . . Both bittersweet and uplifting; simply sparkles with life." —Kirkus Reviews

"This coming-of-age novel delves deep into the feelings of all three Peach children and the aftermath of losing such an integral person in the family. . . . A solid purchase for libraries where novels dealing with grief, family, and finding one’s voice are needed."—School Library Journal

"readers looking for a pleasing family-themed outing may appreciate the flavor of the Peaches." —The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
 
"In an enjoyable and accessible middle-grade novel, a grieving family travels the Midwest in a food truck--though they have zero experience--on a journey back to wholeness." —Shelf Awareness

Erin Soderberg Downing has written more than fifty books (some as Erin Soderberg) for kids, tweens, and young adults, including series like The Quirks and Puppy Pirates, and others. Erin is a former children's book editor, and she also worked at Nickelodeon.