Pi in the Sky - by Wendy Mass

When you're reading a story about characters in another dimension, one in which the folks who create and maintain the Universe look like normal people, but can turn their legs into wheels, and in which pie delivery is essential to planet building, you know things are going to get weird.  That's exactly what happens in this surprising, creative, but somewhat strange and disappointing book by Wendy Mass, author of so many good realistic fiction works.  I found myself wishing she had just stuck with excellent stories like The Candymakers, as this one just lost my interest.  It's totally sci-fi, which is not my genre of choice, so please don't be scared off by my so-so review if you like that kind of thing.

The story follows one boy, Joss, seventh son of the Supreme Overlord of the Universe (who likes to hit golf balls out of his office window).  Joss delivers pies, while his brothers and father are responsible for running all aspects of the Universe.  This leaves him somewhat disappointed with his life, but at least he has his best friend Kal.  Until Kal disappears into a previously unknown dimension, that is, and Joss needs to pull out all the stops, with the help of a pushy earthling named Annika (can't tell you how she comes into the story, but she's the best character in the book), to save his friend Kal and a little planet called Earth.

The book really has nothing to do with Pi, just pie.  You could read into the whole planet-making thing with the idea of Pi, but it's a stretch, really just a cute title that the author's publisher came up with.  If you like sci-fi, give it a try.  If you're more of a realistic fiction fan, pick up The Candymakers.