In this second book in the series following 2021's When Life Gives You Lemons, Make Peach Pie, the Peach family tackles turning a run-down historic mansion into a B&B.It's the end of the summer, and the Peaches-Lucy, 12; Freddy, 10; Herb, 8; and their father-are back home in Duluth after their summer adventure running a pie food truck. They are looking forward to getting back to their routines, but Great Aunt Lucinda has other plans. She's decided to move into a retirement home and offers to give her rather dilapidated mansion to the Peaches to fix up, live in, and run as a B&B. With reactions running the gamut from excitement (Lucy and Freddy) to apprehension (Herb thinks the mansion is haunted) to doubt (Dad is not a handy person), the family eventually accepts the challenge. What follows is a series of remodeling challenges and disasters as Dad loses heart on a regular basis and each of the children faces their own fears and limitations. But gradually the Peaches find their stride. Told in third-person narration from a different child's viewpoint in each chapter, the story is deliciously plotted and includes a lovely multigenerational aspect as Herb creates a job for himself helping out at Great Aunt Lucinda's retirement home. Interspersed with black-and-white drawings from Freddy's art-ideas notebook and some recipes, the story is by turns poignant, humorous, and empowering. Characters read as default White.Heartwarming, lively, and sprinkled with poignant truths. (Fiction. 8-12)

Gr 37 This title follows the Peach family siblingsLucy, Freddy, and Herband their dad on a second adventure. After an exciting summer selling pies in a food truck, the Peaches return home to Duluth, MN, to be gifted a mansion from their Great Aunt Lucinda. The one condition is that the family transform the house into a bed-and-breakfast by Thanksgiving. What ensues is a hilarious and heartwarming series of events as the family works to make the request a reality. The story is told in third person, altering between viewpoints of each sibling. Freddy's black-and-white drawings, sketches, recipes, and lists of renovation projects are sprinkled throughout and add humor and personality. While this is a sequel to When Life Gives You Lemons, Make Peach Pie , the book stands well on its own. All main characters read as white. VERDICT Hand to fans of the Vanderbeekers and other quirky family stories. A strong purchase for library collections.Katharine Gatcomb