The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie

• Genre: Fiction; mystery, historical fiction
• Originally Published: 2009
• Reading Level/Interest: Lexile 960L; high school/adult
• Structure/Length: 35 chapters; approx. 416 pages; approx. 9 hours and 53 minutes on audio
• Protagonist/Central Conflict: The novel introduces Flavia de Luce, an 11-year-old amateur sleuth with a passion for chemistry (especially poisons), in 1950s England. When Flavia discovers a dying man in the cucumber patch of their country mansion, she gets embroiled in a mystery that involves her father. The central conflict revolves around Flavia’s effort to uncover the truth and prove her father’s innocence.
• Potential Sensitivity Issues: Death; murder; mild peril and danger; bullying

Alan Bradley, Author

• Bio: Born 1938; Canadian author, known for his Flavia de Luce series; spent his early career in television broadcasting and taught at the University of Saskatchewan before turning to writing.
• Other Works: The Weed That Strings the Hangman’s Bag (Flavia de Luce #2, 2010); A Red Herring Without Mustard (Flavia de Luce #3, 2011); I Am Half-Sick of Shadows (Flavia de Luce #4, 2011)
• Awards: Debut Dagger Award (2007); Agatha Award for Best First Novel (2009); Dilys Winn Award (2009); Barry Award for Best First Novel (2010); Arthur Ellis Award for Best First Novel (2010); Macavity Award for Best First Mystery Novel (2010); Spotted Owl Award (2010); YALSA Best Books for Young Adults (2010)

CENTRAL THEMES connected and noted throughout this Teaching Guide:

• Grief’s Effect on Families
• The Precocious Child Detective
• How the Past Affects the Present
• Social Class and Interpersonal Relationships
• Loyalty

STUDY OBJECTIVES: In accomplishing the components of this Guide, students will:

• Explore background information on narrative voice and the mid-20th century British cultural context to increase their engagement with and understanding of The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie.
• Read/study short, paired texts and other resources to deepen their understanding of themes related to Grief’s Effect on Families, The Precocious Child Detective, How the Past Affects the Present, Social Class and Interpersonal Relationships, and Loyalty.
• Demonstrate their understanding of Flavia’s narrative voice by creating a game where their peers try to distinguish genuine Flavia quotes from student-generated ones.
• Analyze the significance of various elements of the novel, such as structure, characterization, plot detail, symbolism, and humor, and construct essay responses tying these to the novel’s meaning.