Pete’s favourite word is ‘home’ and when something awful happens he decides he’s just going to stay at home forever in the flat that he shares with his Dad above their pizza takeaway shop. But they’ve been losing customers to the pizza chain on the high street and Pete’s Dad breaks the news that they are about to be evicted if they can’t raise £10,000 in four days.
But then Pete finds a suitcase of mysterious potions in the attic and he comes up with a brilliant plan to save their home. Together with his best friend Anna, Pete creates a menu of magical pizzas to give each customer an experience they will never forget. At first their scheme is a roaring success, until the potions start going wrong.
School refusal and anxiety is at an all time high after the pandemic, but Pete is one of the few children’s book characters I’ve come across who is struggling with this, and the issue is handled with warmth and sensitivity.
‘Pizza Pete and the Perilous Potions’ is a hilarious, madcap pizza adventure with a poignant message about family at its heart – perfect for lower KS2.
Swimming in Books 