Gardens are a perfect way to engage young people in the process of learning, growing and harvesting plants. A simple pot, plant box or raised bed could become a garden at school or home. A garden has the potential to bring children, families and communities together to learn where food comes from and gain a better appreciation for how food impacts health. Below is a list of books from the International Reading Association's Children's Literature and Reading Special Interest Group (CL/R SIG). The titles in this column could accompany a garden unit.
GRADES K-3
Christensen, Bonnie. (2012). Plant a little seed. New York: Roaring Brook Press.
A community garden is the focus of this book as two gardeners, a young boy and a young girl, plan, plant, weed, water and wait for their garden. In simplistic rhythmic language, each page takes readers through the seasons of the garden with these children and their dog, and a family of rabbits that take an interest in the garden as well. An interested raccoon also appears in the corn. The actual waiting for signs of sprouts and imagining the rewards are part of the process of the garden and evidenced with each bold and energetic illustration as the end papers, front and back, add to the informational aspects of planting seeds and patiently watching them unfold. Teachers will find the lesson at ReadWriteThink “How Does My Garden Grow? Writing in Science Field Journals” a usable companion for this book.
- Karen Hildebrand, Ohio Library & Reading Consultant
Fry, Stella. (2012). Grandpa’s garden. Illus. by Sheila Moxley. Concord, MA: Barefoot Books.
Young Billy and his Grandpa are planning a garden. Billy quickly learns that it is hard work to dig and loosen the soil, plant the seeds and do the required weeding. As the growing season moves through the summer months, Billy patiently watches the garden develop into the vegetables they planted. Fall brings the enjoyment of the harvested crop. The time Billy spends with Grandpa in learning the facts and background about creating and maintaining a garden strengthens that special bond between grandchild and grandparent. “Watching a Garden Grow” lesson idea is a ReadWriteThink connection to Grandpa’s Garden.
- Karen Hildebrand, Ohio Library & Reading Consultant
Grigsby, Susan. (2012). First peas to the table: How Thomas Jefferson inspired a school garden. Illus. by Nicole Tadgell. Chicago, IL: Albert Whitman.
Based on the true story of Thomas Jefferson’s pea-growing contest with his neighbors, Maya’s teacher begins a gardening project with her class. Maya and her classmates are challenged to raise peas in their school garden but they can also grow peas at home to race to see who can bring the “first peas to the table” contest, just like Thomas Jefferson did many years ago. Taking the challenge to heart, Maya reads and researches how to raise peas including information she found in Thomas Jefferson’s Garden Book. Maya and her friend Shakayla select different methods of growing their peas while learning about the scientific method in addition to historical background on America’s former president and his interest in agriculture. Additional background on Jefferson can be found at the end of the book. Teacher resources, coloring pages, a pea-growing contest and more can be found at the publisher’s website, or try Mrs. Obama’s pea salad recipe from the White House blog Obama Foodorama.
- Karen Hildebrand, Ohio Library & Reading Consultant
Quattlebaum, Mary. (2012). Jo MacDonald had a garden. Illus. by Laura J. Bryant. Nevada City, CA: Dawn Publications.
The familiar Old MacDonald of folklore and song now has a young granddaughter, Jo, tending the garden with her cousin Mike. The two cousins work at planting and watering and weeding as they watch the garden grow. Written in the pattern of the traditional song, readers will enjoy singing along with each new turn of the page on the alert for new things happening in the garden. In addition to watching the plants get bigger, young readers will be watchful as critters start to appear and visit the garden. The book offers back matter to offer suggestions and tips for gardening. Teaching guides and downloadable activities are available at the publisher’s website.
- Karen Hildebrand, Ohio Library & Reading Consultant
Rosenberg, Madelyn. (2012). Happy birthday, tree!: A Tu B’Shevat story. Illus. by Jana Christy. Chicago, IL: Albert Whitman.
The birthday of the trees or Tu B’Shevat is a Jewish holiday that celebrates trees and reminds us to take care of our earth. In vibrant watercolor illustrations Joni climbs the broad tree in her front yard. She sings Happy Birthday but notices the tree just stands there. Joni then convinces her friend to help organize a party. Together they give the tree water, make a soil cupcake and put a bird in the branches. The tree continues to be still, yet looks happier. The friend then suggests that maybe the tree wants to be with other trees so Joni persuades her mother to take them to a nursery to purchase a little tree. They plant the little tree across the yard from the big one so that they can be friends. Then they give each tree a party hat and promise to take care of the trees by protecting and watering them. Both trees wave their branches and rattle their leaves in happiness. The book closes with suggestions and ideas to help the Earth in the branches of a large tree on the end pages.
- Deanna Day, Washington State University Vancouver
Spurr, Elizabeth. (2012). In the garden. Illus. by Manelle Oliphant. Atlanta, GA: Peachtree.
This board book, for very young children, has only one or two words per page. First, a boy prepares the soil by spading the Earth, pulling weeds and making rows. Then he, “Digs holes. / Drops seeds. / Covers / Wets / Waits.” In one illustration readers will notice adults working in the garden, yet this child is able to do everything on his own. Rain and sun help the tiny green sprouts to peep out. Then the boy lies on the ground to observe the leaves, shoots and blossoms. Finally, the fruit appears to everyone’s delight! The simplicity and size make this the perfect book for budding gardeners.
- Deanna Day, Washington State University Vancouver
GRADES 4-8
Gourley, Robbin. (2011). First garden: The White House garden and how it grew. New York: Clarion.
Filled with watercolor illustrations that simply make readers lick their lips in anticipation of the healthy meals that can be made from these delicious fruits and vegetables grown in the White House garden, this book is also a tribute to sustainability. A perfect introduction to gardening, it is filled with Presidential history as well as ecological notes. This particular garden was planted in 2009 as part of the First Lady’s campaign for healthy eating, but it wasn’t the first time the White House's pristine lawns have been used for agriculture. In fact, in amusing vignettes, the author provides several examples of Presidents whose cows and sheep grazed on the lawn. She also includes Presidential quotes about gardening, making this a useful title for science and social studies. Not only does the garden provide food for the White House, but it also provides fresh vegetables for others as well, providing hands-on experiences for local school children about planting seeds and then nurturing the growing plants through each phase of the cycle of life. The theme of sustainability runs through the entire book, and a photograph of the White House staff, the First Lady, and the local children proudly displaying the fruits of their labor attests to the boost in self-esteem a project such as this one can have. The book also includes recipes using garden produce. This book might inspire other schools and communities to start digging and planting.
- Barbara A. Ward, Washington State University Pullman
Potter, Ellen. (2012). The humming room. New York: Feiwel and Friends.
Inspired by the classic The Secret Garden, this story begins with 12-year old Roo orphaned when her drug-dealer father is killed along with her mother. She is sent to live with a widowed reclusive uncle on Cough Rock Island in the St. Lawrence River in upstate New York. Her uncle travels most of the time so his assistant, Ms. Valentine is sent to fetch Roo and bring her to Maine to begin a new life in a very mysterious old mansion, formerly a tuberculosis sanitarium. Roo begins to explore and soon hears mysterious noises and sounds that eventually lead her to a homeless boy, a secret box under the floorboards and a hidden garden. This suspenseful ghost story can stand alone on its own merit but might also lead readers to the children’s classic, The Secret Garden. The Humming Room could become a companion piece and create a comparative discussion for students between the two books. A book trailer and author information including her Skype classroom visits can be found at the author’ website.
- Karen Hildebrand, Ohio Library & Reading Consultant
Silvey, Anita. (2012). The plant hunters: True stories of their daring adventures to the far corners of the Earth. New York: Farrar Straus Giroux.
Our theme this week is about gardening and we tend to think about planting seeds, taking care of the garden and watching it grow. This book, The Plant Hunters, is about how scientists acquired many of those seeds. This reads like an adventure story as explorers from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries traveled around the globe in search of new seeds and plants to bring back to North America. Many exciting, even life-threatening scenes unfold as these adventurers brave hazardous weather, dangerous animals and insects, and remote locations as they seek exotic and unusual plants. Using many primary sources and beautifully illustrated plant artwork, sketches and photographs, this volume opens the doors to the history behind many of the plants we enjoy today.Teachers can use the interactive white board activity from the New York Botanical Garden called “Become a Professional Plant Hunter”. From ReadWriteThink, teachers can find a research project for middle schoolers entitled, “Let it Grow; an inquiry-based gardening research project”.
- Karen Hildebrand, Ohio Library & Reading Consultant
GRADES 9-12
Neff, Beth. (2012). Getting somewhere. New York: Viking.
Filled with exquisite phrases amid a somewhat predictable plot line, this book describes an imaginary alternative to a detention setting for teen girls who have fallen off the beaten path. This may be the last chance for Lauren, Cassie, Sarah, and Jenna who end up working on a vegetable farm along with three women in rural Michigan. All of them have emotional baggage and complicated histories and secrets, which begin to be revealed over the course of the two months they spend planting, digging, weeding, and harvesting. At first, of course, each girl complains about having to work in the soil and labor in the hot sun, but over time they come to appreciate the food they are growing and the bonds they are slowly building. It is clear from the beginning that Lauren will have the most difficulty changing since she constantly plots to escape while the other girls seize the second chance and affection they are being offered by Ellie, Grace, and Donna, who are in charge of the farm and alternative program. For some, hard outdoor work, trust, and sharing are precisely what they need to change their live changes and stay on the road to recovery. Realizing that not every broken person can be repaired, readers will pity those who return to the same problems they left behind when they landed on the farm.
- Barbara A. Ward, Washington State University Pullman
Obama, Michelle. (2012). American grown: The Story of the White House Kitchen Garden and Gardens Across America. New York: Random House.
After planting a kitchen garden on the White House’s South Lawn in 2009, First Lady Michelle Obama and the White House staff were delighted as fresh vegetables, fruit, and herbs flourished in the garden. This book, filled with beautiful photographs of the plants, tells the chronological story of that garden seasonally from spring to winter. As is the case with any brand-new gardener, the First Lady describes her initial concerns about whether the seeds would sprout or the plants would grow. Just as any 4-H member knows, the hard work and worries are long forgotten once the plants begin to flourish and it is time to harvest the fruits and vegetables. Readers will surely want to try the recipes using the garden’s bounty. And maybe, just maybe, they will feel inspired to cultivate a garden in their own backyards or dedicate a small portion of their patio to gardening. The book also contains stories of other American gardens that are first steps in eating and living more healthily. It all starts with a small seed, as this book, perfect for sharing with the whole family, vividly shows.
- Barbara A. Ward, Washington State University Pullman
Also, visit IRA's Common Core State Standards resources section to read Lesley Mandel Morrow's Reading Today article entitled "A Primary Grade Science Unit Using the Language Arts/Literacy Common Core State Standards".