Seedfolks (Joanna Colter Books)

Amazon.com

Sometimes, even in the middle of ugliness and neglect, a little bit of beauty will bloom. Award-winning writer Paul Fleischman dazzles us with this truth in Seedfolks--a slim novel that bursts with hope. Wasting not a single word, Fleischman unfolds a story of a blighted neighborhood transformed when a young girl plants a few lima beans in an abandoned lot. Slowly, one by one, neighbors are touched and stirred to action as they see tendrils poke through the dirt. Hispanics, Haitians, Koreans, young, and old begin to turn the littered lot into a garden for the whole community. A gift for hearts of all ages, this gentle, timeless story will delight anyone in need of a sprig of inspiration.

Book Description

A vacant lot, rat-infested and filled with garbage, looked like no place for a garden. Especially to a neighborhood of strangers where no one seems to care. Until one day, a young girl clears a small space and digs into the hard-packed soil to plant her precious bean seeds. Suddenly, the soil holds promise: To Curtis, who believes he can win back Lateesha's heart with a harvest of tomatoes; to Virgil's dad, who sees a fortune to be made from growing lettuce; and even to Maricela, sixteen and pregnant, wishing she were dead.

Thirteen very different voices -- old, young, Haitian, Hispanic, tough, haunted, and hopeful -- tell one amazing story about a garden that transforms a neighborhood.

Chosen as a state and citywide read in communities across the country:
Vermont
Racine, WI
Tampa, FL
Newburgh, NY
Boca Raton, FL

Customer Reviews:

Good Stories, but Too Disconnected.......2007-05-31

It all started with one little girl. Kim's father died before she was even born, and she is afraid that he might not know her as he looks down from heaven. So she decides to do something to make him recognize her and to make him proud. He was a farmer back in Vietnam, so she takes a handful of bean seeds to a trash-covered vacant lot near her inner-city apartment and plants them. When he looks down and sees them, he will know she is his daughter.

Someone looks down from a window and is intrigued by this girl who keeps visiting the vacant lot in secret. Upon investigation she sees what is going on and decides to clear a little patch of land for a tiny garden of her own. Others observe and like the idea, and soon the vacant lot is covered with a patchwork of gardens from all sorts of people living nearby. Someone is able to bully the city into moving the trash off of this land. People who usually avoid eye contact at all cost are suddenly meeting neighbors and relating to one another. Through this garden project, a neighborhood of strangers becomes a real community.

I liked the characters in this story. They were all very vivid and their stories were well thought out. I also liked being able to see the different perspectives on this garden, and the different reasons people decided to plant things here.

I didn't like that each person's story was just dropped after it was told. I wanted the author to go back and write what the people were thinking. What did Kim think when her garden idea caught on? Was Sam able to stop the segregation he saw developing in the garden? I wanted some followup to each story.

Inspiring Seedfolks.......2007-04-25

Seedfolks is a book about a vacant city lot in Cleveland, Ohio that is abandoned until one day a Vietnamese girl decides to plant some beans as a way to become connected to her father who died before she was born. It tells the story of 13 different people who come together by this garden. They are all different ages and have different ethnic backgrounds and jobs. Somehow this garden brings them all together and means something different to each of them. The individual stories are interesting and touching.

My favorite part of the book is Gonzolo's Tio Juan story. He came to the U.S. with Gonzolo's mother and brother. Because he didn't speak English and couldn't work he would wonder around all day long with nothing to do and had to be baby sat by Gonzolo who who referred to him as a baby. One day he went off on his own in the neighborhood and came across the garden. The next day he went back and started working in the garden and planting seeds. Back in Guatemala he used to be a farmer and this gave him life again and he went from being a baby back to a man again.

I would recommend that you read Seedfolks. I think you will be touched by the 13 different people who are brought together through this community garden. In Reading Gonzolo's story it made me think about my Mom's parents who are immigrants from Portugal and how they too must of felt like Gonzolo's Tio Juan when they first arrived in the U.S., like they were babies and didn't know anything.

A Garden of Love.......2006-05-11

Seedfolks is a 69 page book, an easy read. Seedfolks is a book that shows that all different races, religions, cultures, and ages can come together to make something nice and beautiful and have meaning. They took a dump-like place and made it into something beautiful.
Some things I liked about this book were, that you can see how the author makes it so everyone of different backgrounds and stuff come together and do something together as one whole. Another thing that I liked about the book was that the author demonstrates how you can except people for who they are. In this story it seems like everyone is the equal and stuff like that. Like for example there was thing young girl who was pregnant and when this book was written it was like a big deal if you were pregnant at an early age but when she went to the garden no one judged her or anything like that. Another good thing about the book is that there is like no anger or anything bad in it, it seems like when everyone goes to the garden all there problems go away and most people go there to relax and just have fun.
Some things I didn't like about the book were that you cant really get to know one character because the character only has like 3 or 4 pages and there is 13 characters in the book so there really isn't one main character. Also in this book there was no plot, climax and there wasn't that big of a problem I mean there was a little one but it really didn't have a lot to do with what was going on in the book. Another bad thing about the book is it wasn't very interesting I'm the type of person who likes to read a book that you cant put down that you get really into but with this book I didn't feel that way. Overall I think Seedfolks was a decent book.

A Book for Building Community.......2006-04-25

This small book (69 pages) contains thirteen vignettes, each written from the point of view of a different person. Although the people begin as strangers from various ethnic backgrounds, they become acquainted as each cultivates a part of a vacant lot. As the lot becomes a place of beauty, individual lives are transformed as well -- and a community is created.

_Seedfolks_ is an excellent tool for building community among people with diverse backgrounds -- perhaps especially among educators, parents, and students.

Good reading for children.......2006-04-25

This is a good book for children who does not understand the meaning of working together. Also, this book was structured very intelligently; so that any reader can follow the same story but from other people point of views. In addition; the way the author painted colorful pictures of the city was very unique.

Average customer rating:

A classic for girls
Classic
Seeds the child's imagination...
The Secret Garden
Spellbinding Book

The Secret Garden (HarperClassics)
Frances Hodgson Burnett
Manufacturer: HarperTrophy
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 006440188X

Amazon.com

Mistress Mary is quite contrary until she helps her garden grow. Along the way, she manages to cure her sickly cousin Colin, who is every bit as imperious as she. These two are sullen little peas in a pod, closed up in a gloomy old manor on the Yorkshire moors of England, until a locked-up garden captures their imaginations and puts the blush of a wild rose in their cheeks; "It was the sweetest, most mysterious-looking place any one could imagine. The high walls which shut it in were covered with the leafless stems of roses which were so thick, that they matted together.... 'No wonder it is still,' Mary whispered. 'I am the first person who has spoken here for ten years.'" As new life sprouts from the earth, Mary and Colin's sour natures begin to sweeten. For anyone who has ever felt afraid to live and love, The Secret Garden's portrayal of reawakening spirits will thrill and rejuvenate. Frances Hodgson Burnett creates characters so strong and distinct, young readers continue to identify with them even 85 years after they were conceived. (Ages 9 to 12)

Book Description

When orphaned Mary Lennox, lonely and sad, comes to live at her uncle's great house on the Yorkshire moors, she finds it full of secrets. At night, she hears the sound of crying down one of the long corridors. Outside, she meets Dickon, a magical boy who can charm and talk to animals. Then, one day, with the help of a friendly robin, Mary discovers the most mysterious wonder of all--a secret garden, walled and locked, which has been completely forgotten for years and years. Is everything in the graden dead, or can Mary bring it back to life?

Customer Reviews:

A classic for girls.......2007-09-22

The Secret Garden is a book about a spoiled girl who uncovers the mysteries of the house around her which include, but are not limited too, what is behind the wall, and why is it kept secret. It is a good classic, but girls will enjoy it much more than boys do.

Classic.......2007-08-06

Even if you are an adult you should reread this book. Helps you to see how fun it was to be a kid.

Seeds the child's imagination..........2007-07-29

This has always been one of my favorite books since childhood. When I read my first story in this book it gave me so much inspiration to use my imagination as a child should. A child's imagination is so real! This reality soon takes the form of abstract, which paves the road to anywhere he wants it to go - or not...

The Secret Garden.......2007-07-05

This edition is printed on really cheap, unappealing paper. I can't imagine anyone wanting to give this version of a children's classic as a gift, or even to read from it to a child yourself.

Spellbinding Book.......2007-07-03

This book is the best book I have ever read. It's a light, happy book that I will treasure for the rest of my life. Ilove the theme of hope in the book, that will convince readers about the Magic inside themselves...if they hope. If they believe something will happen, it will. That theme is so beautifully conveyed. I couldn't put it down, and it is most definitely my new favorite book. A MUST READ!!!!!!!!

I ALSO RECCOMEND THE FOLLOWING:
Arthur and the Invisibles, Artemis Fowl Series, The Book Without Words, The Kingdom Keepers, the Prophecy of the Stones, The Game of Sunken PLaces, Midnight Blue

Food Not Lawns: How to Turn Your Yard into a Garden And Your Neighborhood into a Community

Average customer rating:

An inspired 40-something
completely false advertising
if you are over 40 skip it... so gen X
Not just Gardening--A guide to Activism and Environmentalism
Keys to change any reader can use.

Food Not Lawns: How to Turn Your Yard into a Garden And Your Neighborhood into a Community
Heather C. Flores
Manufacturer: Chelsea Green
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Garden Design | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 193339207X

Book Description

Gardening can be a political act. Creativity, fulfillment, connection, revolution--it all begins when we get our hands in the dirt. Food Not Lawns combines practical wisdom on ecological design and community-building with a fresh, green perspective on an age-old subject. Activist and urban gardener Heather Flores shares her nine-step permaculture design to help farmsteaders and city dwellers alike build fertile soil, promote biodiversity, and increase natural habitat in their own "paradise gardens." But Food Not Lawns doesn't begin and end in the seed bed. This joyful permaculture lifestyle manual inspires readers to apply the principles of the paradise garden--simplicity, resourcefulness, creativity, mindfulness, and community--to all aspects of life. Plant "guerilla gardens" in barren intersections and medians; organize community meals; start a street theater troupe or host a local art swap; free your kitchen from refrigeration and enjoy truly fresh, nourishing foods from your own plot of land; work with children to create garden play spaces. Flores cares passionately about the damaged state of our environment and the ills of our throwaway society. In Food Not Lawns, she shows us how to reclaim the earth one garden at a time.

Customer Reviews:

An inspired 40-something.......2007-09-04

Food Not Lawns speaks to my heart and has inspired me in my home gardening. I bought copies for two dear gardening friends who are in their 20's and 30's, and they are also excited by the ideas presented in the book. The author takes a holistic view of community and gardening, of working with Nature as an orchestra of forces influencing each other and working collectively together. Heather Flores encourages us to think out of the box and some might find that uncomfortable, but I still think her vision and sense of hope is so needed in our world today. Share this book with family and friends!

completely false advertising.......2007-07-05

I see that this books appears a hit with many reviewers, but I am unfortunately going to dissent. I was excited to read this book when it arrived and was subsequently dissappointed in the overall quality of the work as a whole. First and foremost, Flores leaves out a great deal of detail with regard to the actual work involved in any form of agriculture, be it animal husbandry, permaculture, or anything between. I say this not only as an avid reader, but also an environmental studies major reviewing the work for a class as well. Second, Flores' method of combining the topics of agriculture and social change is facetious at best, with no real segway from the former to the latter. In other words, this is literally two unconnected books sharing the same binding. Finally, and most disheartening of all, the work gives faulty advice at best, especially with regard to her advice on dealing with numerous aspects of gardening (traditional and permaculture), pending jail time, and conflict management strategies(with latter are potentially dangerous). I will also note that I resold this book immediately upon completion due to the above. Those interested would be better served to read The Good Life by Helen and Scott Nearing, or other such related books by other reputable authors such as Joseph Jenkins, Eliot Coleman, Louise Riotte, or John and Martha Storey. In short, do not purchase this book if you are serious about either agriculture or social change.

if you are over 40 skip it... so gen X.......2007-05-25

This is a very shallow book by the new generation of writers that find fault with everything done in the twenty years before they were born,
Its very shallow, big type and very preachy.
If you are interested in gardening, try Giaas garden, a much more serious study of permiculture.
In this rambling book, the aurthor boasts of not making over 8 k a year, but inherited the money to buy her farm!
I liked camping living until I was thirty, now I am 45 and really like my freezer and new stove.( yes, I have my own three hens and belong to a CSA)
I know a number of the original flower/farm people, and as they got older they liked having a few more comforts.

So this is one of the new gen X books, shallow to a fault. Nothing but sound bites.
the aurthor sems all hyped about third world living, but I am not sure she has ever been to a third world and seen how hard that style of life is,,it is easy to glamorius the distant!!!

Not just Gardening--A guide to Activism and Environmentalism.......2007-01-23

I picked up this book to learn practical application of permacultural principles applied to urban yard scales--and there is a wealth of such information here. However, I do feel like Flores preaches just a little too much about the environmental destruction and political problems currently plaguing our country. In my view, anyone picking up a book called Food Not Lawns probably is already well-versed in such issues, and Flores is essentially preaching to the converted. That said, this book DOES have tons of practical information, and I would recommend it as an excellent counterbalance and companion book to Toby Hemenway's Gaia's Garden.

Keys to change any reader can use........2006-12-14

For activist readers who believe activism is a political pursuit, FOOD NOT LAWNS: HOW TO TURN YOUR YARD INTO A GARDEN AND YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD INTO A COMMUNITY offers a different viewpoint, maintaining that growing food where you live is a key method of becoming a food activist in the community. Chapters advocate planting home and community gardens with an eye to drawing important connections between the politics of a home or community garden and the wider politics of usage, consumption, and sustainability. Another rarity: chapters promote small, easy changes in lifestyles to achieve a transition between personal choice and political activism at the community level, providing keys to change any reader can use.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

Average customer rating:

Art"full" Wings.
But Where do Caterpillars Come From?
Color,color,color!
A Life's Journey
Toddlers and Babies, too!

Waiting for Wings
Lois Ehlert
Manufacturer: Harcourt Children's Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0152026088

Amazon.com

Lois Ehlert, beloved illustrator of Chicka Chicka Boom Boom and many other bold, beautiful picture books has outdone herself with this gorgeous (seriously breathtaking) celebration of butterfly metamorphosis. "Out in the fields, eggs are hidden from view, / clinging to leaves with butterfly glue. / Soon caterpillars hatch. They creep and chew. / Each one knows what it must do." As the gentle rhyme unfolds, we turn the small, partial pages that form the larger spread of fabulous foliage in this lush, oversized book. Before our eyes, the eggs turn to caterpillars, the caterpillars to cases, the cases to lovely butterflies. "They pump their wings, get ready to fly, then hungry butterflies head for the sky." The colors become increasingly dazzling, each butterfly springing to life with Ehlert's color-soaked cut-paper magic. Several pages of background material conclude the book, labeling different kinds of butterflies at different stages of development, from the buckeye butterfly to the painted lady to the monarch. A "Butterfly Information" page clearly labels butterfly anatomy and answers basic question about these fascinating fluttery insects, a "Flower Identification" page showcases butterfly-attracting flowers such as the purple coneflower (echinacea), phlox, and lantana, and the last page offers a few pointers on growing a butterfly garden. (Ages 3 to 6) --Karin Snelson

Book Description

Every spring, butterflies emerge and dazzle the world with their vibrant beauty. But where do butterflies come from? How are they born? What do they eat--and how?
With a simple, rhyming text and glorious color-drenched collage, Lois Ehlert provides clear answers to these and other questions as she follows the life cycle of four common butterflies, from their beginnings as tiny hidden eggs and hungry caterpillars to their transformation into full-grown butterflies. Complete with butterfly and flower facts and identification tips, as well as a guide to planting a butterfly garden, this butterfly book is like no other.

Customer Reviews:

Art"full" Wings........2007-06-29

Lois Ehlert takes you on a colorful, intriguing story about the life cycle of a butterfly. Excellent for art students at any level! Text is simple enough for preschoolers and can be enjoyed through the elementary grades. Enjoy this exciting trip through nature and its wonders!

But Where do Caterpillars Come From?.......2006-09-12

This is a beautiful and very clever book. Pages are cocooned within larger pages, with individual illustrations blending seamlessly into the background illustrations. Like the natural world itself, this book rewards the patient observer, with rich details on the surface and others folded in more subtly. Your kids will be focused in on a little book within the big book, as the caterpillar goes on its journey. It makes the launch to the story within the bigger background pages all the more dynamic, striking as the shift from Kansas to Oz.

It starts with the eggs "hidden from view,/ clinging to leaves with butterfly glue." As we turn the pages of a little book enshrouded in the bigger book, we see the caterpillars hatch, "each one knows what it must do," and we follow the path to metamorphosis. Ultimately, the reader will be rewarded with multiple beautiful butterflies launching up towards the sky, a nice Lepidopterian metaphor for the developmental adventures in store for our little ones. It's a good job of story-telling when we know exactly where the story is going but still find ourselves awestruck.

Finally, as if Ms. Ehlert hadn't done enough, we get several pages at the end on butterfly identification, with information on colors, wingspans shown in actual size, the corresponding caterpillars that precede the butterflies, and the like. We get flower information, and then tips on growing your own butterfly garden. Nice stuff.

Get this book, drill it for a few night-night times, and then take your toddlers to a butterfly pavilion to see the real deal. Good times.

Color,color,color!.......2006-03-20

As usual, Lois Ehlert stimulates and educates the young reader about the mysteries of caterpillars to butterflies. Not only are the colors absolutely stunning, she provides factual information about different species. This book was a fabulous preparation for my classroom of small children as they watched their own caterpillars prepare for their magical transformation!

A Life's Journey.......2005-07-27

Waiting for Wings is a picture book showing the life cycle of a butterfly. The story uses tantalizing pictures and simple words to explain how a caterpillar becomes a butterfly. The book takes the reader through the stages of the caterpillar's life. Once the caterpillar has become a butterfly the story changes to how a butterfly lives its life. The illustrations pull the reader into this book. The print is large and easy to read for young reader. The text also rhymes for two pages at a time. As the caterpillar grows the pages become larger, until the butterfly hatches. As the butterfly begins its flight the pages are full size. The illustrations and page sizes are wonderful for young readers. This book also contains identification pages on butterflies and the flowers they eat.

Toddlers and Babies, too!.......2004-05-24

I have a three year old daughter who must be read to before sleeping. I also have a three month old baby girl who is often in the bed with us while we read. Often, the baby is restless and cries before we finish our books. Waiting for Wings is a fabulous solution. I find this interesting AND educational for my toddler. In addition, the colors are bright and contrasting, allowing my baby to be entertained while the book is read.

New Junior Cookbook (Better Homes & Gardens Test Kitchen)

Average customer rating:

LOVE this Cookbook!
Junior Cookbook
Fun for kids and adults, easy to follow,, adorable artwork
Sooo fun
Wonderful Gift for Children!

New Junior Cookbook (Better Homes & Gardens Test Kitchen)
Better Homes and Gardens
Manufacturer: Better Homes and Gardens
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Spiral-bound

Cooking | Sports & Activities | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0696220008
Release Date: 2004-10-05

Book Description

All new recipes are age-appropriate, kid-tested and kid-tasted.

Recipes use short ingredient lists and easy step-by-step instructions.

Written and designed to appeal to 8- to 12-year-old children who are just beginning to cook on their own, as well as those who have some cooking experience.

Cooking Basics chapter covers all the things children need to know such as kitchen safety, menu-planning, basic nutrition information, and how to read food labels.

New illustrations and new features make this a must-have reference cookbook for kids and their parents to use together.

Simply delicious recipes kids will have fun preparing and the whole family will enjoy eating.

Yummy recipes include: Farmhouse Breakfast Pizza, Sun-Up Sandwiches, Fast Fixin' Fajitas, Mighty Melts, Ooey Gooey Fudge Sauce, Raining Berries Turnovers.

Includes recipes for special celebrations and diabetic exchanges.

Customer Reviews:

LOVE this Cookbook!.......2007-10-07

I got this book for my step-daughter (15) I was worried it would be too "little kid like" but is ISN'T! I had the 1970/80's version, from my childhood and remembered really liking it. It prompted me to buy this one in the hopes I would like the revamped version and it's AWESOME! Fun food to make, super easy. I'm thinking about buying another one and putting it aside for my daughter who is 3. I'd say kids 8 and up would easily be able to follow this with some adult direction.

Junior Cookbook.......2007-04-12

This is a great cookbook for young girls and older girls alike. It contains lots of yummy recipies. I originally bought it for my granddaughter and then bought one for myself because the recipies are so good. Great job Better Homes & Gardens!

Fun for kids and adults, easy to follow,, adorable artwork .......2007-02-19

I bought this cookbook with my 7 year old daughter in mind, but my 10, 14 and 16 year old kids love it too! The recipes are easy-to-follow, the artwork is adorable, colorful, and inviting. I have a lot of cookbooks on my shelf, but this one is by far the most popular. It has encouraged the kids to be in the kitchen, following easy-to-read recipes and make some terrific tasting foods. I highly recommend this for kids of all ages, and adults alike!

Sooo fun.......2007-01-19

My son loves his cook book and want to make stuff from it all the time!! I love the pictures and easy to read recipes!

Wonderful Gift for Children!.......2007-01-09

My daughter received The New Junior Cookbook by Better Homes and Garden as a Christmas Gift. It is very fun and and easy for her to read. The best part is she is cooking us dinner and having a blast while doing it.

The Secret Garden (The Illus Children's Library)

Average customer rating:

A very fine book to read
One of the best books ever written
Secret Garden

The Secret Garden (The Illus Children's Library)
Frances Hodgson Burnett
Manufacturer: Gramercy
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0517221152
Release Date: 2002-09-03

Book Description

What secrets lie behind the doors at Misselthwaite manor? Recently arrived at her uncle's estate, orphaned mary Lennox is spoiled, sickly, and certain she won't enjoy living there. Then she discovers the arched doorway into an overgrown garden, shut up since the death of her aunt ten years earlier. Mary soon begins transforming it into a thing of beauty--unaware that she is changing too.

But Missalthwaite hides another secret, as Mary discovers one night. High in a dark room, away from the rest of the house, lies her young cousin Colin, who believes he is an incurable invalid, destined to die young. His tantrums are so frightful, no one can reason with him. If only, Mary hopes, she can get Colin to love the secret garden as much as she does, its magic wil work wonders on him.

From the Trade Paperback edition.

Customer Reviews:

A very fine book to read.......2007-02-08

For anyone who is teaching their 8 or 9 year old how to write this is one fine book to read because it is so well written. I am a homeschooler who is using IEW to teach my children to write and this book is loaded with "dress-ups". All that aside, the story line is captivating, the characters are memorable, and there are lessons to be learned here that will last a lifetime.

One of the best books ever written.......2005-10-02

THIS REVIEW IS ONLY ABOUT THE ORIGINAL VERSION, NOT THE MODERN REWRITE!!!

When I first read this book (at around 9), I loved it because of the main character, Mary. She was described as "disagreeable," but I liked her -- and I was disappointed when she changed from her "contrary" self into a nice little girl. I also loved the other characters (especially Martha, the "sturdy" housemaid and the "robin who showed the way" and Ben Weatherstaff), and the descriptions.

For example, Mary explores Miselthwaite Manor on a rainy day; she's heard that the house has over a hundred rooms-- and the book is so vividly written that all these years later, I can still remember her playing with a set of ivory elephants, finding a mouse and her young family in a sofa....Other vivid small moments are the maid talking about the moors and opening the windows which made me long to go to Yorkshire and breathe in the moor air. THe story itself is quite suspenseful and I loved that, too.

Now that I'm grown up, I still love all those things, but I understand why Mary had to change (though I still wish she hadn't!). Now, parts of the book (like her reaction to the flowers starting to grow in the garden) make me cry -- they're touching and Mary is too. I appreciate the descriptions and characters and plotting even more than I did as a child and agree that this is probably the best children's book ever written -- and one of the best books ever written, too.

It inspired me as a writer. I am the author of BLOW OUT THE MOON, which is also about a contrary child (but an American) who transforms herself as a result of kind-hearted English people in the English countryside. I didn't copy THE SECRET GARDEN, but the English boarding school I went to as a child (which is the subject of Blow Out the Moon) did remind me of that book!

Secret Garden.......2004-12-01

This is a classic book about a girl, Mary, who is forced to go to her uncle's mysterious mansion to live. But when a boy is discovered in a secret passage, Mary gets suspicious, and a little scared.
All that suspicion is gone when the mean gardener tells her the story of a secret garden. Of course, her curiosity gets the better of her and she goes to find it, that is, with the help of her new birdie friend. The two of them embark on a journey that will change their lives.
Every night when I read this book, I could not put it down because it was so good! When you think the problems are over, another one joins in. I enjoyed reading this book, and I hope you do too!

-6th Grade Student-

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Linnea in Monet's Garden (Linnea Books)
Cristina Bjork
Manufacturer: R & S Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 9129583144

Book Description

Linnea has visited Claude Monet's garden! In Paris, she got to see many of his actual paintings. Now she understands what it means for a painter to be called an Impressionist. This innovative art book for children contains full-color photos of many of Monet's famous paintings.

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Dr. Dolittle's Garden
Hugh Lofting
Manufacturer: Yearling
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0440401038
Release Date: 1988-10-01

A Childs Garden: Enchanting Outdoor Spaces for Children and Parents

Average customer rating:

don't choose norway maple
What a Wonderful and Enchanting book!!
Enchantingly possible!
A wonderful book for parents and gardeners
A delightful way for parents to connect with their children

A Childs Garden: Enchanting Outdoor Spaces for Children and Parents
Molly Dannenmaier
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Health o Meter HDC100-01 "Grow with Me" Teddy Bear Scale for Babies and Toddlers

ASIN: 0684837250

Amazon.com

A Child's Garden is an excellent guide for parents wishing to create natural spaces in the garden where their children can openly play and explore. Stepping beyond the traditional ideas of building a treehouse or planting a vegetable garden, the authors include 60 unique ways to tailor a landscape to nurture a child's sense of enchantment and wonder. For instance, many children like to hide, and the book includes ideas for building natural caves out of woven willow branches, climbing vines, or weeping shrubs. For parents wanting to plant a good tree for climbing, this guide knowledgeably recommends the fast-growing and sturdy Norway maple as one of the best. It's filled with such information throughout its nine sections on water, creatures, refuges, dirt, heights, movement, make-believe, nurturing, and learning. Messages on safety are wisely included, along with an excellent list of resources covering everything from buying butterfly houses to visiting selected children's gardens. Through its many color photographs and warm, wise text, A Child's Garden will draw parents into their children's timeless, carefree world and perhaps back to a time when they themselves explored streams, played in the sand, studied bugs, and roamed without agenda. --Karen Karleski

Customer Reviews:

don't choose norway maple.......2007-01-12

I have not read this book, but was disturbed to read, in the description of the book, the suggestion to plant norway maple as a climbing tree for your child. Norway maple is an invasive species in northern forest zones, and is threatening habitat for sugar maple, an important tree for wildlife, tourism, maple sugaring, history, and the regional economics that accompany those. Norway maple became very popular in urban areas for its pollution tolerance. It should not be planted anywhere near natural habitat for sugar maples. American beech is an excellent choice for a hardwood tree with good climbing branches, and delicious nuts. All hardwoods grow much more slowly than softwoods. There's nothing wrong with climbing a white pine tree. And try swinging on birches.

What a Wonderful and Enchanting book!!.......2001-04-30

Our whole family has enjoyed reading this book to get ideas for our Sunflower/Fairy Garden!! Every section offers wonderful ideas that we would never have thought of to add...What Fun our Magical Garden will be thanks to, A Child's Garden : Enchanting Outdoor Spaces for Children and Parents! One section offers the idea of planting different berries around the yard so the children can snack as they play! I have given this book to our landscaper to see what ideas he has for adding water to the garden...Already he has suggested using a water pump to circulate water in order to make a small trickling brook for our boys to sail their boats on! I also got the idea to make a willow archway that will be child size for the children to cimb through! We are so very excited to spend this summer creating and adding to our Enchanted Fairy Garden!

Enchantingly possible!.......2001-02-27

Every page of this book has full color photos from some of the most incredible gardens for children I have ever seen, from the large elaborate planned spaces of botanical gardens, to small modest spaces that will fit any space or budget. While this is not a heavy-duty "how to" book, it is a book of ideas--and we all know that ideas lead to other ideas! The cover of this book alone is inspiring!

The author asks, "How important are the old childhood pleasures of collecting seed pods, fishing in ditches, making bowers, picking flowers, and climbing trees?...long hours of unstructured outdoor exploration are a fast-vanishing aspect of contemporary childhood." She continues, "...the environment [on her uncle's farm] was so complex--full of smells, varied land forms, and mesmerizing creatures. I remember a scooped out pond surrounded by mud in which pigs, geese and ducks joyously wallowed. The strange pungency of the air, the frighteningly gigantic hogs, the mysterious, billowy grasses...still fill my senses." The author talks at great length about the psychology of nature, and of German educational reforms of the early 20th century (but only the good ones ). Each page has a line fron a Robert Louis Stevenson poem, for "...you may see, if you will look Through the windows of this book, Another child far away, And in another garden play."

The book includes suggestions for water gardens, sensory gardens, vegetable gardens, themed gardens, natural sand boxes, mazes, and attracting wildlife, plus many resources for strange seeds, odd plants, and landscape designers in varied areas of the US and the UK, all geared towards making a child's space a natural one.

BTW, when I bought the book, my kids grabbed it from me immediately. They love to look at the gardens and plan ours. Oh, and there are two black and whilte photos in the book: One is of children during WWI, tending a large city garden; the other is a 1940's style playground, with the steel and concrete structures that many of us recall from childhood. My 4yo playground-lover looked at both, and declared that he'd rather explore the garden.

A wonderful book for parents and gardeners.......1998-12-15

This book is exactly what I was searching for. I love to garden, but I also need to accommodate my two rambunctious children and a variety of pets. This book has page after page of creative ideas, safety considerations, examples, and plenty of photos. The author is clear, interesting, and very informative about both gardening and childhood development.

A delightful way for parents to connect with their children.......1998-09-27

This beautifully illustrated book looks at gardens with the delight of a child from the perspective of a mother who loves her children and her community. Ms. Dannenmaier shows us how to get more out of the natural world, no matter our age or environment. She shows parents how to connect with their children in the garden, particularly urban spaces. This is a great gift book.

Average customer rating:

Mrs. Spitzer's Garden
GREAT teacher gift
Superb!

Mrs. Spitzer's Garden: [Gift Edition]
Edith Pattou
Manufacturer: Harcourt Children's Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0152058028

Book Description

Mrs. Spitzer is a wise teacher who knows many things. She knows about gardens. She knows about children. She knows how similar they are. And how they will flourish if tended lovingly.

There are many remarkable teachers like Mrs. Spitzer in the world. Available for the first time in an intimate gift edition, here is a book to celebrate all that they do, year after year, to help our children grow and blossom.

Customer Reviews:

Mrs. Spitzer's Garden.......2007-09-22

Beautiful book with a beautiful message. It gets to the heart of teaching. Since we're studying plants in my class at the beginning of the year, I used it to tie in the comparison of "tending plants" and "tending young minds."

GREAT teacher gift.......2007-06-08

I gave this book to my daughter's kindergarten teacher. She loved it. I had all the kids sign their name in the book. It's small enough to be displayed if desired.

Superb!.......2007-05-20

This is a "must have" for all teachers. Any teacher would love to end (or begin) the year with this wonderful gift. The author draws a perfect analogy between the care of a garden and the children put in her charge for a year. I LOVE IT!

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