Shannon Saia sent me copies of three books in the series, Gertie in the Garden, aimed at kids ages 6-9. Here’s one:
The other two are Going Offbeet and Making Peas (puns intentional).
She asked if I would blurb the series. Once I read them, I was happy to:
The Gertie in the Garden series is so engaging that kids will catch on right away to why growing vegetables and even playing with them will encourage kids to view healthy foods as helping them negotiate their way in the world.
Kids will love these books (and parents will too).
I have to admit to not liking most books aimed at getting kids to like vegetables. But I liked these a lot. For one thing, they are focused on Gertie’s struggles to figure out how to get along with others (not easy, in her case), and her social awkwardness feels real—and fixable.
For another, learning how to garden with her grandmother is a relief from those struggles and integrated into her life in a way that again seems authentic.
I think it would be fun to read these to young kids not yet ready to read them on their own. And the stories raise plenty of issues to talk about as well as offering practical advice about how to grow these vegetables.
Shannon tells me these are available in the usual way through bookstores and online.
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