Every year my father and I plant a garden. Tomatoes, peppers, onions, marigolds, and zinnias grow in neat, straight rows. We pull the weeds that pop up, and we water, mulch, and tend it all through the summer - cutting the flowers to make bouquets for the kitchen table or to give to Mrs. Murowski, our neighbor who broke her hip last winter and has to walk with a cane.
And every spring my father tells me about Mr. Bellavista and the summer my father was ten.
Awards
Christopher Award
Paterson Prize for Yound People
National Parenting Publications Honor Award
Teachers' Choices - International Reading Association
Teachers' Choice Award - Learning magazine
"Growing a garden is fact and metaphor in this profoundly moving cross-generational story with a neighborhood drama that children will relate to and exquisite watercolors that celebrate renewal and connection." - Booklist, starred review
"A careless, destructive act leads to lifelong friendship and a family tradition in this moving stunningly illustrated story." - Kirkus Reviews, pointer review
"[A] serious and thoughtful examination of childhood blunders." - Instructor
"Vibrant, meticulous watercolors accompany this moving story." - American Bookseller's "Pick of the Lists"
ISBN 978-1-56397-829-6