One morning in May on the way to school, Wanda noticed a bush growing in the empty corner lot at Fillmore and Hudson streets. It must have been growing for a while because it was about two feet tall, and Wanda was surprised she hadn't noticed it before. But there it was - bare and thorny- and Wanda, who loved beautiful things, felt her heart beat faster.
"A rosebush!" she said to herself. "My very own rosebush!"
Now, the rosebush didn't really belong to Wanda, but since nobody seemed to own the lot or the heaps of junk that were piled there, she decided she would care for this bush and make it her own.
Awards
Growing Good Kids - Excellence in Children's Literature Book Award Classic
American Bookseller's "Pick of the Lists"
"A magnificent book." - The Natural Resources Defense Council
"This story of one person's faith against all odds and a caring community is told simply with good humor." - School Library Journal
"A sweet story that subtly instills the values of faith and hard work." - Los Angeles Daily News
"Brisson creates a loveable new character whose unwavering optimism transforms a rubbish-ridden vacant lot into a rose garden." - Publishers Weekly
ISBN 978-1-56397-925-5