Ready Set Grow

February 15, 2010
Here's a sampling of books to spark the mind and stir the senses.
Ready Set Grow!
DK
, $12.99 (80p) ISBN 978-0-7566-5887-8

Sunny and energetic spreads feature more than 30 garden project ideas, aimed at getting kids outdoors and in the dirt. Photographs and illustrations teach the basics about plant cultivation—top 10 lists offer tips for growing “quick-to-grow,” and “cool” plants (including a “Tickle-me plant” and “Venus flytrap”). Recycling is a recurring theme (the book suggests planting herbs for sun tea in an old suitcase); many of the garden-related projects tend toward the whimsical (building a floral teepee or creating a fairy circle); and there's a strong emphasis on growing edible plants—everything from microgreeens to kohlrabi. The fun, easy, and green concepts should have readers eagerly awaiting spring. Ages 6–up.

May 1, 2010
Gr 2-5-Each spread is chock-full of bright color photographs and drawings. The text jumps immediately into such gardening considerations as space, time, and sunlight. Group leaders will find numerous suggestions for using recycled materials, such as creating a scarecrow from cans and lids. However, some of the ideas are not well explained, such as using a copper band or water-displacement spray (what is this?) to discourage slugs and snails, and a few projects are too complicated. Some of the plant and flower suggestions will be more familiar to a British audience, but the planter ideas are fun, especially the bowl of cacti with little plastic action figures. The doable activities mostly outweigh the flaws if you need to add to or update this area of your collection."Frances E. Millhouser, formerly at Chantilly Regional Library, Fairfax County, VA"

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