The Year of the Garden

February 15, 2017
In this prequel to The Year of the Book (2012), Chinese-American Anna Wang explains how she met her friend Laura.After moving to a new Cincinnati neighborhood, 8-year-old Anna doesn't have friends nearby or activities to occupy her. When she's given The Secret Garden and some seeds, Anna thinks about making her own garden. Laura, a white girl also new to the neighborhood, introduces herself, and the girls discover they will both be starting third grade at the same school. Anna suggests they make a garden in her yard, and they begin clearing. Apprehensive about attending a new school, Anna's pleased Laura's in her class but declines Laura's invitation to join the soccer team. Soon gregarious Laura's too preoccupied with soccer to spend time with quiet Anna, who works alone on her garden, but when Anna finds a baby rabbit in the snow, she turns to Laura for help. By spring, their friendship and Anna's garden blossom. Anna's reserved, first-person, present-tense narration reveals her concerns about fitting in. Telling details, as when Laura asks if Anna's just moved from a "slum," give readers a sense of Anna's socio-economic milieu. The parallels she draws between The Secret Garden and her experiences with Laura and the garden add depth to this thoughtful chronicle of adjustment. Delicate spot art highlights key elements. A gentle, feel-good story about the transforming power of friendship and gardening. (Chinese pronunciation guide) (Fiction. 6-9)

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May 1, 2017

Gr 2-5-In this satisfying prequel to The Year of the Book, Anna and her family have moved from an apartment to a house, meaning she will begin third grade at a new school. Before long, she meets Laura, also new to the neighborhood and eager to make new friends. The seeds of their tumultuous friendship are sown as they work together on a vegetable garden in Anna's backyard, inspired by Frances Hodgson Burnett's The Secret Garden. Readers will greatly enjoy seeing familiar characters appear in this book. Anna's mother is still working to improve her English, and family friend Mrs. Shepherd (deceased at the beginning of The Year of the Book) gives Anna seeds, tools, and advice for working in the garden. From a class lesson on recycling to the rescue of an orphaned rabbit, themes of renewal and "the circle of life" are woven throughout. Barton's wispy illustrations, as always, echo Anna's sensitive nature and understanding of the world around her. VERDICT Appealing both to transitional and fluent readers, this thoughtful prequel offers further insights into Anna's world for those returning to it, while creating a compelling story for those just discovering it.-Katherine Barr, Cameron Village Regional Library, Raleigh, NC

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