The Year of the Garden

A third-grader finds room to grow in a gentle, feel-good story about the transforming power of friendship and gardening” (Kirkus Reviews). When Anna Wang is gifted a copy of The Secret Garden, it inspires her to follow her dreams—maybe she can plant ivy and purple crocuses and the birds will come. It’s the perfect time for growth and change, especially since Anna’s family has moved out of their apartment into a house in Cincinnati, and Anna is starting at a new school. But something else that grows from her dream of a garden is even better: friendship. And friendship, like a garden, often has a mind of its own . . . In this prequel to The Year of the Book, join Anna in a year of discovery, new beginnings, friendships, and growth. “From a class lesson on recycling to the rescue of an orphaned rabbit, themes of renewal and ‘the circle of life’ are woven throughout.” —School Library Journal