Grow: A Family Guide to Growing Fruit and Veg
A Family Guide Series
on Goodreads (12)
What’s inside...
In 'Grow', Ben Raskin provides a comprehensive guide to edible gardening for families. This book covers the entire life cycle of food, from seed sowing to harvesting, and offers fun activities like planting pizza toppings and becoming runner bean rivals. It includes interactive elements such as stickers, a runner-bean measuring chart, a fruit pairs game, and a rainbow taste wheel to make gardening an enjoyable and educational experience for the whole family.
Series reading
Non-Sequential
Age
5-12
Length
48 pages
Text complexity
Discussion points
What type of fruit or vegetable would you like to try growing, and why?
How do you think plants benefit from the sun and water?
Can you describe how you felt when you saw the illustrations of the garden in the book?
What are some ways we could use the fruits and vegetables from our garden?
If you could create your own garden, what would it look like and what would you include in it?
Tip: Role play these questions
Encourage your child to relate the book to their personal experiences, such as times they've helped in a garden or eaten home-grown produce.
Use the illustrations in the book to spark discussions about different types of plants and gardening techniques.
While discussing the book, involve sensory experiences like touching soil, seeds, or even tasting fruits and vegetables if possible to make the reading experience more tangible.
Suggest creating a simple garden plan or drawing as a post-reading activity to help your child visualize and apply what they've learned from the book.
Ask your child to explain what they learned in their own words, enhancing their understanding and retention of the book’s content.
Key lessons
Example Lesson: Responsibility
Explanation: Children learn about the responsibilities involved in caring for plants, such as watering, weeding, and protecting them from pests.
Real-World Application: This lesson can be applied to a child’s everyday life by encouraging them to take care of a household plant or a small garden, teaching them the importance of regular care and attention.
Example Lesson: Patience
Explanation: The book illustrates the time and patience required from planting seeds to seeing the first sprouts and eventually harvesting fruit and vegetables.
Real-World Application: Children can learn to apply patience in their own lives by understanding that some things, like growing food or acquiring a new skill, require time and cannot be rushed.
Example Lesson: Healthy Eating
Explanation: Through engaging gardening activities, the book teaches children about where food comes from and the benefits of eating fresh fruit and vegetables.
Real-World Application: This knowledge can lead to healthier eating habits as children are more likely to eat foods they have grown themselves or understand the origin of.
Example Lesson: Environmental Awareness
Explanation: The story emphasizes the importance of sustainable practices in gardening, such as composting and using natural pest deterrents.
Real-World Application: Children can be encouraged to apply these environmentally friendly practices at home and develop an appreciation for sustaining the planet.
Example Lesson: Family Bonding
Explanation: The book promotes gardening as a family activity that can strengthen relationships through shared goals and achievements.
Real-World Application: Families can set aside time to garden together, using this as a bonding activity and an opportunity to teach children about teamwork and cooperation.