In Our Garden
What’s inside...
From the New York Times bestselling author of Be Kind comes an uplifting classroom tale about students who create a vegetable garden on their school's rooftop. Millie, who has recently moved to a new city from a place more than an ocean away, misses her family's garden. With an idea to start a garden on the school's flat roof, her teacher and classmates quickly get on board. It takes supplies, hard work, learning, and the whole community coming together to help build the garden. Through patience and time, the garden blooms and helps Millie feel at home in her new city.
Series reading
Non-Sequential
Age
3-7
Length
32 pages
Text complexity
Discussion points
What do you think we would find if we started a garden like in the book?
How do you think the garden helps the animals and insects mentioned in the story?
What would you like to grow in a garden and why?
How do you think taking care of a garden might change how we feel or think?
What are some ways we can take care of our environment, similar to how the garden is cared for in the book?
Tip: Role play these questions
Encourage your child to imagine their own garden, discussing what they would plant and why. Relate the nurturing of a garden in the book to caring for their own belongings or space. Ask them to draw parallels between the book’s themes and their own experiences or surroundings. Help them understand the impact of a healthy environment by discussing the symbiotic relationship between plants, animals, and humans as depicted in the book.
Key lessons
Example Lesson: Cooperation
Explanation: The story illustrates how the diverse characters work together to plant and maintain a garden, showing the importance of teamwork.
Real-World Application: Children can apply this lesson by collaborating with peers in school projects or during play to achieve common goals.
Example Lesson: Responsibility
Explanation: Throughout the book, each character takes on specific tasks to care for the garden, teaching kids the value of taking responsibility for shared spaces.
Real-World Application: This can translate to children taking care of their own belongings, or helping with chores at home, fostering a sense of responsibility.
Example Lesson: Patience
Explanation: As the characters wait for the plants to grow, the story conveys the message that some things take time, highlighting the virtue of patience.
Real-World Application: Children learn to wait for their turn or be patient while mastering a new skill, understanding that not everything yields immediate results.
Example Lesson: Appreciation of Nature
Explanation: Through the interactions with the garden, the book teaches children to appreciate and respect the environment.
Real-World Application: Kids can be encouraged to explore nature, perhaps starting a garden at home or participating in recycling and conservation efforts.