The Gardener

The Gardener

Stewart, S. (1997). The gardener. New York: Farrar Straus Giroux.

Lydia Grace Finch brings a suitcase full of seeds to the big gray city, where she goes to stay with her Uncle Jim, a baker. There she initiates a gradual transformation, bit by bit brightening the shop and bringing smiles to customers' faces with the flowers she grows. But it is in a secret place that Lydia Grace works on her masterpiece, a rooftop garden, which she hopes will make even Uncle Jim smile. Lydia is a determined young heroine, whose story is told through letters written home. This book takes place during the Great Depression and the smoothly drawn illustrations reflect the time well. 

This book can not only be used with older students to discuss the implication of the Great Depression, but can also be used with younger children. This book can be used to teach younger students letter writing. It provides a clear model for letter format. The illustrations also allow for practice turning pictures to words. Students could be asked to write a letter based on a picture from the book. I like this book a lot because it is a very different format than what we are used to seeing. The letter format introduces an interesting way to sequence a story. 

Here are some potential activities!