Green Thumbs-Up!

Meyeroff kicks off the Friendship Garden series by introducing third-grader Anna Fincher, who gets involved with a community garden after being dismayed by the lack of greenery in her new home of Chicago. Meyerhoff puts Anna’s new-kid loneliness at the center of the story, and a class assignment helps Anna make friends and share her burgeoning love of gardening. Though the story can be overly sweet, readers will finish the book understanding that, like gardens, friendships need tending to thrive. Final art not seen by PW. Simultaneously available: Pumpkin Spice. Ages 7–10. Author’s agent: Jennifer Mattson, Andrea Brown Literary Agency. Illustrator’s agency: Bright Agency. (Aug.)