GROWING FOOD IN THE GARDEN

Inspired by eating fresh produce from the farmers market, a young boy learns about a few of the scientific concepts behind gardening.

Daniel visits the farmers market with his mom and learns about the importance of pollinators. On the way home, Daniel notices that a new community garden has opened. He convinces his brother, Cory, that growing their own food would be delicious and fun. At school, Daniel learns about photosynthesis and transpiration. At home, he and Cory try a few simple experiments suggested by Daniel’s teacher. Finally, the boys and their mom begin volunteering at the community garden. Their hard work culminates in a produce-fueled fall potluck for the community—including some pollinators. The third title in the Science Makes It Work series leaves much to be desired as a classroom introduction to plants and gardening. Exploration of scientific terms is shallow, and brightly colored but static illustrations do little to provide visual context. The serviceable narrative fails to inspire curiosity. Though the featured science experiments demonstrate the scientific concepts, readers must look elsewhere to find step-by-step instructions. Daniel and his family are depicted with light skin and straight dark brown hair. Background characters are racially diverse; one character uses a wheelchair.(This book was reviewed digitally.)

Scientific engagement fails to bloom in this garden-variety classroom title.