Eat, Read, and Be Mommy

I just finished The Year of the Garden, which is set before Andrea Cheng’s other Anna Wang books, and I was glancing at the back cover before closing it when “she passed away in 2015” caught my eye.  How sad is that?  Her “Year of…” series handles difficult topics with sweetness, grace, and honesty; both of my older girls have enjoyed it with me.  This latest was actually published posthumously, which makes it one of the two finished manuscripts she left behind (according to her website).  It’s unclear whether the other is out yet, so I’m still hoping!  In the meantime, I’ll be passing Year of the Garden on to my 7-year-old.  (Incidentally, she’ll be over the moon–the plot features a baby bunny.)  In it we see Anna adjusting to her family’s move from an apartment complex to a house.  What she learns about friendship–and gardening!–are valuable lessons for any elementary schooler, so make sure your kiddoes don’t miss this one.