~ MMGM S.T.E.A.M. FEATURE 'NITTY-GRITTY GARDENING BOOK' ~

~ MARVELOUS MIDDLE-GRADE
MONDAY S.T.E.A.M. FEATURE ~

--  'THE NITTY-GRITTY GARDENING BOOK:

FUN PROJECTS FOR ALL SEASONS'  --

AUTHOR KARI CORNELL
PHOTOGRAPHS BY:  JENNIFER S. LARSON

LEARN MORE ON GOODREADS

ABOUT THE BOOK {from Goodreads}:
Grow your own fruits, vegetables, and flowers! Become a gardener in any season with these fun and easy projects. You don't even need a garden space--many of these activities can be done by planting in containers to set on a porch or a patio or even in a window. Try your hand at growing potatoes and strawberries. Plant bright flowers that attract butterflies, birds, and bees. Learn how to get daffodils to bloom in the winter! You can even make your own compost. Colorful photographs and simple step-by-step drawings make each project easy to follow for gardening success. Ready to get your hands dirty and your garden growing?

MY REVIEW:
This S.T.E.A.M. title for middle-graders features an extensive Introduction including an explanation of why people should garden and an in-depth description of native plants. Under the 'Gardening Basics' section, learners are led through how to evaluate a garden space and how to test soil PH.

Readers are also taught how to map the sunlight in their garden space, figure out their growing zone {a color 'Plant Hardiness Zone Map' of the United States is included}, tips on how best to water and feed plants, and how to deadhead and weed the garden. There are also helpful tips on things to do before a young gardener starts to plant.

This book has excellent gardening projects to work on with children. One of my favorite things about this book is that it has projects for all four seasons. Frequently, we might think of gardening as a springtime activity. This book opens up learners' minds to looking at gardening as a year-round activity.

Use of recycled materials for gardening is recommended throughout the book. The first project in the spring chapter teaches readers how to make newspaper pots for planting seeds. The Grow a Sack of Potatoes project encourages the use of the potting soil bag if a burlap sack is not available.

The photography is colorful and shows children actively making the projects presented. The background about gardening and the text about each project is engaging and interesting. Stepped-out instructions enriched with photos and diagrams are excellent.

One other thing I liked about the book was that readers were consistently instructed to ask an adult for help with certain tools and materials.

I especially liked the following projects: Grow a Sack of Potatoes, Plant a Strawberry Basket, Setting Up a Birdbath, Make a Compost Bin, Create an Herb Window Box, and Build a Terrarium in a Jar.
The author has included valuable information in the back matter, too. A glossary, a list of gardening resources, supply resource list, and index. By my count, this book covers Science, Engineering, the Arts, and Mathematics making it an educational, hands-on, and fun S.T.E.A.M. title for learners of all ages!

Highly-recommended for school classes, scouting and youth groups, families, child care centers, church groups, or neighborhood friends to use to learn about gardening.

I borrowed this book from Children's Section in the local public library.

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COMING UP SOON ON 'READING, WRITING & STITCH-METIC':
-- Wednesday, July 11th: 'Dangerous to Know' Blog Tour. Post includes a Book Spotlight and Excerpt. Tour organized by AJ Publicity.

-- Friday, July 13th: 'Hope of Azure Springs' Blog Tour. Post includes a Book Spotlight, Excerpt, and Giveaway. Tour organized by JustRead Publicity.

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