I have a thing for pumpkins. Orange is my favourite colour and I love all foods made of pumpkin. But when this book came across my desk, I was a little skeptical. I am one of the people who tried to read Squashed but couldn't. I know that the age group is different, but I was worried. My worries were unfounded, however. This is a sweet little story.
Mildred isn't like other girls. She isn't all excited about fashion and movie stars. She wears jeans and tees from the discount store and is quite happy with that. Her mom died a few years back, and Mildred and her vet dad are doing the best they can.
What Mildred loves is pumpkins. And giant pumpkins at that. For the past few years she has been trying to grow one that is big enough to show at the Circleville Pumpkin Show, but so far it hasn't happened. Mildred's dad doesn't have a problem with her tomboy ways and penchant for pumpkins. But Aunt Arlene? She's another story.
Aunt Arlene doesn't think that Mildred should be "wasting" all her time on her hobby. She should be hanging out with other girls her age, shopping at the mall and things like that.
What Aunt Arlene doesn't know, however, is that Mildred's mom used to want to grow a big pumpkin for the Pumpkin Show. Mildred is only trying to honour her mother's memory. How can she ever explain that when she can't even say it to herself?
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This is a sweet family story. Mildred is coming into her own and standing up for herself. She knows the importance of family and is trying to show everyone that there are different ways to honour someone's memory.
This title will likely appeal to tween girls who love animals and who do not necessarily follow the crowd. Mildred is not a loner by anymeans. She has a best friend and gets along easily with others, it just seems like sometimes other folks don't understand her.
4/5
Mildred isn't like other girls. She isn't all excited about fashion and movie stars. She wears jeans and tees from the discount store and is quite happy with that. Her mom died a few years back, and Mildred and her vet dad are doing the best they can.
What Mildred loves is pumpkins. And giant pumpkins at that. For the past few years she has been trying to grow one that is big enough to show at the Circleville Pumpkin Show, but so far it hasn't happened. Mildred's dad doesn't have a problem with her tomboy ways and penchant for pumpkins. But Aunt Arlene? She's another story.
Aunt Arlene doesn't think that Mildred should be "wasting" all her time on her hobby. She should be hanging out with other girls her age, shopping at the mall and things like that.
What Aunt Arlene doesn't know, however, is that Mildred's mom used to want to grow a big pumpkin for the Pumpkin Show. Mildred is only trying to honour her mother's memory. How can she ever explain that when she can't even say it to herself?
***********************
This is a sweet family story. Mildred is coming into her own and standing up for herself. She knows the importance of family and is trying to show everyone that there are different ways to honour someone's memory.
This title will likely appeal to tween girls who love animals and who do not necessarily follow the crowd. Mildred is not a loner by anymeans. She has a best friend and gets along easily with others, it just seems like sometimes other folks don't understand her.
4/5
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