The Year of the Garden

By Andrea Cheng and Patrice Barton

A third-grader finds room to grow in a gentle, feel-good story about the transforming power of friendship and gardening” (Kirkus Reviews).
 
When Anna Wang is gifted a copy of The Secret Garden, it inspires her to follow her dreams—maybe she can plant ivy and purple crocuses and the birds will come. It’s the perfect time for growth and change, especially since Anna’s family has moved out of their apartment into a house in Cincinnati, and Anna is starting at a new school. But something else that grows from her dream of a garden is even better: friendship. And friendship, like a garden, often has a mind of its own . . .
 
In this prequel to The Year of the Book, join Anna in a year of discovery, new beginnings, friendships, and growth.
 
“From a class lesson on recycling to the rescue of an orphaned rabbit, themes of renewal and ‘the circle of life’ are woven throughout.” —School Library Journal

• Language: English
• Publisher: Open Road Integrated Media
• Release date: Apr 11, 2017
• ISBN: 9781328698872

Andrea Cheng

Andrea Cheng is the author of several children’s books, including the acclaimed middle-grade Anna Wang series critics call "gentle," "accessible," and "just right." Though she passed away in 2015, her books will continue to inspire readers. Visit her website at andreacheng.com.

Book preview

Copyright © 2017 by Andrea Cheng

Illustrations copyright © 2017 by Patrice Barton

All rights reserved. For information about permission to reproduce selections from this book, write to [e-mail] or to Permissions, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company, 3 Park Avenue, 19th Floor, New York, New York 10016.

hmhbooks.com

The Library of Congress has cataloged the print edition as follows:

Names: Cheng, Andrea, author. | Barton, Patrice, 1955– illustrator.

Title: The year of the garden / Andrea Cheng with illustrations by Patrice Barton.

Description: Boston ; New York : Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, [2017] | Series: An Anna Wang novel ; 5 | Summary: Follows perceptive, astute Anna as she strives to grow a perfect garden—only to realize that the garden she grows with her new friend is more than good enough, weeds and all. —Provided by publisher.

Identifiers: LCCN 2016001791 | ISBN 9780544664449

Subjects: LCSH: Chinese Americans—Juvenile fiction. | CYAC: Chinese Americans—Fiction. | Friendship—Fiction. | Gardening—Fiction. | Moving, Household—Fiction.

Classification: LCC PZ7.C41943 Yi 2017 | DDC [Fic]—dc23 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2016001791

eISBN 978-1-328-69887-2

v2.0621

To Lena

—A.C

To Natalie and Jeorgia

—P.B

Pronunciation Guide

Happy New Year – Xin nian kuai le (shin nien kwai le)

Red Envelope – Hong bao (hong bow)

Dumpling – bao zi (bow dse)

Thank you – xie xie (shieh shieh)

You’re welcome – bu xie (boo shieh)

Chapter One

Seeds

Every Saturday morning, Mom cleans the Shepherds’ house. My brother, Ken, and I usually go with her.

How do you like your new home? Mrs. Shepherd asks as soon as Mom opens the door.

Very good, Mom says, taking her bucket to the kitchen sink and turning on the water. So much space for kids.

Let me know if there’s anything you need. We have lots of things stored in the basement. Mrs. Shepherd turns to my brother and me. Just yesterday I was cleaning out the closet, and I set aside a few things for you.

We follow Mrs. Shepherd into the bedroom, and I notice that one of her legs is dragging. She holds on to the doorframe to keep her balance, then sits down in the armchair. Next to it is a cardboard box with a big envelope on top. Whenever you get mail, it has a mark from the place it originated. Mr. Shepherd and I feel like we traveled the world with this postmark collection.

Don’t you want to keep it? Ken asks.

There comes a time when a person gets tired of traveling. Mrs. Shepherd hands Ken the envelope, then looks up at me. And, Anna, here are some of the books and magazines I read when I was a girl. I figured, what good are they gathering dust on a shelf? Mrs. Shepherd stops for a minute to catch her breath. This one was my favorite. She hands me a thick book with a red cover called The Secret Garden. I think this book is the reason I turned into a gardener. Mrs. Shepherd leans back in her chair. And it’s probably the reason I turned into a reader, too. Now you kids make yourself at home while I rest a bit.

Ken and I spend the afternoon matching the postmarks to a map of the United States that was folded up in the envelope. Then Mr. Shepherd sets out a bowl of pretzels and a pitcher of lemonade.

Come join us for a snack, Mary, he says. But Mom isn’t done dusting the living room. Your mother is a real treasure, Mr. Shepherd says. And you kids, too.

Ken stacks a bunch of pretzels on his finger and eats them one at a time, dropping crumbs all over the table. I glare at him, but he keeps on nibbling.

Never mind. Mr. Shepherd sweeps the crumbs into his hand and rolls his wheelchair over to the door so he can throw them into the backyard. Better than bird seed. He points to a tree. See that? A yellow finch just waiting for a snack.

When Mom says it’s time to go, Mrs. Shepherd comes out of the bedroom holding a small paper bag. I have one more thing for you, Anna. I harvested the seeds from our garden, and I thought maybe in your new house you’d have someplace to plant them.

Don’t you want to plant them here? I ask. In your garden?

Mrs. Shepherd looks out the back window. You know, Anna, my gardening days are over. I follow her gaze to the flowerbed. Most of the plants are brown and dry, but there are still some

Reviews for The Year of the Garden

[donnamariemerritt · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Cute! Perfect for grades 3 to 5. It's a sweet story about moving, making new friends, adjustments, helping the elderly, compromises, culture, caring for animals, and, of course, gardening.

[carlathelibrarian · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Anna Wang is an 8 year old girl who moved to a new house with her parents and her brother Ken. She is worried about friends and school. When she is given a gift of seeds and the book The Secret Garden, she decides that she will make a garden in the backyard. It is easier said than done. As she sits under a honeysuckle bush reading her book, Laura, another new girl to the neighbourhood, pops in. They become great friends and even end up in the same class. They are not interested in the same things and Anna is worried that their friendship won't last. When they find a baby bunny under the bushes, they are worried it will die overnight in the cold. With the help of Laura's aunt they are able to nurse it and keep it healthy. Read about Anna and Laura and how friendship can survive the odds or other friends and interests. There is some discussion of the cultural differences such as food and difficulty with the language, but it is not a major part of the story. A quick read for young readers. I like the mention of other books in this story as it should peak the interest in those books as well for the reader. A good addition to a late primary, early junior classroom or home library. The publisher generously provided me with a copy of this book via Netgalley.