I'd like to get the kids in our school thinking about our Learning Garden. What I would like to do is read picture books and selections from books for older kids. Here's what I have thought of so far: Peter Rabbit, the Legend of the Indian Paintbrush and the Texas Bluebonnet, Mrs. Rumphias, Jack in the Beanstalk, Frog and Toad Together, THe Carrot Seed, Rosie's Garden, Johnny Appleseed, and for older kids probably the locust story and the saving the seed wheat story from the Little House books. Any other suggestions?

"The Magic Hill" by AA Milne is a short read aloud story found in A Gallery of Children. Fairy Mumruffin is godmother to an infant princess named Daffodil and, as a christening gift, decrees that wherever the child walks flowers will grow. The child grows up hearing other children commanded to stay on the paths of the garden so as not to ruin the flower beds, while she herself is told always to walk only on the beds, so as to keep the flowers growing where they belong.

The Reason for a Flower by Ruth Heller is not actually fiction but is beautifully, brightly, graphically illustrarted and so poetically sparing of words that it cannot help but stir your imagination as much as any fiction. It is a favorite of mine for personal reasons, too. Once, my two year old and I were visiting with a friend, who is a philosopher, when my son asked, "What is the purpose of a flower?" I launched off into a scientific lecture about reproduction. My friend brought the discussion to a whole other level by asking the obvious, which I had somehow momentarily forgotten: "Why can't we say that beauty is the purpose of a flower?" Anyhow, this book provides both answers (and others) to the question.

A book at the 4rth grade reading level that might be fun is The Fairy Rebel, by Lynn Reid Banks (better known for The Indian in the Cupboard). This is a good book for anyone thinking of making a miniature "fairy garden." Despite having fairies, elves, and gnomes, the story is not very sappy. It is about a girl child who was been conceived with the help of a garden fairy. Roses are particularly featured, and most of the action takes place in the family's backyard garden.

Rabbit Hill by Robert Lawson takes place around a garden. You will remember it is about a community of Rabbits. This is a 4rth grade reading level, too I'd say. It is admirably written.

Dandelion by Ladislov Svatos. Well, here I am trying to seak another non-fiction one in on you. But do consider it since it is another of those beautiful, poetic picture books. It features linoleum-cut prints colored only in yellow and green with black as the linoleum ink. The books focusses on a single dandelion, giving up close views of the flower and seed. This book should remind us that dandelions are an excellent plant for a child's garden: They are beautiful to the eye if no one has previously convinced you that they are obnoxious lawn weeds that ought to be eradicated. And they can go from bud to seed all in one day! What other flower can a child see that in? (Just don't mention that those seeds are likely formed by "apomixis" if you are teaching about pollen and pistils.)

There is The Garden of Abdul Gasazi. I've got to admit, I can't remember what this one was about, but I know a lot of people think very highly of Chris Van Allsburg's books. And it did have wonderful soft pencil or charcoal illustrations. If your kid's are appreciative of "spooky" stuff, this might be a book to offer. I do remember it had kind of a menacing, scary feel to it. It is probably third grade level.

It seems to me that William Steig probably has some books with garden settings, but I can't think of any off hand. He is such a good and non-condescending writer with strong values and homey, cheerful illustrations. You might want to look for something by him.

There is The Ox Cart Man by Donald Hall. This picture book (Caldecott winner) tells the story of a year in the life of a rural family in New England in the 1800's. It shows in a simple but strong way how the crops and handicrafts and farm animals are essential to a family's survival and economic betterment. Well, that sounds awfully dry, doesn't it? It just makes clear the cycle of a simple life. The poignancy adults see in this book probaby goes right over the heads of most kids, who will instead see the ingenuity and humble self-reliance of the family in the book.

Down, Down, the Mountain is a great, great book whose author I can't remember. It is about a very poor brother and sister in Appalachia who really wish they had some shoes. So all of their own accord, they terrace a hill side, plant turnips as a cash crop, haul water in buckets, and finally sack up their crop in a gunnysack to sling over their mule's back to carry it down the mountain into town.

There is another book featuring turnips--The Turnip it is called. Again, I can't recall the author. It is a picture book. It retells a Russian folktale that is sort of a stone-soup or loaves and fishes type story--you know, there is always enough food to share with everyone if you only have the courage to let go of your own selfishness.

For older kids, there is the true story, The Man Who Planted Hope and Grew Happiness by Jean Giono. This can be found in "Vogue" March 15, 1954. Sorry for the odd reference, but I only have the story as published in a pamphlet in 1981 by a very small press in Maine. The story is of a man in the southeast of France, Province who single-handedly reforested his locale by planting one acorn at a time. The effects on the land were of largescale ecological effect. When you read this story, you will think of Johnny Appleseed, but be much much more satisfied and inspired, since this Elzeard Bouffier was real flesh and blood, not the sweet figment of someone's wishful imagination. I first read this story in 1982--it so impressed me that I remember the year and the circumstances and I will never forget it. It is even worth going to the microfilm at the library to dig up this story! (But contact me if you want to see it and cannot find it.)

Now, Theresa, what ages are your children? Is this a kindergarten through eighth school?

What else does any one recommend? I'm sure there are lots of good ones out there. Is anyne familiar with the Linnea books? (I've never even skimmed through one.)

Theresa tells me by e-mail that she is looking for books to be read to kindergarten through 5th grade.

Here's another one, Georgia Music by Helen V. Griffith. A city girl spends the summer gardening with her grandfather and getting to know him and the sounds of nature. The following summer, the grandfather must move in with his grandaughter as he has become weak and ill. Granddaughter learns to toot out noises and tunes on his harmonica--sounds that remind him of the "music" they'd heard together in the garden and evenings on the porch in his old shack in Georgia. This is a picure book as well. The illustrator is James Stevenson, who I think wrote and illustrated the "Monty" books and maybe A Million Chameleons and Stop! Don't Turn the Page!. It is a similar style, anyhow --almost crude pen-and-ink drawings colored with imprecise watercolors.

Another wonderful book more about ecology than gardening is the Man Who Planted Trees. There is a wonderful vidio of it I have been trying in vain to find.

Also OLD books. Jean Stratton Porter's books from the 20's. My favorite even though it is hard to find is Keeper of the Bees. The Harvester is another wonderful one.

Oh, what good info! Here's just one more:
The Story of the Root Children by Sibylle von Olfers, Floris Books. The seasons changing as seen through the eyes of the "root children," beautiful illustrations.
Anthroposophical Press has many books on nature and children.
Clare, don't underestimate the power of the fairies! I don't know where our garden would be without them. :)

Thanks for all the suggestions - keep them coming! For others of you who are interested in the subject - here's an obvious one I forgot about: The Secret Garden.

This isn't necessarily gardening but... I recently aquired a book entitled "Tales from the Plant Kingdom" that was put together by Candace Miller, a professional storyteller. It is a reference collection of over 160 legends and Pourquoi Stories about the Creation, Characteristics and naming of plants. It is published by Pourquoi Press 439 S. Cole St., Lima Ohio (419) 227-2516 She also has other collections on creatures and one other (can't remember the theme).

Re: gardening fiction -- for older kids -- the landscape descriptions in Jane Austen are excellent.

The Linnea books are great too -- lots of kid friendly growing experiments are embedded into the writing.

And, for younger children, maybe Pooh stories (Rabbit does garden after all) and the Christopher Robin poems have plant poems too (Geraniums Red and Delphiniums blue....)

I FOUND THE VIDEO. For some reason I had not thought to look on the web. After I posted about the Man Who Planted Trees I checked it out and found it at Amazon.com. Well that brings my school out of pocket expenses up to nearly $100 for the year already. Thats about par for the course.
Another great book (not fiction) is about plant reproductive stratigies. It is Wiley Violets and Underground Orchids. The authors name escapes me right now but is wonderful. Anyone who reads SF I can think of two good older books on this theme that can probably be found at used book stores.One is John Boyd's Pollinators of Eden (What does a sentient plant do about pollinators?). The other is more recient and is Janet Kagen's Miribel. Both are pretty good reads.

WHY ISN"T MY COMPUTER POSTING THIS WITH MY PARAGRAPHS????

Are you hitting the enter key twice? Put in (P) only use the <> keys instead of parathesis, if all else fails. Books: Mrs. Rose's Garden, The Green Truck Garden Give-away, etc

Here are some links:http://users.neca.com/semnet/childrensbooks.htm

http://www.family.com/Features/family_1997_06/kidv/kidv67beat/kidv67beat.html

http://www.wowpages.com/nga/edu/lit12.htm

http://users.neca.com/semnet/gardenbooks.htm

http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/kinder/coolbks.html

http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Hills/9659/books.html

Not all the books are fiction, but they are mixed in among the others.

We loved Georgia Music. BUT I found The Man Who Planted Trees at the library, and well, wel were all wowed.
The children (8 & almost 11), my husband, and I all had tingles and I'm even recording it for some friends and family.
This is a great exchange of ideas and makes going to the library even more fun---thanks all keep 'em coming!

You might want to read "The Seed People." Great story for older children. May want to proof read before you read it. There are some portions I choose to reword for upper elementary students.

The Man Who Planted Trees, is a excellant story about a man who reclaimed land that was wrecked by war . He Planted a trees everyday until his death and created acres and acres of forest.

Here is a link that might be useful: Gone Away Lake

Here is a link that might be useful: Review