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Where the Watermelons Grow


Publishing Details

Full Title:

Where the Watermelons Grow

Contributors:

By (Author) Cindy Baldwin

ISBN:

9780062665874

Publisher:

HarperCollins Publishers Inc

Imprint:

Quill Tree Books

Publication Date:

15th January 2020

Country:

United States

Classifications

Readership:

Children

Fiction/Non-fiction:

Fiction

Other Subjects:

Childrens / Teenage personal and social topics: Families and family members
Childrens / Teenage personal and social topics: Disability, impairments and spec
Childrens / Teenage general interest: Rural and farm life

Dewey:

FIC

Physical Properties

Number of Pages:

272

Dimensions:

Width 130mm, Height 194mm, Spine 14mm

Weight:

181g

Description


Fans of The Thing About Jellyfish and A Snicker of Magic will be swept away by Cindy Baldwins debut middle grade about a girl coming to terms with her mothers mental illness. An Oregon Spirit Award Honor book.

When twelve-year-old Della Kelly finds her mother furiously digging black seeds from a watermelon in the middle of the night and talking to people who aren't there, Della worries that its happening againthat the sickness that put her mama in the hospital four years ago is back. That her mama is going to be hospitalized for months like she was last time.

With her daddy struggling to save the farm and her mama in denial about whats happening, its up to Della to heal her mama for good. And she knows just how shell do it: with a jar of the Bee Ladys magic honey, which has mended the wounds and woes of Maryville, North Carolina, for generations.

But when the Bee Lady says that the solution might have less to do with fixing Mamas brain and more to do with healing her own heart, Della must learn thatlove means accepting her mama just as she is.

Reviews

Dellas voice will tug at readers heartstrings as she tries to hold her family together. Middle grade stories about mental illness, particularly those that focus on empathy and acceptance, are rare. This heartfelt story will stay with readers. A top choice. School Library Journal (starred review) Baldwin has written a heartbreaking, yet heartening, story that explores mental illness and its effects on an entire family. Readers will connect with the novels well-formed characters and be absorbed by the plot, which pulls no punches but doesnt overwhelm. ALA Booklist (starred review) Cindy Baldwins graceful debut is an ode to family and community. Hints of sweet magical realism touch Where the Watermelons Grow, balancing this exquisite novels bittersweet authenticity. Shelf Awareness (starred review) In her debut novel, Baldwin presents a realistic portrayal of life with a mentally ill parent. Publishers Weekly (starred review) [Dellas] first-person narration is realistically earthy without crossing into gritty. This debut novel gushes with Southern charm. This storys as sweet as Dellas daddys watermelons but never saccharine. Kirkus Reviews This has a tenderness that will appeal to fans of DiCamillos Because of Winn-Dixie. Bulletin of the Center for Childrens Books Dellas story is a reminder that even under the toughest rinds of troubles we can find the cool, sustaining sweetness of friendship. Kirby Larson, author of the Newbery Honor Book Hattie Big Sky Where the Watermelons Grow takes a close look at the unpredictable and debilitating nature of schizophrenia. Baldwin writes with a genuine voice. Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA) Where the Watermelons Grow is a spot-on, insightful novel about a preteen learning to live with and accept a parents mental illness. BookPage.com

Author Bio

Cindy Baldwin is a children's book writer and poet. She grew up in North Carolina and still misses the humidity and warm accents on a daily basis. Currently, she lives in Portland, Oregon with her husband and daughter, where she is growing to love the misty winters and wild blackerries. Where the Watermelons Grow was her debut novel and is followed by Beginners Welcome. To learn more about Cindy, visit www.cindybaldwinbooks.com.

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