Nina Soni, Master of the Garden

Description

Nina Soni is a lovable, distractible Indian American girl with big plans and cast of family and friends to help her make her realize her dreams-or resolve the chaos that often results. It's Take Your Child to Work Day, and Nina, Kavita, and Jay are all going to work with Mom, a landscape architect, to learn how to start a garden. Naturally that's not enough for Nina, who quickly develops big plans for a business selling the vegetables she plans to grow. But her plans don't include managing the problems that inevitably arise, including rabbits, slugs, mosquitos, and more! Middle grade readers are sure to relate to author Nina Soni and her entertaining efforts to manage her life with lists, definitions, and real-life math problems. Perfect for STEAM enthusiasts.

Kashmira Sheth was born in India with Guajarati as her mother tongue and began learning English in fifth grade. She had lived in Bhavnagar and Mumbai before moving to United States when she was seventeen to attend Iowa State University, where she received a BS in microbiology. Before becoming an author Kashmira had many different jobs, including running a dance school and choreographing and performing Indian dances, working in a bakery, and working as a food microbiologist. She is the author of several picture books, chapter books, and middle grade and young adult novels. Taking inspiration from her own life and experiences, much of Kashmira's work centers on Indian culture and features Indian and Indian American characters. Jenn Kocsmierksy is a watercolor artist and picture book illustrator. She was adopted from Seoul, South Korea, and grew up in rural New Hampshire. Now, as a mom and artist, Jenn hopes to promote relatable childhood experiences featuring diverse characters. She was the recipient of the 2018 We Need Diverse Books Mentorship for Illustration and the 2016-2017 Walter Dean Meyers Grant. She lives in New York with her two children and a ginormous goldfish named Joey.

"As in previous books in this series, Nina's sincere and circumspect narratorial voice-and her beautifully illustrated lists and asides-renders this story a delight to read. Sheth expertly weaves in details about Nina's Indian heritage together with her pride in being a Wisconsinite. . . . Plants aren't the only things that grow in this book about perseverance, friendship, and personal growth."-Kirkus Reviews "[Kavita's] cheerful and fearless approach to life provides comic relief, and Nina's candor with herself and penchant for introspection allow readers to journey beside her as she grows emotionally." -School Library Journal