Book Review: 'Pumpkin Jack' by Will Hubbell

✰✰✰✰✰ When Tim's mom tells him his amazing jack-o'-lantern, Jack, is beginning to rot, Tim sets it out in the garden. It's a sad day, but the garden is better than the garbage. As fall changes into winter and then spring, Jack changes too. Soon all that's left are a few seeds, which Tim plants. As the days grow warmer, Tim uncovers a surprise in his garden. With careful nurturing, by fall Tim has a wonderful gift to share with his friends.

The Bottom Line: What a wonderful story! With it's emphasis on gardening, the life cycle of the pumpkin plant, and the changing seasons, this book is both entertaining and educational. Hubbell's illustrations in colored pencil with solvent wash effects demonstrate the amazing change of seasons. Heartily recommended for story time reading. This title is my new fall favorite!

Details: Pumpkin Jack written & illustrated by Will Hubbell. Picture book published by Albert Whitman & Company in 2000. 32 p. ISBN: 0-8075-6665-9 

Book Review: 'Truck: A Love Story' by Michael Perry

✰✰✰½ Humorist Michael Perry brings readers the true story of a truck, a garden, and a girl. As a confirmed bachelor, Perry enjoys a comfortable life in Wisconsin. He proudly serves with his neighbors on the New Auburn Area Fire Department and spends his time writing. He is surrounded by family, good friends, and fun times. However, as Perry approaches forty, he yearns for something more.

Peppered with anecdotes about the characters he encounters on a daily basis, readers follow Perry through a year of truck restoration, amateur gardening, and finding true love. Will he finally settle down with the girl of his dreams? Check this one out for your book club and discuss his adventures.

The Bottom Line: This is an endearing look at small town life in the Midwest. No matter where you live, readers will relate to searching for true love and finding a sense of belonging. Perry writes about family and friends with humor, kindness, and respect. His writing brings a unique focus to everyday things and an appreciation for living in the present. Recommended for car enthusiasts, gardeners, and romantics who enjoy a happy ending.

Book Club Notes: Our group was quite divided in their impressions of this book. Half of the group really liked it. We enjoyed Perry's humor and take on small town life. We discussed the possibility of living off the grid…at least for a little while. We also had a sincere discussion about the challenges of blended families and marrying later in life.

Those who didn’t like the book had trouble with the first chapter or two. A few didn’t finish reading it. They were especially bogged down with the descriptions of repairing the truck, which contrasted with those who really enjoyed the same descriptions. Finally, some members had difficulty reading about hunting.

We all agreed that we did learn something from this book, including a recipe for tomato stock. Also, several members mentioned that they would like to talk to the author because he sounded like a really nice guy.

Ratings for this book averaged around 3.5 (on a scale from 1 – 5), and several people will be looking into Perry’s other books. 

Book clubs can find book discussion questions from the Madison Public Library here. Additionally, here are some more questions I asked the group: 

1. Discuss the following quote: “No matter our vocation, we so often find ourselves living life as a form of triage.” p. 107 

2. Anneliese says: We are what we are because of what was. p. 148 What does she mean? Does anyone ever feel like they wish they could change the past? Or ask for a do-over? 

3. Perry writes: “It’s so easy to get caught up in our brief little history…You forget sometimes what a disruption you are. And how late you have entered the game. p. 184   Have you ever felt like this? 

4. Discuss the difficulties of blended families. 

5. Which topic appealed to you the most and why? Repairing the truck? Gardening? Finding true love? Small town life? 

6. The author and Anneliese discuss living off the grid. Would living off the grid appeal to you? Why or why not? 

7. Compare and contrast small town life vs. city life. 

8. What is the appeal of this book beyond the Midwest? 

Details: Truck: A Love Story by Michael Perry. Paperback published by Harper Perennial in 2007, reissued in 2016. 304 p. ISBN: 978-0-06057118-4 

Book Review: 'Pumpkin Cat' by Anne Mortimer

✰✰✰✰ One late spring day, Cat wonders how pumpkins grow. Cat's friend, Mouse, decides to show her by helping her plant pumpkin seeds. As the days and months pass, the seeds grow into plants. With time and attention, flowers appear followed by little pumpkins. By the time Halloween rolls around, Mouse has a wonderful surprise for Cat.

The Bottom Line: This gentle story is perfect for any time of the year. It's a charming tale of friendship and gardening. Mortimer's beautiful illustrations are soft and colorful. This picture book will appeal to little ones and their parents. Teachers for grades K - 2 will find the "Instructions for Growing Pumpkins" at the back of the book useful as well.

Details: Pumpkin Cat written & illustrated by Anne Mortimer. Hardcover picture book published by Katherine Tegen Books in 2011. 24 p. ISBN: 978-0-06-187485-7

Book Review: 'Christmas Farm' by Mary Lyn Ray

✰✰✰✰½ Wilma has grown flowers in her garden for many years. However, when winter arrives she decides that she needs a new challenge in the spring. Thus, she orders dozens of balsams for planting. Together with her five-year-old neighbor, Parker, they nurture the little trees. The years go by, and they keep track of how many trees survive. As Parker grows up, so do the trees until one year the trees are ready. The trees are tagged and sold to families looking for the perfect Christmas tree. The next spring, Wilma and Parker are ready to begin planting again.

The Bottom Line: This charming book is perfect for little ones wondering about how Christmas trees are grown and harvested. The story features a heartwarming friendship between two neighbors, one young and one old. It also emphasizes the value of hard work and patience. Beautiful, wintry illustrations in watercolor and gouache bring the story to life. Highly recommended for kids in grades K - 4.

Details: Christmas Farm written by Mary Lyn Ray & illustrated by Barry Root. Hardcover picture book published by Harcourt, Inc. in 2008. 40 p. ISBN: 978-0-15-216290-0

Book Review: The Care and Handling of Roses With Thorns by Margaret Dilloway

✰✰✰✰ Galilee "Gal" Garner lives for her roses. As an amateur rose breeder, Gal's world revolves around her precious hulthemias. The challenge of breeding the perfect rose consumes her every waking hour when she is not teaching or undergoing dialysis for a chronic kidney disorder. Gal's world is quite predictable, which she finds comforting. Then one day Gal is called out of class to discover that her 15 year old niece Riley has arrived unexpectedly. With nowhere else to go, it's soon settled that Riley will temporarily stay with Gal.

Although Gal teaches high school, she is completely unprepared for the challenges of raising a teenager she hardly knows. Gal is unaccustomed to the demands of parenting and soon finds herself in over her head as she juggles her teaching career, her health issues, and her new role as a guardian to a teen all while aiming to create a rose that will be the envy of the rose society. While Gal is as thorny as her roses and difficult to get to know, her journey changes her from an inflexible spinster into a nurturing caregiver. Along the way, Gal is given the opportunity to start actually living her life instead of living through her roses.

The Bottom Line: This is a beautiful tale told in the first person; it celebrates love, forgiveness, and the bonds of family. Although it is a bit predictable, it was a joy watching Gal's character blossom. This is a fast read, making it perfect for the weekend. Once you pick this one up, you won't be able to put it down. Enthusiastically recommended for those who enjoy contemporary fiction about family dynamics. This will also appeal to those interested in roses and gardening. Additionally, The Care and Handling of Roses with Thorns would also be a great pick for a book club.

Details: The Care and Handling of Roses with Thorns by Margaret Dilloway. Hardcover published by G.P. Putnam's Sons in 2012. 368 p. ISBN: 978-0-399015775-2 Note: I received a complimentary uncorrected proof from Putnam Books in exchange for an honest review. This was made possible by the Early Reviewer program at LibraryThing.