YOUTUBE VIDEO: PLANTING A SCHOOL GARDEN and SPROUTING BEANS IN A CUP

Planting a Garden in Room 6: From Seeds to Salad is a book for primary age children about a kindergarten class growing vegetables in a school garden. In this short YouTube video we see them preparing the soil and planting seeds. When the vegetables are ripe the children will make a delicious salad. While they wait for the plants to grow, they sprout beans in cups, watching the roots and stems emerge from lima beans.

Click to watch the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YRBqpaBYWPU

Learn more about Planting a Garden in Room 6 at my website. You can find the book online, at bookstores, and in your library. Beginning on March 15, 2024, Planting a Garden in Room 6 will be available in paperback, along with my other Room 6 books--Hatching Chicks in Room 6 and Butterflies in Room 6. 

NATURAL HABITAT SCHOOL GARDEN: A Hotspot of Diversity in the Middle of Los Angeles

Natural Habitat Garden, Esperanza School, Los Angeles, CA

Just a few blocks from the skyscrapers of downtown Los Angeles is an amazing garden filled with native California plants. A few years ago it was just an empty patch of dirt tucked into a corner of the playground at Esperanza Elementary School. Now the plants have grown tall and are competing with one another for space. For students at Esperanza it is an opportunity to observe nature up close. I learned on my recent visit that the garden has been named a hotspot of diversity for the richness of its plants and wildlife.

Principal Brad Rumble

Principal Brad Rumble, who has been key to the creation of the garden and also an avid bird watcher, told me that 80 species of birds have been identified at the school. On a bulletin board inside the school, “Observing Our Natural History”, students compared the two species of hummingbird found in the garden—Anna’s and Allen’s. (In my yard at home we have just Anna's hummingbirds.)

Observing Our Natural History: Hummingbirds

Last week I visited Esperanza for the first time since 2020 and I was amazed to see how much the garden had grown. I did presentations in the library with third and fourth grade students of special science teacher Elizabeth Williams. 

Teacher Elizabeth Williams

Presenting to students in the library.

I always love to see the students’ enthusiasm for nature and was pleased with their good response to my presentation. Before they went back to their classrooms each of them was given one of my books for me to sign. I know it is very special for them to have a book signed by the author. 

With students in the garden.

After my presentations, Mr. Rumble, Mrs. Williams and some of the students took me on a tour of the Habitat. The students at Esperanza have become young naturalists, learning how to identify plants and wildlife in the garden. I was so impressed by the student who spotted a dragonfly perched on one of the plants. I had to look carefully to see it at all, and the dragonfly was so well camouflaged that even in my photograph it is hard to spot. 

A path through the garden leads to a weather station.

There is always something new to see in the garden. I have been visiting Esperanza almost every school year since 2017. (There was a gap during the pandemic.) I look forward to going back next year and seeing how much the garden has grown and changed.

Dragonfly.

Blog posts of my previous visits to Esperanza: August 18, 2017, June 13, 2018, November 21,2018, February 26, 2020 .

 

AUTHOR VISIT at MOUNTAIN AVENUE SCHOOL, Glendale, CA

Mountain Avenue School, Glendale, California

On Tuesday, October 17th, I had a wonderful day at Mountain Avenue school in Glendale, California. The day was sponsored by the Glendale Assistance League, who not only brought in the authors for the day and gave each teacher a copy of one of our books, but also gave a generous check to the school for the purchase of books for the library. I was one of four authors--Frans Vischer, Larissa Theule, and Tracy Holczer. We visited classrooms (I gave presentations to the first and second graders) and signed books at the after-school book sale in the auditorium.

It was so nice to be back in the classroom in person (after several years on Zoom), and I was pleased by the enthusiastic response to my presentation by the students and teachers. They especially liked my new book My Friend From Outer Space. Several of the classrooms had already planted seeds in the school garden--inspired in part by my book Planting a Garden in Room 6.

School garden, with planting boxes covered with screens to keep out pests.

Special thanks go to Linelle Vicenti for coordinating everything and making sure the day ran smoothly! I also thank Kathy Blyth and all the Glendale Assistance League volunteers who introduced me, helped out at the book sale, and brought the delicious snacks and lunch. Many thanks to the Glendale Assistance League for another successful Authors and Illustrators Day!.

CELEBRATE THE EARTH: AUTHOR VISIT AT ECOLE BILINGUE, Berkeley, CA

Ecole Bilingue School Garden, Berkeley, CA

A week ago on Tuesday I had a terrific visit with the kindergarten, first, and second graders at Ecole Bilingue in Berkeley, California. This was my second visit this year—the first was in March when I presented my book, KEEPER OF THE LIGHT, to the upper grades, a good fit for studies of California history, and in particular, women’s history.

The main focus of my presentation this time was my book PLANTING A GARDEN IN ROOM 6, timed to coordinate with Earth Month and Earth Day. Ecole Bilingue has long had an extensive school garden, including a pair of chickens, who wander freely among the planting boxes. At night and on rainy days they go into a coop where they have nest boxes.

One of the school chickens.

Learning about the plants in the garden and how they grow is part of the school curriculum. The garden also is home to a tortoise. 

Tortoise in the school garden.

Ecole Bilingue is a bilingual school where children learn in both French and English. (I don’t speak French so my presentation was in English.) I have a special connection to EB because my granddaughter Paige was a student there from pre-school through middle school. It is always a pleasure to visit EB and see many of her former teachers and meet the new staff as well. I especially thank Emily Kaltenbach, the English Program coordinator for arranging my visit and making sure that everything ran smoothly. 

Ecole Bilingue, Berkeley, CA.

Creator Spotlight Interview with CAROLINE ARNOLD for Book It!

Pizza Hut has a program that promotes books and reading called Book It!, a free reading incentive program for PreK-6th grade classrooms, parents and homeschool families.

PLANTING A GARDEN IN ROOM 6: From Seeds to Salad is being featured this month at Book It! along with two other books celebrating new growth. I am in the Creator Spotlight for March. Check out the short video linked at the end of the interview to find out how to grow a bean in a cup.

Creator Spotlight Interview with CAROLINE ARNOLD for Book It!:

I never thought I would be an author when I was growing up, but I loved to read. When I was in the fifth grade I tried to read all the books in the library!

I began to write when my children were small. At the time, we had a big vegetable garden behind our house.  As we dug up the dirt for planting we saw wiggly worms. That gave me an idea for one of my first stories. Since then I have written 170 books for children, including my newest book about kindergarten children planting a school garden.

Writing a book is a little bit like growing a garden--planting the seed of an idea; nurturing it so it can reach its full potential; weeding to make sure it has room to grow; pruning when necessary to focus growth on the main stalk; and finally, harvesting the finished product and sharing it with others.

My favorite part of being an author is when the book is finished and I can hold it in my hand. I hope that as you turn the pages of my books you will learn something that you never knew before, just as I do every time I research and write a new book.

This VIDEO shows a project in my book--how you can grow a bean in a cup.

 

NETGALLEY REVIEWS of PLANTING A GARDEN IN ROOM 6

I recently discovered a whole list of great reviews for my book PLANTING A GARDEN IN ROOM 6 on NetGalley. NetGalley is a site that provides galleys of books to review in advance of publication. (Once the book is published the galleys are no longer available.) Every reviewer gave the book five stars! Thank you!

Here's an example of one of the reviews.

Reviewed in the United States on March 15, 2022
What an excellent introduction to gardening for young children! The book follows a kindergarten class as they plant a vegetable garden. Each step is recorded in vivid, detailed photographs that bring the subject to life. Kids will not only be fascinated by everything they learn about plants and natural science as they follow along, but they also will be engaged by following students just like themselves through the process.

The language is clear and simple and basic concepts of plant growth are explained in accessible manner. There is a simple Q&A section about gardening at the end, along with a glossary of terms. This would be an excellent introduction to a classroom unit on plants and gardening or to inspire kids to try a gardening project at home.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review! 

Jacket back of Planting a Garden in Room 6

 

ART PROJECT: FLOWERS IN THE GARDEN

 

Spring Flowers, Lu Sutton Elementary School, Novato, CA

My brother Tom, a third grade teacher in Novato, California, loves to garden and loves to do art projects with his students.  In the fall, the children planted bulbs along the walkways by the classrooms.  By early March the tulips, daffodils and a host of other flowers had sprouted leaves and burst into bloom.

The students then took their drawing pads outdoors and sketched the flowers, making close observations of the shapes and colors of the plants.  Back in the classroom they turned their drawings into beautiful, colorful paintings–a perfect way to preserve and share the beauty of spring!

Note: This post was first published 5/22/13. My brother Tom is now retired, but he still loves to garden, planting bulbs, roses and other plants in his garden at home.

CELEBRATING PLANTING A GARDEN IN ROOM 6 at HAYNES SCHOOL, Los Angeles, CA

Caroline with Jennifer Best, Haynes Center for Enriched Studies, Los Angeles, CA

Monday was the Big Day, celebrating the publication of PLANTING A GARDEN IN ROOM 6: From Seeds to Salad with Mrs. Best and the children in her 2019-2020 kindergarten class at Haynes School in Los Angeles, who are pictured in the book. The kids are now in second grade! At a special program in the school auditorium (my first in person school event in two years!) with all the second graders and Mrs. Best's current kindergarten class, I presented Mrs. Best with a hat and mug along with her book.

Then I presented each child from Mrs. Best's class with their own autographed book. It was wonderful to see the happy looks on their faces!  For the occasion I wore my new vegetable t-shirt!

My book Wiggle and Waggle is the perfect companion book for Planting a Garden in Room 6

Before presenting the books I did a short author talk (which included singing the Wiggle and Waggle song with my sock puppets) and read the book. The kids then had a chance to ask questions and make comments before the book presentation.  My favorite: "The vegetables we grew are my favorite vegetables to eat!"

I was surprised to see how much the kids had grown. Some are almost as tall as I am!
I am so glad that the book is finally out and I am able to promote it. Thank you Mrs. Best and all the students for sharing your gardening experience with me and being part of the book. And a special thanks to Barbara Meade, the school principal for your support and enthusiasm for the project!

GUEST POST AT LITLINKS: Plant a Garden, Grow a Reader!

Guest post at Lit Links, March 16, 2022

How does a school garden sprout young readers? Find out in 4 easy lessons! This week at LitLinks you can find my article about how you can use my new book Planting a Garden in Room 6: From Seeds to Salad in connection with reading and STEAM activities. I am happy to contribute to Author/Speaker Patricia Newman's wonderful blog featuring ways to connect STEM and STEAM books with literature in the classroom. My article features hands-on activities and reading strategies for using my book with students, helping them understand the concepts in the book. It posted on March 16, joining dozens of previous posts by other children's book science writers and illustrators.

Many thanks, Patricia, for the opportunity to contribute to your terrific site!

HUNTINGTON BEACH AUTHOR FESTIVAL: Visit to Golden View School

At the Huntington Beach Library

Yesterday was the 32nd annual Huntington Beach Author’s Festival in Huntington Beach, California, organized by the Friends of the Children’s Library (FOTCL) Author’s Festival Committee. Along with more than twenty other children’s book authors, I spent a day at a local school, followed by a reception at the Huntington Beach Library. I have been participating in this celebration of books and reading almost every year since it’s beginning.

Welcome signs made by the Student Council greeted me all over the school.

This year I visited Golden View Elementary School and was hosted by PTO parent LeJarie Noguchi, who did a wonderful job organizing my day and promoting my books to the children. I spoke to three groups of children, pre-K through fifth grade, in their meeting room called Toad Hall. All of my audiences were terrific–very enthusiastic and asking good questions. The PTO put on a delicious lunch, which was a time for me to meet and talk with the teachers.

The garden is a learning area.

A highlight of my visit to Golden View was a tour of The Farm, a two and a half acre outdoor education area with garden plots, animals, a pond and large grassy areas, and sheds for tools and other equipment.

Sheep, goats, chickens, ducks and geese are among the animals that live at The Farm

During my tour, led by Principal Lori Florgan, I saw an enthusiastic group of upper grade students busily taking care of the animals and working in the garden. What a wonderful way for students to do “hands-on” science–and be able to eat the vegetables they produce.

The lettuce is ready to harvest!

After lunch at Golden View and signing books purchased by students, I went to the library for the afternoon reception. Volunteers on the festival committee, dressed in red shirts, made sure everyone knew where to go and had everything they needed. Students who had won prizes for their stories were honored in the auditorium with their proud parents and teachers watching in the audience.

Signing books at my table at the afternoon reception at the Huntington Beach Library

This event would not go on except for the hard work and dedication of the Friends of the Children’s Library. For many years Gail Page has led the committee and I thank her for her dedication over all the years of the Festival. This year, under her guidance, the torch has passed to Larry Hersh, who did a terrific job of coordinating the many facets of the Festival. I always enjoy going to Huntington Beach and having the chance to see old friends and share my books with new readers.