Book Review: The Good Garden

Many children in the world, including the United States, do not have enough of the right kinds of foods to develop and grow in a healthy manner. I found a great book that introduces grade-school children to the issue of food security: The Good Garden: How One Family Went From Hunger to Having Enough by Katie Smith Milway, (Kids Can Press, 2010). Set in Honduras, this is the true story of a girl who’s put in charge of her family garden. Maria learns sustainable farming practices that yield good crops and help her family begin the journey to financial independence. Available from Kids Can Press or Amazon.com.

The Good Garden created an interactive website for children to explore after they’ve read the book.  The website includes interactive games related to the story, a video of the real Maria, and lesson ideas for educators. Check out the project suggestion to engage groups of children in helping local families go from hunger to having enough.

I’ve also added an activity with children called “Who’s Got the Cookies?” It helps them understand that hunger is not so much an issue of lack of food, but of unequal food distribution. Afterwards, we discuss reasons that food is not getting to people who need it, using examples from current events.