The Garden Raid

by John W. Nassivera

Learn the power of positive choices, friendship, and belonging in this charming story of a courageous youngster learning to believe in himself.

John is struggling to make friends in the fourth grade at Margaret Murphy Elementary School. One day, he gets the exciting chance to earn his way into his older brother Tom’s sixth-grade band of buddies.

The price of friendship? John has to show his bravery by participating in a secret raid on Old Man Varney’s prize garden. The problem? The garden is guarded by Varney’s demonic dog, Champ.

When the raid goes bust, John is challenged time and time again to prove himself. He starts to question what it will take to become one of the guys, and then a rare opportunity arises that could give the boys’ legendary status. Will John seize the day and finally have the friends he longs for?

Author John W. Nassivera’s “The Garden Raid” is an encouraging, inspiring tale about the gifts you give yourself when you find the courage to make positive choices toward others.

Genres: Childrens

132 pages, Paperback

Published March 4, 2016

About the author

Growing up in a small town, my mother used our front porch as an outdoor living room for family and friends to pass the time. A place where advice was garnered, jokes were told, melodies were sung, and stories were spun. It was a place where my mother told tales that taught us the cultural ideals of family, friends, and community. I’ve carried her lessons into my approach to writing. My stories and music address subtle messages of friendships, community acceptance, respect, collaboration, forgiveness, and acceptance.
Listen for free on YouTube or your favorite streaming music platform.

Reviews

[Billy Buttons · Rating 4 out of 5]

A WISHING SHELF BOOK REVIEW
28th January 2021
TITLE: The Garden Raid
AUTHOR: John Nassivera

Star Rating: 4

‘An enjoyable adventure story with a strong, underlying message regarding acceptance and peer pressure.’ The Wishing Shelf

REVIEW
The Garden Raid by John Nassivera is a cleverly plotted adventure story for 9 to 12 year old boys and girls - although I suspect boys will enjoy it the most. Well-written and with a good balance of descriptive prose and speech - it's interactive too! - it follows a young boy called John who, in an attempt to get in with his older brother’s gang, raids the garden of Old Man Varney! What follows is a twisting, turning plot with plenty happening – they’ll love the demonic dog! - to keep young readers turning the page.
The most striking element of this middle great novel is how well the author knows his young readers. He's very good at balancing pace with character development - particularly John - and he knows how important it is to populate his story with characters his young readership will cheer on all the way to the exciting finale. Another important part of the story is the interactive element. This works very well, the book boasting 11 original songs for the reader to enjoy. This added element to the story, I think, will help reluctant boy readers to give the story a go.
In terms of message, this middle grade novel has a lot going for it. As any parent/teacher will tell you, peer pressure is a huge problem for children today. I suspect the author’s hoping children reading this book will ponder on how important it is to fit in and where to draw the line when trying to get ‘in with the gang’. As a result, I think this would be a good fit for a school library.
So, to finish with, who do I recommend this book to? Well, most children aged 8 to 12 would find this book enjoyable. Any child who enjoys the whimsical books of Roald Dahl, or the character-driven books of Jacqueline Wilson will get a lot from this pacey adventure. And, as it looks at peer pressure, it will be welcomed by parents and teachers too.

A ‘Wishing Shelf’ Book Review
www.thewsa.co.uk

[Kite Morgan · Rating 3 out of 5]

“The Garden Raid” is the most solid 5/10 I have ever felt about a book. I had read it when it first released as the author grew up a few towns away from mine, but was honestly disappointed with it’s content. The main character’s only redeeming action is taking care of the old man’s dog in the second half of the story, which does not excuse his actions in the first. Obviously, our MC was just trying to fit in with his older siblings; but his brother and friends belonged in juvie. They should have been held accountable for their actions within the book.

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great story about a boy named John who wants so badly to fit in. He tries to do what the bigger kids want him to do so they will except him. Many kids face these tough choices every day. The author does a good job letting you inside the characters head. I enjoyed this book and think it is a good fit for middle grade that teaches as well as entertains.

[Sheila · Rating 3 out of 5]

Childhood memories

Back to the days when kids were kids and imagination was key to fun. Siblings having each other’s backs while still having sibling rivalry too. Recess fun of kickball games are fun times of the past.

[Bonita Martin · Rating 1 out of 5]

What was he thinking??? A cliff-hanger ending in a children's book? The reader is instructed to visit the author's website to read the ending of the book. It's not there! I sent a message to the author on his facebook page, but have received no response. The first chapter contains several words which would be difficult for an average middle-school child. The characters stole from a neighbor and faced no consequences. They were portrayed as being generous. I'm glad I read it before giving it to my grandchildren. This book was a gift from the author through a giveaway drawing.

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was s decent elementary school aged book. It would be a nice story to read aloud. The author's choice in words would make this a very visual story to hear. There was a few minor editing errors that might be more difficult for a younger child to work through, on in particular where the story setting switched between scenes with no warning or delineation. But over all it was a good story. I received this book in a goodreads giveaway, but the opinion was all my own.