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The Victory Garden
It’s 1943, and everyone says the war will be over soon–World War II, that is–but Teresa Marks wonders exactly when that day will come. Her older brother, Jeff, is fighting overseas, and Teresa worries about him, hoping he’ll get home to Kansas safely. As a way of speeding Jeff’s return, Teresa and her dad help the war effort by planting a victory garden. For two years, they’ve planted tomatoes (Jeff’s favorite!) and won taste-testing duels with a curmudgeonly neighbor. But this spring, when the neighbor is hospitalized, Teresa rallies her friends to tend to his garden. She even considers using her secret for growing better tomatoes on her rival’s plants. But her faith in secret weapons, in victory gardens, in people, and in life itself is shattered as the war rages on abroad and death strikes close to home.
176 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2002
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79 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
December 29, 2024
Sweet. Probably best for the fifth-sixth grade girl crowd.
December 1, 2016
This book is filled with all sorts of emotions. It takes you on a roller coaster but you won't regret going on the ride. This book can be used in the classroom to show children empathy. The main character has to show empathy to her rival neighbor.
October 23, 2017
Really fun, fast read. It is a tad "rose-colored glasses" view of WWII times but does a really great job for a junior fiction novel of introducing the era, the people that lived in that time and the extraordinary challenges they faced. Highly recommend.
July 20, 2017
Great child's POV of WW2
Currently reading
October 28, 2019sksk3sk
October 25, 2020
teenage book. Great story of having a victory garden and competing for the best tomato.
August 10, 2021
The kids have enjoyed it.
December 16, 2021
It's ok. It reminded me of a shorter and easier to understand 'To Kill A Mockingbird' without any of the biting and revolutionary social commentary. A charming read.
February 9, 2022
Well written, historically accurate juvenile lit. And emphasizes the truth that you're never too young (or too old) to make a difference.
September 14, 2022
Beautiful story for children’s literature. Can we ever return to such a time of community and simple kindness and service?
May 9, 2013
It is spring 1943 and for 11 year old Teresa Marks the war has turned personal - her beloved older brother Jeff was off in Europe flying B-24s, a dream come true for him, but not for her. It is also time for planting the annual Victory Garden and resurrecting the annual competition for best tomatoes with the Markses curmudgeony neighbor Tom Burt. But just as the planting and competition gets underway, Tom Burt is seriously injured in a tractor accident and must spend the summer in the hospital.
Rather than plow his entire garden under, and knowing it is his pride and joy, Teresa suggests that one of the ways her class can raise money for the schools war bond competition would be to take over Tom Burt's garden and sell the produce. No one is more pleased than Teresa when six kids volunteer, even if the new kid, troublemaker Billy Riggs, thinks it's a bad idea.
The kids, called the Young Sprouts by the local newspaper, work hard on the Tom Burt's Victory Garden. But one morning, Teresa wakes up to a trampled garden and a broken St. Francis statue belonging to the very gentle Mrs. Burt. Naturally, she is convinced that Billy Riggs did it to spite the Young Sprouts.
At the same time, Tom Burt's big dog Wolf goes missing from the relatives who are caring for him during his master's hospital stay. The police seem to believe the dog will make its way home and sure enough, one day Teresa finds the dog under the Burt's porch with Billy Riggs. Dirty and badly injured, Billy had been trying to help the frightened animal. Together, they nurse Wolf, but when Teresa notices a piece of the broken statue lodged in the dogs side, she think that Billy Riggs may have had nothing to do with the trampled garden after all.
Throughout the summer, as the kids work hard in the garden and at selling their produce, Billy comes and goes, each time offering advice and help to Teresa while avoiding the other kids. Pretty soon, Teresa begins to think of him as a friend, but then he disappears along with his alcoholic father, their run down house closed and deserted.
And Teresa is surprised to realize how much she misses him.
The Victory Garden is an interesting novel. It is a real slice of life, coming of age story. Teresa talks about reading Life magazine and that is exactly how this novel feels - like a story out of Life about how communities are coping with the war. Which may be why it has such an 'in the middle of things' feeling to it, and not just because it is directed at middle grade readers. It is set in the middle of Kansas, in the middle of the US, in the middle of the war and, with the exception of Billy Riggs, among very middle class people. Days pass, vegetable grow, and small town Kansas begins to feel almost idyllic in the midst of war. And yet, in the midst of all that middleness, the Young Sprouts are learning some very valuable lessons and some painful truths about life. Especially Teresa, who was very happy believing she knows how to keep bad things away - like as long as she uses her 'secret weapon' on the tomatoes they will be big and juicy and award winning just the way her brother liked them, and that as long as her brother is in the air in his B-24, he will be safe, and that planting a victory garden will help win the war and bring everyone home safely.
But can Teresa learn that magical thinking doesn't actually work in the middle real life?
Teresa was right in thinking that a victory garden could help win the war. Victory gardens were a very important part of life on the home front. These gardens began to appear everywhere there was room to plant - back yards, allotments, public lands, rooftops and in England, there were even gardens planted in bomb craters (see my post Victory through Vegetables: Woolton Pie). The American, British and German governments all encouraged citizens to grow their own food to supplement their food supply during rationing and to allow more food to be sent to their troops. And it victory gardens turned out to have an unexpected benefit to folks on the home front - it brought them together as a community, just as it does in The Victory Garden.
This book is recommended for readers aged 10+
This book was given to me by a friend
This book was originally reviewed at The Children's War
Rather than plow his entire garden under, and knowing it is his pride and joy, Teresa suggests that one of the ways her class can raise money for the schools war bond competition would be to take over Tom Burt's garden and sell the produce. No one is more pleased than Teresa when six kids volunteer, even if the new kid, troublemaker Billy Riggs, thinks it's a bad idea.
The kids, called the Young Sprouts by the local newspaper, work hard on the Tom Burt's Victory Garden. But one morning, Teresa wakes up to a trampled garden and a broken St. Francis statue belonging to the very gentle Mrs. Burt. Naturally, she is convinced that Billy Riggs did it to spite the Young Sprouts.
At the same time, Tom Burt's big dog Wolf goes missing from the relatives who are caring for him during his master's hospital stay. The police seem to believe the dog will make its way home and sure enough, one day Teresa finds the dog under the Burt's porch with Billy Riggs. Dirty and badly injured, Billy had been trying to help the frightened animal. Together, they nurse Wolf, but when Teresa notices a piece of the broken statue lodged in the dogs side, she think that Billy Riggs may have had nothing to do with the trampled garden after all.
Throughout the summer, as the kids work hard in the garden and at selling their produce, Billy comes and goes, each time offering advice and help to Teresa while avoiding the other kids. Pretty soon, Teresa begins to think of him as a friend, but then he disappears along with his alcoholic father, their run down house closed and deserted.
And Teresa is surprised to realize how much she misses him.
The Victory Garden is an interesting novel. It is a real slice of life, coming of age story. Teresa talks about reading Life magazine and that is exactly how this novel feels - like a story out of Life about how communities are coping with the war. Which may be why it has such an 'in the middle of things' feeling to it, and not just because it is directed at middle grade readers. It is set in the middle of Kansas, in the middle of the US, in the middle of the war and, with the exception of Billy Riggs, among very middle class people. Days pass, vegetable grow, and small town Kansas begins to feel almost idyllic in the midst of war. And yet, in the midst of all that middleness, the Young Sprouts are learning some very valuable lessons and some painful truths about life. Especially Teresa, who was very happy believing she knows how to keep bad things away - like as long as she uses her 'secret weapon' on the tomatoes they will be big and juicy and award winning just the way her brother liked them, and that as long as her brother is in the air in his B-24, he will be safe, and that planting a victory garden will help win the war and bring everyone home safely.
But can Teresa learn that magical thinking doesn't actually work in the middle real life?
Teresa was right in thinking that a victory garden could help win the war. Victory gardens were a very important part of life on the home front. These gardens began to appear everywhere there was room to plant - back yards, allotments, public lands, rooftops and in England, there were even gardens planted in bomb craters (see my post Victory through Vegetables: Woolton Pie). The American, British and German governments all encouraged citizens to grow their own food to supplement their food supply during rationing and to allow more food to be sent to their troops. And it victory gardens turned out to have an unexpected benefit to folks on the home front - it brought them together as a community, just as it does in The Victory Garden.
This book is recommended for readers aged 10+
This book was given to me by a friend
This book was originally reviewed at The Children's War
December 14, 2016
World War II was more than military campaigns fought overseas. For those living in the States the War was a time of shortages, rationing and Victory Gardens.
No matter how well equipped an army is, it will fail without food. That was the rationale behind food rationing. Citizens were encouraged to grow some of their own food in Victory gardens. But this town's Victory gardens spawned a tomato rivalry and a class project.
The school has challenged their students to raise money to buy War Bonds. This class needs a project. When a man is injured and unable to tend his large Victory garden, the class takes it on selling the produce for money to buy War Bonds. Then there is that tomato tasting contest with a bond as a prize egging the class on to grow the best tomato in town.
The book brings out the effects of shortages, men going to war some never to return and what it means to be a neighbor. It is true to the time and small town life of Kansas during the War.
The children are interesting. Each has more to think about than just working in a garden. They have families. One has a father fighting somewhere.
The townspeople are sometimes supportive, sometimes grumpy, sometimes seeming mean. The children must deal with all of them.
This book is a good introduction to a time when war affected not a few families but every family in the country. It reflects a time when the country was united in the goal of winning a war, when everyone was willing and did sacrifice during their daily lives to help those fighting.
No matter how well equipped an army is, it will fail without food. That was the rationale behind food rationing. Citizens were encouraged to grow some of their own food in Victory gardens. But this town's Victory gardens spawned a tomato rivalry and a class project.
The school has challenged their students to raise money to buy War Bonds. This class needs a project. When a man is injured and unable to tend his large Victory garden, the class takes it on selling the produce for money to buy War Bonds. Then there is that tomato tasting contest with a bond as a prize egging the class on to grow the best tomato in town.
The book brings out the effects of shortages, men going to war some never to return and what it means to be a neighbor. It is true to the time and small town life of Kansas during the War.
The children are interesting. Each has more to think about than just working in a garden. They have families. One has a father fighting somewhere.
The townspeople are sometimes supportive, sometimes grumpy, sometimes seeming mean. The children must deal with all of them.
This book is a good introduction to a time when war affected not a few families but every family in the country. It reflects a time when the country was united in the goal of winning a war, when everyone was willing and did sacrifice during their daily lives to help those fighting.
May 23, 2011
Since I lead a Holocaust study unit with my eighth grade classes, I'm always looking for new and interesting books which relate to this time period. This novel gives a perspective of what life was like on the homefront here in The United States. My favorite concept in the book is that the characters are folks who do something of a humanitarian nature for a member of their community. It also does a realistic job of portraying how we tend to think of ourselves as safely tucked away here and enjoying the freedoms that life here in The United States provides. Yet, at the same time it shows that everybody might not be as lucky as we are and that the war really does touch home.
April 8, 2013
gr 4-6 167 pgs
1943 small town in Kansas. Every year, 11 year old Teresa and her dad try to grow tomatos in their victory garden that are better than their neighbor's. When her neighbor gets hurt and must stay in the hospital, Teresa refuses to let his garden go to waste. She convinces her classmates to help with the victory garden and use some of the money for war bonds. Since her brother Jeff is a bomber pilot, Teresa is determined to do all she can to support the war effort.
Great story about victory gardens and how they helped the war effort. I recommend this story to readers interested in gardens or stories about good teamwork.
1943 small town in Kansas. Every year, 11 year old Teresa and her dad try to grow tomatos in their victory garden that are better than their neighbor's. When her neighbor gets hurt and must stay in the hospital, Teresa refuses to let his garden go to waste. She convinces her classmates to help with the victory garden and use some of the money for war bonds. Since her brother Jeff is a bomber pilot, Teresa is determined to do all she can to support the war effort.
Great story about victory gardens and how they helped the war effort. I recommend this story to readers interested in gardens or stories about good teamwork.
August 5, 2016
I've always loved the idea of a Victory Garden. My grandfather was not able to serve in WWII in any capacity, so he threw himself into creating a Victory Garden. And he never stopped gardening until his death. His entire backyard was a garden, and he even came over to our house and worked in my parents' garden (I don't know that they would have had a garden at all had he not coaxed them). This book is a good introduction to the idea of a Victory Garden and their very real impact toward the war effort. Other books I've read in the past few years on the same topic include "Delicious" by Ruth Reichl and The Jew Store by Stella Suberman (gardening in the Great Depression)
July 6, 2011
Sweet, kid-centered novel about the home front in WWII. A group of youngsters care for a neighbor's victory garden while he's in the hospital. The young protagonist learns about hard work and the value of friendship, while finally understanding some hard truths about war.
The story is a bit on the sweet side--it reminded me of an American Girl book--but using the garden as a focal point was different. The author also resisted the urge to wrap everything up neatly and happily at the end, which made a better story than a Norman-Rockwell-style ending would have.
The story is a bit on the sweet side--it reminded me of an American Girl book--but using the garden as a focal point was different. The author also resisted the urge to wrap everything up neatly and happily at the end, which made a better story than a Norman-Rockwell-style ending would have.
August 22, 2009
I enjoyed this return to the World War II era where community spirit was alive and well in spite of a few disgruntled neighbors. I loved 11-year-old Teresa's bold spirit, her special relationship with her older brother, and her ambivalent feelings about Billy, the kid who seemed to purposely alienate all the other kids. We don't see many novels like this anymore, and I loved its Americana flavor with all the old traditions and values.
July 4, 2011
As a fan of historical fiction, especially centering around World War II, this was a good book showing some of what was happening at home during the war. It was also cool that this book took place in Kansas. Obviously meant for young readers, I enjoyed reading this book...and it makes me want to plant a garden!
June 29, 2012
I loved this book, and had tears at the end. I would encourage it for military children ONLY if the parents had skimed the last chapter first. The setting of WWII helps distance the reader, yet not enough for children with parents "fighting the bad guys" to not see how it would relate to themselves.
February 1, 2013
Teresa has been gardening with her Dad since her brother joined the Army. He bee gone for two summers, and school is almost out. Her dad and their next door neighbor are competing to see who had the better tomatos.......then the neighbor is hurt, and Teresa and her classmates take over his garden.
This book is about hardwork, gardening, community and friendship.
This book is about hardwork, gardening, community and friendship.
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January 28, 2009JAR4-Koc
July 3, 2015
I didn't finish this book because I got bored. It's not a bad book, it's just not what I enjoy reading.
May 11, 2015
Read this with my siblings and we all enjoyed it
May 23, 2016
Love this Historical Fiction book about a young girl as she grows up during world war 2. A great light hearted read about real history and a much simpler way of life.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews