Lettuce Help

by S.M.R. Saia, Tina Perko (Illustrations)

First-grade gardener Gertie Green's social skills are tested when she joins the school garden club in this beautifully illustrated early reader chapter book about self confidence, consideration, and learning how to say you're sorry.

When Grandma Trudy doesn't volunteer to help in the school garden club, Gertie is the only one there who knows EVERYTHING about growing vegetables. She tries to help her friends, but soon they're calling her a bossy know-it-all. Janie says you have to just wait and see how things are going to turn out. But how can something turn out all right if it starts out all wrong?

Meanwhile, Gertie's big sister Liza looks to Gertie for help after watching a scary movie with her friends, and Gertie starts seeing monsters everywhere. So when the garden club encounters a strange creature in one of their raised beds, Gertie knows exactly what it is and what they need to do about it. In the mayhem that follows, though, she finds that no matter how much you know, there is always something more to learn.

This is the third book in this beautifully illustrated, early reader chapter book series about friendship, gardening, and the power and importance of being yourself. Each book features a different vegetable as a key part of the story and includes how-to-grow information for young gardeners.

Visit the Free Digital Downloads tab of the publisher's website (shelfspacebooks.com) for an extensive selection of companion resources to go along with the Gertie in the Garden books, like food and gardening activities and coloring books.



The Gertie in the Garden series is so engaging . . . growing vegetables and even playing with them will encourage kids to view healthy foods as helping them negotiate their way in the world. Kids will love these books (and parents will too). Marion Nestle, Professor of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health, Emerita, New York University

94 pages, Hardcover

Published April 22, 2023

About the author

S.M.R. Saia is the author of two book series for children: the Little Ant Books (read aloud stories for ages 3 to 5) and the Gertie in the Garden books (garden-themed early reader chapter books for ages 6 to 9). Her professional experience in the book world includes owning a corporate book fair business and freelancing as a self-publishing coach. She has a B.A. in English from the University of Maryland and an M.A. in Liberal Arts from St. John’s College in Annapolis, Maryland. For the past several years she has worked developing English Language Arts Worksheets for K – 12, using creative strategies to present, teach, and provide students with an opportunity to practice grade-appropriate Language Arts concepts and skills.

Reviews

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book! Gertie exemplifies her age group along with her relationship with her best friend. My niece and I had a great time reading this together and looking at the illustrations. She was able to easily sound out all the words and try out some of the harder ones. The illustrations were beautiful and helped keep the attention of my nine year old niece.
I really loved how there was information at the back of the book about lettuce and how to grow it! This helped spur another conversation with my niece about different types of lettuce and if we should grow it in our garden and how to grow it.
This is an incredibly creatively themed grouping of books and I love Gertie and her whole family. I am definitely going to be buying this for my niece!

[Susanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to the author, Shelf Space Books and NetGalley, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This children's book is a great introduction to gardening, while emphasizing friendship and family relationships. The chapters are short, the text is playful, and the illustrations got the conversation going with the kids I read this with. The puns were giggle-worthy and broadened everyone's vegetable horizons - highly recommend.

[Jeanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometimes it takes learning the hard way to make it stick. Gertie learned some valuable lessons about things that she thought she knew and lessons about relationships and working with others. A great book for parents and kids to work together these lessons.

A special thank you to Shelf Space Books and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.

[Kris Reguera · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this series and how Gertie learns (therefore teaches readers) something new in each book, both about friendship, gardening, and her relationship with her family. Through chapters that are great for early readers, the author also tries to encourage children to try new vegetables, and we love the puns!

[Kris Reguera · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this series and how Gertie learns (therefore teaches readers) something new in each book, both about friendship, gardening, and her relationship with her family. Through chapters that are great for early readers, the author also tries to encourage children to try new vegetables, and we love the puns!

[Erica Baxter · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a cute book filled with lots of learning moments. Not only is the story packed full of information about lettuce and how to grow it, it also teaches young readers about how to get along with their peers.

Kids interested in gardening will love this book.

[Isabel Knudsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

My children and I just planted our first garden so this was the perfect read. Gertie is a spunky little girl that knows a lot about an important topic, gardening and learns life lessons along the way. I’ll be reading more books by this author.

[Melki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Who'da thunk it that growing vegetables could be so fraught with drama?

This is a fun little chapter book that centers around Gertie Green, a spunky first-grader.

Thanks to NetGalley and Shelf Space Books for the read.

[Juniper Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gertie Green is so sad that her Grandmother isn’t going to be part of the garden club. Who will be in charge if not Grandma? Gertie decides to take charge, since Nobody Else knows how to garden!

Gertie was so cute and hilarious. I liked the silly, blunt writing style. The pencil drawings were a nice addition to the tale, I really liked it.

Overall, a nice cute book!