Book Descriptions
for Ways to Grow Love by Renée Watson and Nina Mata
From Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC)
In this follow-up to Ways to Make Sunshine, African American Ryan’s summer is disrupted when her pregnant mom is put on bedrest. Even though Ryan is excited for the pending arrival of her little sister, she’s disappointed by the changes to her summer routine. But she still has church camp to look forward to, even though big brother Ray is trying to make first-time camper Ryan nervous. Camp will mean time with her two best friends, Kiki, and Amanda; the trio haven’t had a chance to spend a lot of time together since Amanda moved away. News that Amanda has invited along her new friend Red, a girl who was mean to Ryan at Amanda’s birthday party, casts a shadow on camp at first. But camp activities, including creating a skit from the parable of “The Good Samaritan,” not only create opportunities for Ryan to show her leadership skills, but also to reflect and grow. An appealing, accessible novel for younger readers is notable for addressing complexities of friendship, including a terrific discussion between Ryan and her grandma about the importance of kindness, and also of standing up for oneself when someone else isn’t being kind to you.
(Ages 7-10)
(Ages 7-10)
CCBC Choices 2022. © Cooperative Children's Book Center, Univ. of Wisconsin - Madison, 2022. Used with permission.
From the Publisher
Newbery Honor and Coretta Scott King Author Award winner Renée Watson continues her charming young middle grade series starring Ryan Hart, a girl who is pure spirit and sunshine.
Ryan Hart loves her family and friends. She's looking forward to summer vacation, spending time with loved ones, and her first trip to sleepaway camp! But when an unexpected camper shows up, Ryan finds it's hard to share your best friend and harder to be a friend to someone who isn't a good friend to you. She's also waiting for her new sister to be born -- and hoping the baby doesn't ruin everything. The Hart family is experiencing a lot of changes, and Ryan needs to grow her patience in many ways, find ways to share the love, meet new challenges, and grow into the leader her mom and dad named her to be. This summer and the start of fifth grade just might give Ryan the chance to show how she grows and glows!
Acclaim for Ways to Make Sunshine:
A New York Times Best Children's Book of the Year | A Parents Magazine Best Book of the Year | A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year | A Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year | A Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year | A WORLD Magazine Best Book of the Year | An Amazon Best Book of the Year
Ryan Hart loves her family and friends. She's looking forward to summer vacation, spending time with loved ones, and her first trip to sleepaway camp! But when an unexpected camper shows up, Ryan finds it's hard to share your best friend and harder to be a friend to someone who isn't a good friend to you. She's also waiting for her new sister to be born -- and hoping the baby doesn't ruin everything. The Hart family is experiencing a lot of changes, and Ryan needs to grow her patience in many ways, find ways to share the love, meet new challenges, and grow into the leader her mom and dad named her to be. This summer and the start of fifth grade just might give Ryan the chance to show how she grows and glows!
Acclaim for Ways to Make Sunshine:
A New York Times Best Children's Book of the Year | A Parents Magazine Best Book of the Year | A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year | A Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year | A Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year | A WORLD Magazine Best Book of the Year | An Amazon Best Book of the Year
Publisher description retrieved from Google Books.
