About This Book:
An unlikely team of talkative plants, a curious spider, and a grumpy goldfish use their newfound magical abilities to defend their family from a greedy human in this charming middle grade novel from New York Times bestselling author Beth Ferry, with illustrations from the award-winning Fan brothers.
Ivy is the beloved houseplant of young Jillian Tupper of Number 3 Ramshorn Drive, much to the constant dismay of Toasty the goldfish, who is technically the family pet—swimming in his special place of honor, the antique octagonal fish tank—and should be the most loved. It seems that’s how the cookie (or cheese puffs, in Toasty’s case) crumbles in the curious Tupper household, but soon a sequence of thrilling and magical events challenges that way of life forever.
First, there’s the arrival of Arthur, a knowledgeable spider with a broken leg and a curious mind, hidden in an old typewriter. Then Jillian throws everyone for a loop when she brings home dear, sweet Ollie, a school houseplant who just wants to be friends and sing. When Toasty splashes the plants with his tank water out of frustration, the friends learn that they can do magical things—like lift heavy objects and turn things invisible!
It turns out Toasty’s fishtank isn’t just for fish; it was made by a curious inventor who gave it special powers that, in the wrong hands, could disrupt everything forever. And a curious man with purple shoes just so happens to want that tank at any cost. Can Ivy, Toasty, Arthur, and Ollie grow to be friends in time to work together to save their beloved Tupper family from utter ruin?
*Review Contributed By Connie Reid, Staff Reviewer*
Charming book full of potential
Growing Home is a charming story about a cantankerous fish, two plants, and a spider that possess magic powers through a special fish tank. This book features impressive vocabulary choices that transform this gentle tale into a powerful resource for learning potential. It would make a terrific read-aloud for younger elementary students. The story is not hard to follow and has cute illustrations with a sweet message about found family.
Throughout reading this story, I kept imagining how well it would lend itself to a theater adaptation. These characters are unlikely heroes and have big personalities for ones so small. It would also work well for reluctant readers because of the size, font of text, illustrations, and small chapters (sometimes half a page) make you feel like you are zooming through the book while still being a respectable size for older children.
Overall, this was a cute, quick read featuring an adorably grumpy Toasty the fish and his friends. If you like Oscar the Grouch vibes, this book is a great choice for you.
