{"product_id":"where-the-watermelons-grow-isbn-9780062665867","title":"Where the Watermelons Grow","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFans of \u003cem\u003eThe Thing About Jellyfish\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eA Snicker of Magic\u003c\/em\u003e will be swept away by Cindy Baldwin’s debut middle grade about a girl coming to terms with her mother’s mental illness.\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eAn Oregon Spirit Award Honor book. \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhen twelve-year-old Della Kelly finds her mother furiously digging black seeds from a watermelon in the middle of the night and talking to people who aren't there, Della worries that it’s happening again—that the sickness that put her mama in the hospital four years ago is back. That her mama is going to be hospitalized for months like she was last time.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWith her daddy struggling to save the farm and her mama in denial about what’s happening, it’s up to Della to heal her mama for good. And she knows just how she’ll do it: with a jar of the Bee Lady’s magic honey, which has mended the wounds and woes of Maryville, North Carolina, for generations.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBut when the Bee Lady says that the solution might have less to do with fixing Mama’s brain and more to do with healing her own heart, Della must learn that love means accepting her mama just as she is.\u003c\/p\u003e | \u003cp\u003e“[Della’s] first-person narration is realistically earthy without crossing into gritty. This debut novel gushes with Southern charm. This story’s as sweet as Della’s daddy’s watermelons but never saccharine.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Della’s story is a reminder that even under the toughest rinds of troubles we can find the cool, sustaining sweetness of friendship.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eKirby Larson, author of the Newbery Honor Book Hattie Big Sky\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e★ “Della’s voice will tug at readers’ heartstrings as she tries to hold her family together. Middle grade stories about mental illness, particularly those that focus on empathy and acceptance, are rare. This heartfelt story will stay with readers. A top choice.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eSchool Library Journal (starred review)\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“This has a tenderness that will appeal to fans of DiCamillo’s \u003cem\u003eBecause of Winn-Dixie\u003c\/em\u003e.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eBulletin of the Center for Children’s Books\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“\u003cem\u003eWhere the Watermelons Grow \u003c\/em\u003etakes a close look at the unpredictable and debilitating nature of schizophrenia. Baldwin writes with a genuine voice.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eVoice of Youth Advocates (VOYA)\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“\u003cem\u003eWhere the Watermelons Grow\u003c\/em\u003e is a spot-on, insightful novel about a preteen learning to live with and accept a parent’s mental illness.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eBookPage.com\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e★ “Cindy Baldwin’s graceful debut is an ode to family and community. Hints of sweet magical realism touch \u003cem\u003eWhere the Watermelons Grow\u003c\/em\u003e, balancing this exquisite novel’s bittersweet authenticity.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eShelf Awareness (starred review)\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e★ “Baldwin has written a heartbreaking, yet heartening, story that explores mental illness and its effects on an entire family. Readers will connect with the novel’s well-formed characters and be absorbed by the plot, which pulls no punches but doesn’t overwhelm.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eALA Booklist (starred review)\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e★ “In her debut novel, Baldwin presents a realistic portrayal of life with a mentally ill parent.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly (starred review)\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Quill Tree Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44888463868133,"sku":"NP9780062665867","price":16.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780062665867.jpg?v=1730229141","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/products\/where-the-watermelons-grow-isbn-9780062665867","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}