New Book Alert - First Garden: The White House Garden

    I'm always on the lookout for fresh trade books to suggest and share which tie in content area studies. As a former second grade teacher, I truly loved coordinating the extensive Roots and Shoots program for the second grade for many years. I've been at the school since the garden's inception by the generous work of the Williamsburg Master Gardeners, parents, and community volunteers. It's amazing how much learning can occur in science and all subject areas in this outdoor lab. Reading and writing are obviously a passion for me, but nature appreciation and gardening has always been a favorite aspect of my teaching career, too. There are so many nature appreciating teachers at our school that it makes me quite happy to know the love of gardening lives on!   Our retired music teacher and master gardener Mrs. Genrose Lashinger leads the care and volunteerism of the garden, and we couldn't do it without her!

    I saw an interesting update on Reading Rocket's Facebook page about a new trade book that was just released by Clarion Books yesterday on April 4th. It is called First Garden: The White House Garden and How It Grew, and it is written and illustrated by Robbin Gourley. This nonfiction book gives some history of the outdoor spaces of the White House property, and then goes into the history of gardens over the years at the White House as well. The book focuses its attention on the current outdoor vegetable garden which was spearheaded by the First Lady Michelle Obama. In the blog Obama Foodorama, blogger Eddie Gehman Kohan reports about the book. She also shares that the First Lady will be penning her own book from Crown Publishers and is scheduled to be released during April of 2012. First Lady Michelle Obama has made healthy eating and active lifestyles for children her charge in her role at the White House, and the publicity generated from the various gardening activities supports her initiative. This book can be used in conjunction to learning about gardening, historical activities at the White House, and healthy eating habits.

     If you would like to know of some other nonfiction and fiction resources that can be tied into particular aspects of your garden infused studies, just come by or email me! I love giving suggestions! :)