Nina Soni, Master of the Garden

March 1, 2021
Indian American fourth grader Nina Soni can't believe her good luck: Unlike most years, this year, take-your-son-or-daughter-to-work day is sunny and bright and warm. The beautiful weather means that Nina, her younger sister, Kavita, and her best friend, Jay, get to spend the day gardening with Nina's landscape-architect mother. Nina, Kavita, Jay, and their families work together to build three raised beds, one for each of the children to use as their own first garden. Throughout the spring and summer, the kids help one another's gardens thrive. This means finding ecofriendly, humane ways to fend off rabbits, blue jays, mosquitoes, and Japanese beetles. When their vegetables are ready, they share their successful harvests with their neighbors and a local food pantry. Through it all, Nina is determined to learn as much as she can so that she, like her mother, can become a master of the garden. As in previous books in this series, Nina's sincere and circumspect narratorial voice--and her beautifully illustrated lists and asides--renders this story a delight to read. Sheth expertly weaves details about Nina's Indian heritage together with her pride in being a Wisconsinite. However, unlike in previous volumes, the conflicts are largely unrelated to Nina's personal relationships, and the plot meanders a bit, but not enough to deter either Nina's fans or readers new to her world. Plants aren't the only things that grow in this book about perseverance, friendship, and personal growth. (Fiction. 8-12)

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April 1, 2021

Gr 2-4-In the third installment of the "Nina Soni" series, Indian American Nina takes up a new hobby after her school's Take Your Child to Work Day gives her a taste for gardening with her landscape architect mother. Nina (with best friend Jay and little sister Kavita in tow) plunges full steam into a backyard vegetable growing project spanning several months. This thoughtful, entrepreneurial, word-nerd of a fourth grader expands her vocabulary, along with her self-control and patience, as she learns about cultivating vegetables. Nina also tends to her friendship with Jay and bonds with her little sister, with whom she often feels competitive. Thanks to her "list-making mind," Nina is sometimes two steps ahead of others in her eager planning and must realize the importance of cooperating, and being honest with Jay to keep their friendship strong. Readers also are privy to Nina's thoughts as she tries to be a good big sister to a sibling with a polar opposite personality. Kavita's cheerful and fearless approach to life provides comic relief, and Nina's candor with herself and penchant for introspection allow readers to journey beside her as she grows emotionally. The text is peppered with definitions of words important to the story's themes, such as responsibility and relieved, and accompanied by bold, expressive grayscale ink and watercolor illustrations that depict Nina's gardening challenges and successes. VERDICT Nina ultimately discovers that everyone has different talents-from dancing to gardening-and that the lessons she mastered in patience, perseverance, self-calming, creative problem-solving, and responsibility can apply to other parts of her life. Recommended for fiction collections.-Lauren Younger, Univ. of Dallas Lib.

Copyright 2021 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 26, 2021
Grades 2-5 In this sequel to Nina Soni, Former Best Friend (2019) and Nina Soni, Sister Fixer (2020), Nina and Kavita's mother uses Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day to help her daughters and Jay, Nina's best friend, start their own gardens. Creative Kavita sings made-up songs and draws a picture of her garden, while organized Nina compiles lists of supplies and places to sell their excess produce. Throughout the spring, the three kids diligently tend their plots and deal with garden pests. Tempers flare occasionally, but series fans may notice that Nina has become more adept at both friendship and sisterhood. And though initially she's set on selling their excess vegetables, she warms to the idea of sharing them with neighbors and a food pantry. Nina's first-person narrative immediately draws readers into the story, which is illustrated in 15 attractive black-and-white drawings. Readers may pick up gardening tips along the way, but Sheth's main strength is the portrayal of young characters and their relationships. A pleasing early chapter book featuring an Indian American family.

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