Bound To Stay Bound

School Library Journal - 11/01/2025 Gr 2–4—From food to flowers, readers will discover new plants and how to take care of them in this series. Each title opens with a table of contents and a narrative describing a character's experience in the garden: "Jack's mom said they could start a garden. Jack would have fresh herbs to use." Each title has three chapters with full-page color photos and diagrams followed by a full or half-page of text. Pictures are captioned throughout while each chapter engages readers with "point of view" questions, short answer prompts, and boxed facts, like: "Many people think of tomatoes and cucumbers as vegetables. But scientifically, these plants are fruits!" While the length may be intimidating for younger readers, the font is large, and pictures and diagrams break up the text. The final pages include an index, online resources, and a glossary of words that are in bold throughout. VERDICT Great for elementary readers who love plants or need research material about gardening. - Copyright 2025 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Booklist - 04/01/2026 *Starred Review* Itching for spring? Warm up the shelves with the new Growing Gardens series, which offers great introductions to young readers curious about different types of gardens and developing their green thumbs. Each title is divided into three chapters with clear text on white background and new vocabulary highlighted in green letters and defined in a glossary. A fictional story begins each volume with a relatable scenario involving a child and plants. Vegetable Gardens is the perfect introduction to traditional gardening and will teach readers how to read seed packs, the importance of weeding, and how to harvest food. Simple and straightforward, the educational offerings in this series highlight families gardening together and serve as accessible guides for established readers who are ready to dig deeper into gardening practices. - Copyright 2026 Booklist.