Join the Barrington community in reading this year's Book of the Summer: Growing Home by Beth Ferry.
Inside Number 3 Ramshorn Drive lives Jillian, her goldfish, two house plants, a spider, and a bit of magic...
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, who has been 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 fish tank 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?
Find Growing Home in print, e-book, and e-audiobook formats.
Discussion Questions:
How do the illustrations help tell parts of the story that aren't in the text?
How does each character's personality help or hurt the team's efforts? Could they have succeeded without one of them?
How does Jillian treat the plants, animals, and other living things she brings into her home? Would you want Jillian as a friend?
Which character do you think grew or changed the most?
What does the story teach us about friendship and teamwork?
Do you think the magical powers were a gift or a problem?
How would the story change if the magical powers did not exist? Could the characters still save the Tupper family?
Imagine you could give one new magical power to one of the characters. What would it be, and how would it affect the story?
Book of the Summer Badge:
Read the book and complete suggested activities to earn our Book of the Summer Badge! Sign up for Summer Reading today!
Activities:
Read the Book of the Summer, Growing Home by Beth Ferry.
Read another book written by Beth Ferry. What did you read?
Draw a picture of one of the characters from Growing Home. Who did you draw? Send us a picture at ys@balibrary.org.
Write a review for Growing Home. What did you think?
Plant some seeds or a starter plant! What are you growing?
Play a game of soccer or watch one on TV!
Help us design our Toasty in Youth Services! Pick up a scale to color at the Youth Services desk.
What would your superpower be if Toasty splashed you?
Toasty's favorite snacks are cheese puffs and frozen peas. Make a list of all your favorite snacks.
Ollie finds inspiration in song lyrics. Listen to some of your favorite songs to find a positive saying. What did you discover?
Read a book about rainbows or a color in it. What did you learn?
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