The Mysterious Pumpkin Patch
by Joanna Kluever
April 15, 2008
George Richardson will be here at the Library on Saturday, April 19 at 10:00 a.m. to share his first published book, The Mysterious Pumpkin Patch. George is a former elementary teacher, and the current Assistant Principal at a Middle School with the Rockford Public Schools. Saturday morning, he'll do a read-aloud of his story, share drafts and stages of his work, discuss his experience in publishing, then offer copies of the book for sale and signing for anyone interested.
What is The Mysterious Pumpkin Patch about?
The Mysterious Pumpkin Patch is about a farmer who invested his hard work into growing fine pumpkins, only to have the pumpkins turn out to be a "bad crop". The pumpkins are very different to what ordinary pumpkins should look like. "The farmer contemplates plowing them under because he is too embarrassed for anyone to see them. A crop like this could ruin his reputation as a pumpkin farmer." Meanwhile, some unexpected visitors stop by the pumpkin patch and see the unusual pumpkins, and they love them. They convince the disappointed farmer that all the children would love his unusual pumpkins "because they 'were not ordinary, but different'". And they did.
This story teaches everyone about respecting diversity. It teaches children that it's all right to be different. It teaches that each person has a special place and purpose in society and how a person looks has nothing to do with that person's ability to be successful in life. It teaches children that they do not have to act like everyone else to be accepted. It teaches children not to follow the crowd, but to stand out and chart their own separate course in life. And finally, it teaches that a person's uniqueness, whatever it is, can sometimes be a rich reward.
This story is positive and very touching. It shows that children can be a great
If you would like to order the book online, click on either of the links below to order:
Barns and Noble Book Stores:
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbninquiry.asp?r=1&ean=9781434353795
Amazon Book Stores:
