A winning story that charmingly depicts one girl's sheer determination to achieve a goal and honor her late mother.

Mildred loves going to the Circleville Pumpkin Show every October to
look at the giant pumpkins. Her mother, who died when Mildred was 6, was Pumpkin Show Queen in the 11th grade and often mused that she should try growing a giant pumpkin. Since her mother's death, Mildred has grown pumpkins every year trying to nurture one for the contest. At age 11she so far hasn't successfully grown a qualified pumpkin but she has learned a lot about how to raise them. This year, after much anguish caring for this year's pumpkins and clashing with her Aunt Arlene about growing up, Mildred wins the contest with her first entry, one that weighs1,401 pounds. As Aunt Arlene observes, "I think by tending to those pumpkins, she was tending to her grief." Narrative nicely captures Mildred's healthy determination to achieve her goals.
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I loved this book! It was selected as a SSYRA book for 2009-10 school year. Very quick to read, very sweet and humorous. Great book for kids! ( )

I loved this book! It was selected as a SSYRA book for 2009-10 school year. Very quick to read, very sweet and humorous. Great book for kids! ( )

Can't help but like a book about giant pumpkins set in Circleville, but the details were suspiciously similar to Janet Bauer's Squashed... ( )

Reviewed by Julie M. Prince for TeensReadToo.com

Mildred dreams big dreams in the shape of a pumpkin. This may seem strange to some people, and it especially does to her Aunt Arlene, who's convinced Mildred should start acting and dressing like girls her own age. It's not normal, according to Aunt Arlene, for 11-year-old girls to spend every single summer cultivating a tiny seed and trying to grow it into a giant pumpkin. Even if it is to win the Circleville Pumpkin Show's giant pumpkin contest.

But to Mildred, it makes perfect sense for her to try to make her mother's wish come true. The former Pumpkin Show Queen died when Mildred was only six, but Mildred still remembers how much she loved those huge pumpkins, and that she'd mentioned a desire to take home the prize for the largest pumpkin.

So, with the help of her veterinarian father and her best friend, Jacob, Mildred once again sets out on her pumpkin growing adventure, with her eye on the prize.

Librarians across the country are already selecting this book as a top choice for young students, and I can see why. The narrative voice is strong, and Mildred's control over her own world is enviable. Some challenges on her road to success bring the story home and have the reader rooting for the little girl with the big dreams.

Look for this genuinely sweet read on the shelves! ( )