by Lois Lenski
First published 2011
Birdie and her family arrive in Florida with dreams of cultivating their own farm. The harsh climate tests them at every turn. Scorching heat wilts their crops. Sudden droughts parch the soil. Unexpected cold snaps threaten their plants. Their neighbors, the Slaters, create even more trouble. These hostile families refuse to fence their livestock, allowing animals to destroy carefully tended gardens and fields. The Slaters want to drive Birdie's family away from their land. Birdie refuses to abandon her vision of growing strawberries in this challenging place. Her family stands firm against the pressure from their aggressive neighbors. Through seasons of setbacks and small victories, they work to establish their farm and claim their place on the Florida frontier. This story captures the determination required to build a new life in an unforgiving landscape.
Genres: family-life, american-fiction, 20th-century, agriculture
Vibes: atmospheric, emotional, thought-provoking
Tropes: determination, family, perseverance
Setting: Florida
Period: 20th-century
204 pages · ebook · Open Road Media Teen & Tween