The Summer My Father Was Ten [Paperback]

That was the summer the boy lost a baseball under a tomato plant in Mr. Bellavista's garden. And someone tossed a tomato back instead of the baseball. A lively battle took place, which seemed like great fun at the time, but in the end Mr. Bellavista's garden had been destroyed. In a touching story of one boy's efforts to make amends, we see the rebuilding of a garden and the forming of a relationship across generations. With luminous, beautifully detailed watercolors, the artist has captured both the sadness and the quiet joy woven throughout the tale.Every year my father and I plant a garden. Tomatoes, peppers, onions, marigold, and zinnias grow in neat, straight rows...and every spring my father tells me about Mr. Bellavista and the summer my father was ten. -From the book.Pat Brissonis the author ofBenny's Pennies, theKatebooks,Hot Fudge Hero, andWanda's Roses, anAmerican Bookseller Pick of the Lists.

Andrea Shineis the illustrator ofBig Band SoundandThe Faraway Drawer, both by Harriett Diller. She lives in Southampton, New York.CN