Wanda's Roses

Title: Wanda's Roses
Author: Pat Brisson
Illustrator: Maryann Cocca-Leffler
Date of Publication: 1994
Award Won: Christopher Award and the Paterson Prize for Books for Young People
Age recommendation: 4 to 8
Group represented: a community of neighbors


This book is about a young girl named Wanda, who discovers what she thinks to be a rosebush in an empty, trash filled, lot in her neighborhood. Wanda clears away the trash from the lot to give the plant room to grow and so it will get enough sunlight. She waters the plant to get it to bloom with beautiful roses, despite her many neighbors who don't believe in her rose bush. Wanda realizes that her rose bush may not bloom flowers so she decides to give her rose bush flowers that she has made. She invites all her neighbors to view her "blooming" rose bush. All the neighbors end up bring other rose bushes and they plant them in the emptly lot. Due to Wanda's belief in her rose bush she has helped transform an empty, trash-filled lot, into a garden.



This book could be used in a classroom to talk to children about service projects and cleaning up the enviornment. The book is also a good reminder that you should believe in yourself and your dreams. The book could also be used in part with a science lesson on plants and that plants, need, water, sun, and air to live and grow.