When a young girl's family falls on hard times, she is sent to live with her uncle in the city. Lydia Grace helps with his bakery and tries to bring cheer to the household. Accustomed to working in the garden with her grandmother, Lydia Grace grows plants with seeds sent by her grandmother. She anticipates filling the window boxes and bare spaces with plants. She finds a special place to grow a whole garden - the rooftop - and secretly grows her garden as a surprise.

The story is told largely through the pictures along with letters Lydia Grace sends back home. There is much humor related to the girl's liveliness and spirit. It's also a little emotional as she is first separated from her family and then her uncle and friends she has grown to love in the city.

related-gardening, gardens, writing letters
RL=1st-2nd, read aloud to preK-1st