DyAnne DiSalvo-Ryan

"When an abandoned house on her street is torn down, Marcy feels saddened by its loss. But then an idea strikes her: She enlists the aid of several grown-up neighbors and rents the vacant lot from the city for the price of $1. Working together with materials like leftover yellow paint and surplus wood, the residents create a community garden and plant it with a variety of flowers, fruits, and vegetables. Even Old Man Hammer, initially resistant to the plan and unwilling to help in any way, is drawn in by Marcy's goodwill and gentle perseverance. The illustrations, if not mesmerizing, capture the slightly gritty, faded look of the urban landscape adequately. The story is followed by a set of practical and helpful guidelines on how to start a community garden, which may inspire young green thumbs and civic-minded kids to get involved. An optimistic tale that manages to be both encouraging yet realistic about how to do some good in your very own backyard. (Picture book. 5+)" www..kirkusreviews.com… (mere)

Uncle Willie is a volunteer at a soup kitchen in his town. He invites his nephew to come with him to see what goes on. At first the little boy is shy and uncomfortable, however, by the end of the day when he sees the impact he had on others, his attitude quickly changes. This story gives an inside perspective of what goes on in a soup kitchen and the kind of people that go there. One of the main details I enjoyed in this story were the illustrations. I felt that they were very appropriate for the mood and tone of the book. They corresponded really well with the message the author was trying to convey on each page.… (mere)