MILLIE FLEUR'S POISON GARDEN

A girl plants a fantastical idea.

Millie Fleur La Fae and her mom move to Garden Glen, where all the houses are “flawless” and identical—except theirs. Located on the edge of town, it’s run-down and scruffy. Millie Fleur loves it, but something’s missing. Fortunately, Mom brought seeds from Millie Fleur’s old garden, which Millie Fleur plants immediately. They grow quickly, wildly, and weirdly, bearing names like Fanged Fairy Moss and Sore Toothwort. Garden Glen’s Rosebud Club members are displeased; the club’s president dubs them “poisonous.” They’re not, but, as Mom explains, “Some people are scared of things that are different.” Millie Fleur loves her “wild, weird little garden” and invites her classmates to see it. Everyone visits the garden, including the teacher. All concur: Millie Fleur’s garden is “wonderfully weird.” Eventually, thanks to Garden Glen’s Youth Plant and Seed Swap, bits of her garden work their way into other town gardens; soon, they’re no longer identical, making Garden Glen “a truly one-of-a-kind place.” This charming, low-key tale celebrates those who unabashedly find unconventional things exciting and reassures readers that it’s OK to have off-the-beaten-track interests. The digital illustrations brim with fun; readers will be amused by the plants’ bizarre appearances and names. Millie Fleur (who’s reminiscent of Wednesday Addams) and her mom are pale-skinned; background characters are racially diverse.

No poison here; just a garden of delights about someone who improves things in a unique fashion.