Giant Pumpkin Suite [Hardcover]

Who are you, if you can’t be what you always expected? A moving coming-of-age tale of prodigy and community, unlikely friendship and growing things.

Twelve-year-old Rose Brutigan has grown seven inches in the last eight months. She’s always been different from her twin brother, Thomas, but now she towers over him in too many ways. The gap in their interests continues to widen as well. Musically talented Rose is focused on winning the upcoming Bach Cello Suites Competition, while happy-go-lucky Thomas has taken up the challenge of growing a giant pumpkin in the yard of their elderly neighbor, Mr. Pickering. But when a serious accident changes the course of the summer, Rose is forced to grow and change in ways she never could have imagined. Along the way there’s tap dancing and classic musicals, mail-order worms and neighborhood-sourced compost, fresh-squeezed lemonade, the Minnesota State Fair — and an eclectic cast of local characters that readers will fall in love with.There's abundant warmth, humor, and heart in this charmer, and readers will root for both characters and pumpkin. A winning debut.
—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

In a warmhearted debut novel, Hill shows what happens when a serious-minded girl is forced to reevaluate her priorities and reach out to others...Offering distinctive characters, a relatable plot, and some useful gardening tips, Hill’s story promotes connectivity in neighborhoods and communities.
—Publishers Weekly

The book is a bittersweet tribute to the experience of growing up in a close-knit neighborhood; characters are written with care and depth...Fans of Sharon Creech’s Moo and other books about intergenerational friendship will enjoy this book.
—School Library Journal

The story is filled with a diverse cast of characters, and the twins live in a multi-generational household...music lovers will connect with Rose, and readers who make itl³Ž