Spectatular Meadow (eBook)
80 Seiten
Publishdrive (Verlag)
9781969563805 (ISBN)
Ten-year-old Emily Burman never expected her summer to begin with a scraped knee, a stern librarian, and a mysterious meadow full of star-shaped flowers. Fresh from a faraway home and adjusting to small-town life in Spring Hollow, Emily finds herself taken in by the retired librarian Adrienne Knight-whose garden hides more than just beautiful blooms.
What starts as a simple act of kindness soon draws Emily into a world of discovery. Together, she and Miss Knight nurture caterpillars into butterflies, build garden displays that sparkle under the night sky, and face down old prejudices that threaten to spoil the magic of Spectacular Meadow. Through summer gardening, county fairs, and unexpected friendships, Emily learns the value of courage, kindness, and belonging.
Spectacular Meadow is a heartfelt middle-grade novel that blends the charm of a classic summer story with lessons about acceptance, intergenerational friendships, and the beauty of nature. Perfect for fans of Because of Winn-Dixie, Anne of Green Gables, or The Vanderbeekers, it celebrates the bonds that form when people dare to reach across differences.
Step into Emily's summer in Spring Hollow-filled with gardens, butterflies, and quiet acts of bravery that transform lives.
➡️ Begin reading Spectacular Meadow today and experience a story that proves even the smallest kindness can bloom into something extraordinary.
Ten-year-old Emily Burman never expected her summer to begin with a scraped knee, a stern librarian, and a mysterious meadow full of star-shaped flowers. Fresh from a faraway home and adjusting to small-town life in Spring Hollow, Emily finds herself taken in by the retired librarian Adrienne Knight-whose garden hides more than just beautiful blooms.What starts as a simple act of kindness soon draws Emily into a world of discovery. Together, she and Miss Knight nurture caterpillars into butterflies, build garden displays that sparkle under the night sky, and face down old prejudices that threaten to spoil the magic of Spectacular Meadow. Through summer gardening, county fairs, and unexpected friendships, Emily learns the value of courage, kindness, and belonging.Spectacular Meadow is a heartfelt middle-grade novel that blends the charm of a classic summer story with lessons about acceptance, intergenerational friendships, and the beauty of nature. Perfect for fans of Because of Winn-Dixie, Anne of Green Gables, or The Vanderbeekers, it celebrates the bonds that form when people dare to reach across differences.Step into Emily s summer in Spring Hollow filled with gardens, butterflies, and quiet acts of bravery that transform lives.?? Begin reading Spectacular Meadow today and experience a story that proves even the smallest kindness can bloom into something extraordinary.
Chapter 1
Miss Knight Has An Unexpected Visitor
Adrienne Knight had just finished carefully pulling the last bit of grass from her bed of Star of Bethlehem flowers at the far end of her lawn. The lawn ran down the slope to Spectacular Meadow, the field where the tiny town Spring Hollow held carnivals, county fairs, and even a hot air balloon ascension or two. The grass was dotted with tiny, star-shaped flowers that went well with the tall spikes of Star of Bethlehem plants. As she straightened her back, she heard a small squeak of pain, followed by jeering laughter.
“Those Ryarson boys!” she muttered under her breath. “At it again!”
The voices grew louder as she hurried to the street side of her lawn as fast as her aching knees would let her go. She could see two heads poking above her red rambling rose plant that grew next to the front gate. One of the heads was sandy blond, the other the color of a new copper penny.
“Theodore Andrew Ryarson! Mathew Elias Ryarson! I see both of you. What are you doing?”
The voices were still for a minute, then Theodore, the older one, the one with the sandy blond hair said, “We ain’t doin’ nothin’, Miz Knight. We’re just havin’ a bit of fun.”
Adrienne could hear a soft, breathy sob. She opened the picket gate as far as the overgrown roses would allow and looked out at the cracked sidewalk. A little girl struggled to sit up. Her legs were stretched out in front of her. She wore high-topped red and white tennis shoes with clamp-on roller skates attached to them. One dark tanned knee was bleeding, and tears streaked a sweet, heart-shaped face the color of Miss Knight’s favorite India tea. One long dark braid was looped up and held in place by a red bow just above one ear, but the other braid had pulled loose, and was caught up in a rose bramble. All of this was a surprise in this neighborhood where the Ryarsons and Jenkins bragged about having run off anyone not of Irish, German, English, or Scottish descent. But the biggest surprise of all came when the child looked up at her with terrified eyes the color of her best blue violets.
“You will not be having that kind of fun in front of my house, Theodore. Nor will you, Mathew. You two boys get along home now. I’ll come talk to your mother in just a little while.”
“Aww, Miss Knight,” Mathew whined. “Not with Mom. She’ll ground us for sure, an’ make us wash dishes all summer.”
Washing dishes at the Ryarson house was no idle threat. There were eight boys and not a single girl in the household, so it was no wonder that Becky Ryarson used any excuse she could get to make the boys help with the washing up. “That is no more than you deserve, Mathew, for teasing a little girl half your size.”
“You could talk to Dad,” Theodore said hopefully.
“Not a chance,” Miss Knight replied. “Your Dad might just encourage you. You’ve been in Mrs. McCorkle’s counseling circles often enough to know that teasing others is no way to behave.”
Theodore swallowed once. “Come on, Mathew,” he said. “No point in making it worse than it already is.”
The two boys set off down the street, loping like long-legged gazelles that had just been told off by a lioness. Adrienne squatted down next to the girl, wincing as her knees popped, and carefully began untangling the long, dark braid.
“You won’t have to cut it, will you?” the little girl asked.
“No, I don’t think so,” Adrienne replied absently, carefully extracting the braid from the clutches of the hooked barbs. “Although,” she added keeping her face perfectly straight, “you might have to wear roses in your hair for a day or two.”
“I guess that wouldn’t be so bad. Thank you for making them stop. I was really scared.”
“Big boys can be kind of scary,” Adrienne agreed. “I’m Miss Knight. I used to be the school librarian, until I retired last year. Those two were always up to mischief. They come by it honestly, being the youngest two in a big family.”
“I guess . . .” the child commented. “My name is Emily Ann Burman,” she introduced herself. “It’s nice to meet you, Miss Knight.”
“And very nice to meet you, Miss Burman. Would you like to come up to my porch so I can look at that knee? And maybe call someone to come get you. I think it is going to hurt to walk for a bit, let alone roller skate.”
“I’ve hurt myself worse,” Emily said. “But it would be nice to get the gravel out of it. And maybe get a drink of water?”
“I will see what I can do,” Adrienne said. Her knees crackled and popped as she stood up, but she reached down and gave the girl a hand up.
The child wobbled on her skates for a minute, then said, “I guess it wouldn’t be a bad idea to call Mama and tell her where I am. It does kind of hurt.”
“Come on up. I’ll get the first aid kit and my cell phone.”
Adrienne helped the girl sit on the porch swing, then went inside. On an impulse, she grabbed up two pre-wrapped breakfast bars and a bottle of lemonade from the package of six she had purchased the day before. Time was she would have given the child home-made cookies and fresh-squeezed lemonade, but you did not give someone else’s kid home-made anything these days.
She placed the goodies on a tray, along with the first aid supplies and her cell phone, then hurried back out to the porch. The girl had pulled off her shoes, skates and all. She was wearing mis-matched socks, one of which had a picture of the older girl from Frozen on it, and the other a picture of Scooby, wearing his most foolish doggie grin. If Adrienne had known the girl better, she would have commented on the socks, but since she did not know why the socks were mis-matched, she let it alone.
“Here you are,” she said, handing Emily the cell phone. “Do you know how to use it?”
The child nodded. “It is just like Papa’s and Mama’s. They got one for me when they got theirs, but I dropped it over the side of the big boat, and they haven’t had time to get a new one.”
Adrienne set the tray on its folding legs. “Are you allergic to anything?” she asked.
“No, I do not think so.” Emily blinked those huge violet eyes that were framed by long, thick curling eyelashes.
Adrienne undid a packaged wipe. “Here. You can wash your face and hands with this, then there is a bottle of lemonade and some breakfast bars for you.”
“I don’t want to eat your breakfast,” Emily said.
“You are not,” Adrienne said gently. “I had my breakfast hours ago. These are extras.”
“Oh. Then, thank you! Mama and my United States Grandmama were fighting when I went out to roller skate.”
“That doesn’t sound like very much fun for you,” Adrienne commented, gently using a first aid wipe to begin cleaning the skinned knee. “All the same, I think you should call home and let them know where you are.”
Emily picked up the cell phone and began punching in numbers while Adrienne picked gravel out of the child’s knee. “Mama?” the girl said into the phone. “I fell down, and a kind lady gave me breakfast and is fixing my knee.” There was a pause, followed by muffled voice sounds from the other end of the phone. “She says she is Miss Knight, and that she used to be the school librarian.” The girl put her thumb over the phone’s receiver, looked down. “My mama says thank you, and can she talk to you?”
“Yes, of course,” Adrienne replied. “I will be glad to speak with her.” Adrienne took the phone. “Hello?”
The voice that issued from the phone was a familiar one. No surprise, since she had given library lessons and checked out books to most of the people in Spring Hollow. “Miss Knight? Thank you so much for taking care of my daughter. She slipped out while my mother and I were arguing. I have been worried sick.”
“I’m glad I could help. But can you help me out, dear? Your voice is familiar, but I cannot quite place it.”
“I’m Maddie Burman. I used to be Maddie Jenkins. It has been a while.”
Indeed, it had been quite a while. Maddie had run away her senior year in high school, enrolled in Job Corps, and then signed up with a missionary outfit that was going to India. “How are you, Maddie? Was the job all you had hoped it would be?”
“All, and more, Miss Knight. I met my husband there. But the school had to close last year. My husband and I moved in with his mother, and we took care of her until she passed away.”
“I am sorry for your loss,” Adrienne said.
“Oh, so are we,” Maddie Burman replied. “She was a grand lady, and we miss her. She had hoped to leave the house to us, but her medical bills took everything. We didn’t tell her, just kept her comfortable.”
“So, are you back in the States to stay?” Adrienne asked.
“Yes. Chet has a work permit and will be attending the university in Springfield in the fall.”
“That is wonderful, Maddie. Are you glad to be home?”
“I might be as soon as we have our own house. Mom is not pleased with me at the moment. Can I ask a favor of you?”
“Of course.”
“Miss Knight, I need someone to look after Emily during the day while I’m at work and Chet is at work and at school. I know it is a lot to ask, but could you . . .?”
Adrienne thought for a moment. “I am sure I can. You might need to help pay for food. A teacher’s retirement is not exactly...
| Erscheint lt. Verlag | 3.10.2025 |
|---|---|
| Sprache | englisch |
| Themenwelt | Kinder- / Jugendbuch ► Bilderbücher ► Religiöse Bilderbücher |
| Schlagworte | Books about butterflies and ecology for kids • Gardening and nature for kids • Heartwarming diverse family fiction • Middle-grade summer friendship novel • Overcoming prejudice middle-grade fiction • Small-town intergenerational stories • Uplifting stories for 9–12 year olds |
| ISBN-13 | 9781969563805 / 9781969563805 |
| Informationen gemäß Produktsicherheitsverordnung (GPSR) | |
| Haben Sie eine Frage zum Produkt? |
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