“We Are Growing,” by Laurie Keller
Hyperion Books for Children, New York, 2016, 64 pages, Grades K-2.
Growing up is a difficult task. In elementary school, students always want to become older, bigger and more talented. In literature, this is shown by the students wanting to read “chapter books,” not just those old picture books. You know, the fun ones!
Librarians understand this tendency and try to help young readers find longer books that they can read. In the early grades, students are continuously looking to see who is the tallest, fastest and most popular. It becomes a problem when children do not value themselves appropriately.
In this award-winning book, “We Are Growing,” Laurie Keller takes on these problems with a humorous story about eight blades of grass growing up.
The story begins with one of the blades of grass realizing that it has grown taller. Surprised, the blade tells his fellow yard mates that he has gotten taller. Now all the blades of grass pay attention. Everyone wants something to be important about them. They compare their height, color and appearance with each other.
They measure the one blade of grass and all exclaim in unison, “You did grow.” This blade of grass instantly grows cocky and smugly tells the other blades of grass how easy it is to grow and become important. Sagely turning to his friends, he states that growing up is hard work.
No sooner are the words out of his mouth than another blade of grass shouts out that he has just grown as well. Now the commotion just doesn’t stop. All the blades of grass feel and see that they are growing. They all begin bragging that they are the tallest, the sharpest, the pointiest, etc.
Each blade has something very special about them except one blade of grass. His name is Walt and he can’t think of anything that makes him special. His friends try to get him to think of something that sets him apart from all the other blades of grass. He tries and tries but just can’t think of anything he is good at. Soon he is sweating and having mental anxiety. Walt wonders who he is. Is he really important? All the other blades of grass clearly have something that sets them apart. Why is he special?
Suddenly, an ominous noise can be heard on the lawn. It is a large machine with wheels and seems to be cutting the grass. All the blades of grass start trembling. What happens next?
Does the lawn mower cut down all the eight blades of grass? What happens to all of their ideas of worth? What happens to Walt? Does he find value in himself after the lawn mower is finished with all the blades of grass?
Have you ever felt that you were not important? Who helped you understand how valuable you are in your family? What does Walt learn about himself? To find out the answers to these and other questions, go to the library and check out this funny story, “We Are Growing” by Laurie Keller.
“We Are Growing” was just awarded the Theodore Seuss Geisel Award as the Most Distinguished Beginning Reader Award for 2017 by the American Library Association. Named after the famed Dr. Seuss, the Geisel Award helps teachers and parents realize the importance of helping beginning readers find short novels that can spark their interest in reading.
Laurie Keller addresses many of the early anxieties young children have in the primary grades. Are they valuable? Do people like them? Can they succeed in school? The story is so funny and delightful that children will be laughing as Keller comforts them about their own fears. This is no small feat.
I hope you get a chance to read this charming book with a member of your family!
