Peachaloo in Bloom

Gr 3-7–Caldecott-winner Raschka recounts the story of Peachaloo and her grandmother, Helena Piccolozampa, as they fight to save their town’s land and pool from a greedy out-of-towner and his grandson. Every summer, Peachaloo travels from New York to Fourwords, PA, to stay with her grandmother and spend her days with her best friend Lily. The summer between sixth and seventh grade proves to be an eventful one when Major Gasbag buys the House of Ajax and its surrounding land from Sister Eugenie. When he says he is going to remodel the old mansion and turn the land into a golf course and entertainment complex, Peachaloo and her grandmother set out to find the only two copies of Testament of Winds, Sister Eugenie’s conditions for the sale of the land, but finding the documents proves to be a challenge. Overall, Raschka’s engaging story will win readers’ hearts with its humorous, adventure-filled tale. The narrative bounces around a bit and the occasional artwork use seems a bit dated; however, the use of adjectives as names such Alderman Armwaver and Major Gasbag is a creative characterization tool that readers will find entertaining. All characters are cued white; however, Lily describes a conversation with her father about their last name Schwartz meaning “black” and inquires if they have Black heritage. Some artwork indicates characters possess diverse heritage as well.