Baldwin writes with a genuine voice.” - Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA) “ Where the Watermelons Grow takes a close look at the unpredictable and debilitating nature of schizophrenia.
“Della’s story is a reminder that even under the toughest rinds of troubles we can find the cool, sustaining sweetness of friendship.” - Kirby Larson, author of the Newbery Honor Book Hattie Big Sky “This has a tenderness that will appeal to fans of DiCamillo’s Because of Winn-Dixie.” - Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books This story’s as sweet as Della’s daddy’s watermelons but never saccharine.” - Kirkus Reviews This debut novel gushes with Southern charm. “ first-person narration is realistically earthy without crossing into gritty. ★ “In her debut novel, Baldwin presents a realistic portrayal of life with a mentally ill parent.” - Publishers Weekly (starred review) Hints of sweet magical realism touch Where the Watermelons Grow, balancing this exquisite novel’s bittersweet authenticity.” - Shelf Awareness (starred review) ★ “Cindy Baldwin’s graceful debut is an ode to family and community. Readers will connect with the novel’s well-formed characters and be absorbed by the plot, which pulls no punches but doesn’t overwhelm.” - ALA Booklist (starred review) ★ “Baldwin has written a heartbreaking, yet heartening, story that explores mental illness and its effects on an entire family. A top choice.” - School Library Journal (starred review) This heartfelt story will stay with readers. Middle grade stories about mental illness, particularly those that focus on empathy and acceptance, are rare. ★ “Della’s voice will tug at readers’ heartstrings as she tries to hold her family together. And she knows just how she’ll do it: with a jar of the Bee Lady’s magic honey, which has mended the wounds and woes of Maryville, North Carolina, for generations.īut when the Bee Lady says that the solution might have less to do with fixing Mama’s brain and more to do with healing her own heart, Della must learn that love means accepting her mama just as she is. With her daddy struggling to save the farm and her mama in denial about what’s happening, it’s up to Della to heal her mama for good. That her mama is going to be hospitalized for months like she was last time. When twelve-year-old Della Kelly finds her mother furiously digging black seeds from a watermelon in the middle of the night and talking to people who aren't there, Della worries that it’s happening again-that the sickness that put her mama in the hospital four years ago is back. Fans of The Thing About Jellyfish and A Snicker of Magic will be swept away by Cindy Baldwin’s debut middle grade about a girl coming to terms with her mother’s mental illness.
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