DIANA’S WHITE HOUSE GARDEN
Based on a true story
Illustrated by Jen Hill
Viking Books for Young Readers 2016
Diana Hopkins lived in a white house.
THE White House.
World War II is in full force across the seas. It's 1943, President Roosevelt is in office, and Diana's father, Harry Hopkins, is his chief advisor. And Diana wants to be part of the war effort. After some well-intentioned missteps (her quarantine sign on her father's office door was not well-received), the President requests her help with his newest plan for the country's survival: Victory Gardens!
From award-winning author Elisa Carbone comes the true story of how Diana Hopkins started her own Victory Garden on the White House lawn under the tutelage of Eleanor Roosevelt. With dedication and patience, she showed the nation that the war effort started first on the homefront.
Review excerpts:
“A cheerful mix of gardening, history and patriotism…Along with Hill’s charming pencil and gouache illustrations full of homey retro details, Carbone’s story gently humanizes history, reminding us that children are a part of it, too.” - New York Times Book Review
“Carbone's straightforward text features just the right details to engage children. It is complemented by Hill's mix of simple line drawings and muted colors that evoke the era's austerity. . . . An important piece of our history brought down to a child's level.” - Kirkus Reviews
”A 10-year-old living in President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s White House finds a way to contribute to the WWII effort in Carbone’s (Heroes of the Surf) endearing picture book, based on a true story. . . . An author’s note includes a photograph of a young Diana with Eleanor Roosevelt and offers more information about the success of the WWII Victory Garden movement.”
- Publisher’s Weekly
”Carbone's depiction is lively and entertaining. Jen Hill's line drawings with muted gray and pastels add to the austerity of the period. Students will learn how small efforts can have greater results as well as see a human side of World War II's home front.”
- School Library Connection *Starred Review
Awards and Honors:
Winner 2017 Storytelling World Resource Awards Honor
Top 10 nominee Missouri Show-Me Reader Award 2018-2019
Top 20 nominee 2017-18 Georgia Children's Book Award (Picture Storybook)
Nominee 2017-18 Triple Crown Gallery Award
A Junior Library Guild Selection
Amazon Best Book of the Month (May 2016)
*Starred Review School Library Connection