Disclosure: I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Are you a berry lover? What is your favorite berry? Mine is blueberries. Perhaps that is why I'm so excited to share today's book. The book is I Love Blueberries! by Shannon Anderson and illustrated by Jaclyn Sinquett. A few years ago, I reviewed their other book: I Love Strawberries! It is recommended for 5- to 9-year-olds. At the end of this post I have a roundup of blueberry recipes and crafts.

From the Publisher:

Jolie LOVES blueberries and is determined to grow her own using hydroponics with her new friend Margot.

Told through Jolie’s comical scrapbook-style journal entries and Margot’s creative sketchbook, young readers will learn how they create a plan and work together to not only grow blueberries but also develop a new friendship. This heartwarming story emphasizes the value of friendship, a theme that will resonate with young readers.

With the help of Jolie’s faithful rabbit, Munchy, and Margot’s dog, Pip, plans are underway to bring the whole class together to convince the community to help them set up a hydroponics growing station in their classroom. Filled with engaging facts about blueberries, hydroponics, poetry, and a heartwarming theme of friendship, I LOVE BLUEBERRIES is not just a delightful read, but also a valuable educational resource. It's a must-have for any bookshelf, promising to spark curiosity and promote learning.

Informational backmatter includes facts about blueberry nutrition, growing blueberries, and hydroponics. This story makes a great read before a family trip to a pick-your-own blueberry farm, a garden store, or in a classroom, talking about healthy eating and growing your own food.

From Me:

This is a fun book! It has a story as well as the girls' journal entries and schoolwork. I love that Margot is from Maine and tells her classmates about the Maine blueberries. It is a nice tie in with state information. Margot and Jolie are fast friends and seem well suited for each other. Margot is the new girl and is adjusting to her family's move. Operation Blue brings them together and they quickly discover their similar interests.

A wonderful extra in this story is the STEM part of growing the blueberries with hydroponics. Hydroponics uses nutrient full water instead of soil and grows the plants inside. At the back of the book there is information about hydroponics and even a bit about how to start it yourself (with or without a kit). It also has nutritional information about blueberries! This book would have been a perfect addition when we did our fruit exploration and studied blueberries.

As a teacher I also love that Jolie and Margot involved their entire class to try to get the supplies needed to grow blueberries with hydroponics. Their teacher Mr. Clover already grows strawberries with hydroponics that he was able to get through a grant. The girls asked him if the class could do a presentation with some invited guests. The local businesses and their parents chip in to get them everything they need to grow the blueberries. This book is a wonderful story about what kids can do when they work together. It has the deliciousness and goodness of blueberries as well as a lesson in hydroponics. It is perfect for a class or perhaps a club as well as for a family who is ready to try out hydroponics. It is also a great addition to a lesson on plants.

Blueberry Recipe & Craft Roundup:

The obvious thing besides setting up your own hydroponics is to make something with blueberries or blueberry themed. I gathered some recipes and a few crafts to go with this book. You can also download some blueberry coloring pages at the publisher's website. I've divided the recipes up as muffins, pancakes, and everything else and then there are the crafts.