Barker, David M.  Organic Foods
Gr. 4–6, middle school     64 pp.     Lerner

Hand, Carol  Urban Gardening
Gr. 4–6, middle school          64 pp.     Lerner

Mickelson, Trina  Free-Range Farming
Gr. 4–6, middle school          64 pp.     Lerner

Perdew, Laura  Eating Local
Gr. 4–6, middle school          64 pp.     Lerner

Growing Green series. This series for upper-middle-grades focusing on "green" food and farming practices that have gained popularity covers what has sparked each movement, what its health and environmental benefits are, and what some of its challenges are. Supplemental text boxes of related information may provide interest but make for choppy reading; appropriate color photos illustrate the texts. Reading list, websites. Bib., glos., ind.
Subjects: Farm Life, Husbandry, and Gardening; Agriculture; Food; Environment; City and town life

Castaldo, Nancy  The Story of Seeds: From Mendel's Garden to Your Plate, and How There’s More of Less to Eat Around the World
Middle school, high school     136 pp.     Houghton

In this wake-up call about the fragility of our plant-based food supply, Castaldo speaks clearly to the importance of plant diversity, presenting engaging scientific and historical information about agricultural science, genetics, and biodiversity along with accounts of global politics, industrialism, and activism. Numerous photographs of the plants and people involved in plant and seed preservation are included. A "Call to Action" section is appended. Reading list, timeline, websites. Glos., ind.
Subjects: Farm Life, Husbandry, and Gardening; Food; Plants; Seeds; Agriculture

Heos, Bridget  So You Want to Grow a Pie?
Gr. K–3     24 pp.     Amicus Ink

Heos, Bridget  So You Want to Grow a Pizza?
Gr. K–3     24 pp.     Amicus Ink

Heos, Bridget  So You Want to Grow a Salad?
Gr. K–3     24 pp.     Amicus Ink

Heos, Bridget  So You Want to Grow a Taco?
Gr. K–3     24 pp.     Amicus Ink

Illustrated by Daniele Fabbri. Grow Your Food series. Pies, pizzas, salads, and tacos don't grow on trees, and young children are led through chatty, superficial explanations of key ingredients and where they come from: for example, pizza "crust is made from wheat. For that, you'll need a wheat field. / And for the cheese, you'll need milk..." Cheery illustrations playfully illustrate the processes. An easy recipe is included in each volume. Reading list, websites. Glos.
Subjects: Farm Life, Husbandry, and Gardening; Food; Fruits and vegetables; Pies; Pizza

Pollan, Michael  The Omnivore's Dilemma: The Secrets Behind What You Eat
Gr. 4–6, middle school, high school      377 pp.     Dial

Adapted by Richie Chevat. New ed., 2009. This edition includes a new preface by the author but is otherwise unchanged. An accessible adaptation of Pollan's adult bestseller The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals provides abridged and/or simplified data. The book uses a recipe of science, history, and humor to create an edifying story; readers may find some of the details and photos to be disturbing. Helpful sidebars and a resources list are included. Ind.
Subjects: Cookery and Nutrition; Ethics; Food

Shores, Erika L.  How Food Gets from Farms to Store Shelves
Gr. K–3     24 pp.     Capstone

Pebble Plus: Here to There series. "Milk, cereal, and fruit are favorite breakfast foods." This book offers an overview of the journeys of three common foods from farm to factory to grocery store. Large stock photos show different phases of production and diverse families enjoying breakfast; the easy-to-read text is slight but accessible. The book introduces nonfiction conventions and provides Common Core applications. Reading list. Glos., ind.
Subjects: Farm Life, Husbandry, and Gardening; Food; Agriculture

From the January 2017 issue of Nonfiction Notes from the Horn Book.