Isabel in Bloom

By Mae Respicio

A girl finds unexpected connections and growth through a special garden in a new country.

4.2/5 Goodreads · 371 ratings

368 pages

$17.99Save 6%

In stock. Also at Amazon or Bookshop.

Bookroo's summary

Twelve-year-old Isabel navigates the challenges of a new life in San Francisco, far from her familiar home in the Philippines. Reuniting with her mother after years apart, Isabel struggles to bridge the gap between them. As she joins a gardening and cooking club at school, she discovers a unique garden that links her past and present. Will this new environment help Isabel find her place and reconnect with her mother? In this novel-in-verse, Isabel's journey reveals how new beginnings can lead to unexpected growth and understanding.

From the publisher

A girl discovers a connection between her home in the Philippines and her new home in the U.S. through a special garden in this middle grade novel that celebrates nourishment and growth. Twelve-year-old Isabel is the new kid in her San Francisco middle school. It’s the first time in many years that she’ll be living with her mother again. Mama’s job in the US allowed Isabel and her grandparents to live more comfortably in the Philippines, but now Isabel doesn’t really know her own mother anymore. Making new friends in a new city, a new country, is hard, but joining the gardening and cooking club at school means Isabel will begin to find her way, and maybe she too, will begin to bloom. In this beautifully rendered novel-in-verse, Mae Respicio explores how growth can take many forms, offering both the challenges and joy of new beginnings.

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