Jill Dudek

For the Love of Dirt Jill Dudek

For the Love of Dirt follows Edlaina, an eight-year-old girl who is bored on the first day of summer vacation. After seeking advice from her neighboring grandparents, Edlaina begins growing a flower garden in her front yard. Misunderstandings brew, however, as Edlaina's younger twin brothers start to think their sister is paying more attention to her garden, rather than spending time with them. After verbally and physically expressing their feelings, the children learn there are positive and negative ways to show familial love towards each other.

Because of its simplistic language and whimsical illustrations, For the Love of Dirt is geared towards elementary school-aged children. However, readers of all ages can take away from the story's message of remembering and understanding other people's points of view.