All summer, I’ll be sharing books for kids of all ages on topics that interest them or offer something new to learn about. Most of the time, these will be nonfiction books, but sometimes we can learn from fictional stories too. I believe reading over the summer is so important, and keeping kids interested in reading by finding relevant books about topics that they are interested in is very important. Kids should read at least 20 minutes every day, and I hope that these books offer you ideas to keep your kids reading and learning all summer.
I hope you will stay tuned to these posts. They will always have Summer Read-to-Learn in the title and will be tagged in the post. There will be books on all kinds of topics kids love to read and learn about. Be sure to stop by each week to see what book I’m sharing as part of my Summer Read-to-Learn series.
To see all the books in the Summer Read-to-Learn series, click HERE.
APPLES FOR ALL
A Story about Grafting
By: Mary Peterson
Published: April 28, 2026
Publisher: Feeding Minds Press
Through a fictional story of a family on a farm, former Iowan Mary Peterson teaches kids about patience and science when it comes to growing an apple tree.
Bobbi decides she wants to grow an apple tree so she can eat applesauce whenever she wants. Bobbi thinks she can just plant the seed from her apple, and a tree will grow; unfortunately, it isn’t that easy.
When Grandpa agrees to plant an apple tree on the farm, everyone has opinions about the kind of apple tree to get. Granny Smith for pies, Gala for eating, McIntosh for cider, and crab apples for jelly. Bobbi just wants apples for applesauce. What kind of tree should they get?
Grandpa has a great idea. What if they grafted all the different apple trees onto one tree? After selecting a tree that was already grafted with a few varieties, they stopped by Bobbi’s aunt’s farm to get a branch from her crab apple tree.
Through a fictional story, readers will learn about grafting onto an original tree. The process takes patience and lots of care, but if done correctly, you could have a variety of apples in 3 years! I didn’t even realize one tree could have several different kinds of apples.
The end of the book includes various facts about apples, including that it takes 36 apples to make one gallon of cider, and the smallest apple is called Rockit and is the size of a golf ball. Illustrations of all the various types of apples and a recipe to make your own applesauce round out the end of the book. I have fond memories of making applesauce with my mom from our very own apple tree. Even if you don’t have an apple tree in your backyard or a place to grow one, you can still visit an apple orchard or a farmer’s market and make your own applesauce together.
Mary Peterson was born and raised in Iowa on a small family farm surrounded by cornfields and lots of animals. Those early years in the company of critters large and small continue to provide inspiration for her art. In her spare time, she enjoys eating sushi, letterpress printing, gardening, and collecting bizarre, funny, quirky, peculiar, off-beat objects and how-to-make-art books! Learn more about Mary at marypeterson.com.
Feeding Minds Press is a project of the American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture. The mission of the Foundation is to build awareness and understanding of agriculture through education. The goal of Feeding Minds Press is to publish accurate and engaging books about agriculture that connect readers to where their food comes from and who grows it. Learn more at feedingmindspress.com.
Click HERE to purchase a copy of APPLES FOR ALL
These Glass jars are perfect for storing your own homemade applesauce
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Thanks to the publisher for sending a copy of this book for this review. This review is my honest opinion. If you choose to purchase through the above links, I may receive a small commission without you having to pay a cent more for your purchase.
Posted Under Book Review, Children's books, Mary Peterson, Summer Read-to-Learn, apples, fiction