Giant Pumpkin Suite by Melanie Heuiser Hill (review)

At the age of twelve, Rose is an accomplished cellist and university-level math whiz, and she has her dreams set high on becoming a Bach specialist under the tutelage of the famous maestro Harris Waldenstein. After an accident damages the nerves in her dominant hand, however, Rose is forced to look beyond her concrete and measured goals and dig into life outside of music. That digging is quite literal: with the help of her twin brother Thomas and their quirky old neighbor Mr. Pickering, Rose spends the summer growing a giant award-winning pumpkin, only to find that the true prize wasn’t about the pumpkin at all—it was in learning to fail. This book is an easygoing title, highlighting the stress that goals of perfection can bring. Readers will love just how particular and grownup Rose tries to be, rejecting any bit of frivolous behavior, and they will find comfort as her community helps her ease back into the joys and simplicities of life outside of music.