Welcome to Silver Street Farm

by Nicola Davies, Katharine McEwen (Illustrator)

Overview

Some animal farms are up in the hills, or down winding lanes. But Silver Street Farm is different — it’s in the middle of a city, and it’s run by kids!

Even though Meera, Gemma, and Karl live in the city, they’ve always wanted a farm of their own. And it looks as though their dream may happen sooner than they imagined when Meera discovers an abandoned railway station with grounds for grazing. Next, some eggs they thought were foul hatch into ducklings, and a couple of “poodles” bought off the Internet turn out to be lambs. There’s just one problem: how can the kids — and the community — persuade the city council not to turn the old site into a parking garage? The first in a series of fun-filled stories about Silver Street Farm, here is a tale with natural appeal for kids who love animals, aim to be green, and enjoy a do-it-yourself spirit of adventure.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780763658311
Publisher:	Candlewick Press
Publication date:	02/28/2012
Series:	Silver Street Farm
Pages:	80
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 7.80(h) x 0.60(d)
Lexile:	890L (what's this?)
Age Range:	7 - 10 Years

About the Author

Nicola Davies has a degree in zoology and is the author of many nonfiction books for young readers, including,Poop and Just the Right Size, both illustrated by Neal Layton, and Gaia Warriors. The Silver Street Farm stories mark her short-fiction series debut. Nicola Davies lives in Wales.

Katharine McEwen has illustrated more than twenty-five books, including Allan Ahlberg’s The Children Who Smelled a Rat and Phyllis Root’s Here Comes Tabby Cat and Hey, Tabby Cat! Katharine McEwen lives in England.

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

With kids actively seeking to better their city as a focal point, Davies has begun an amusing romp of a series. Clever children and supportive adults come together in this clever chapter book that will spark the imaginations of the target audience.
—Booklist

Editorial Reviews

Three kids, many years of planning and an audacious go at public activism add up to one community farm. Though Gemma, Meera and Karl can't quite remember when their dream of having a farm of their own began, it seems to have started in kindergarten. When Mrs. Monty led them to the toy corner, they instantly built a farm, complete with plastic cows, chickens and a headless sheep. Playing farm helped build their friendship, kick-started by these city kids' love of animals and fueled by books about farming and farm life. When Meera's Auntie Priya hears about an old, unused railroad station with outbuildings and land, they decide it's perfect for an urban farm. Moving forward at the speed of elementary students with an obsession, these future farmers visit the space, arrange television interviews and bring local adults on board, all the while facing down the property owner, who plans to raze the railroad station to put up a parking lot. Funny situations, especially Karl's aunt's online purchase of twin poodles that turn out to be sheep, and such details as various animal footprints racing across the bottom of most pages keep this good-hearted tale moving forward. A tidy ending ensures the farm's success. Young activists will be inspired and entertained by these three animal-loving friends and their supportive community. (Chapter book. 6-9)

Kirkus Reviews

With kids actively seeking to better their city as a focal point, Davies has begun an amusing romp of a series. Clever children and supportive adults come together in this clever chapter book that will spark the imaginations of the target audience.
—Booklist

Young activists will be inspired and entertained by these three animal-loving friends and their supportive community.
—Kirkus Reviews

This first entry in a series is going to please a lot of animal-loving primary-schoolers.
—Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

From the Publisher