Ways to Grow Love (Ryan Hart, #2) By Nina Mata
Thank you to the publisher for an advance copy of this book to review.
It was a joy to read the next installment in the Ryan Hart series and I hope there will
be many more to come. The main character is so endearing and relatable. This feel good book with its child friendly story is like a warm, comforting hug. The reading level and illustrations make this perfect for kids who are transitioning into middle grade novels or as a family or classroom read aloud. Hardcover Hello!
We are a little over halfway through September already somehow! I feel like thus far September has been one of my best reading months of 2022. I have been reading a ton of books and really enjoying most of my reads (I say most as there are definitely one or two I will be unhauling). One of the more recent reads I picked up, was the next book in the Ryan Hart series! There is a third book that is coming out (that I was super fortunate to be able to get an ARC of thank you so much to the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review, which is coming very soon)! But for today, let’s rewind a bit and talk about Ryan Hart’s adventures in book two!
SPOILERS AHEAD
Ryan is kind of entering a new stage in her life! She is going to be a big sister very soon, but the waiting is taking forever. She is also going to get to go to camp for three days this summer and she wants to do the reading challenge at her local library! Lots of big things are happening but there will also be lots of big changes. With a new little sister coming, they will be making space for her in the home, and Ryan will need to go to the library with her dad and grandmother instead of her mom all the time. It also means that some summer traditions such as spending a day at the amusement park might not happen as normal. With so many new things happening Ryan is excited but also nervous about all the changes this summer. But she will soon be a big sister and that might just be the best change of all!
I really enjoyed my time with book two in the Ryan Hart series. Revisiting Ryan and her family was lots of fun. I enjoyed getting to see Ryan have new experiences such as camp but also see Ryan try to help her mom in some interesting ways (I will not be giving any spoilers here but Ryan and her brother would like to help their mother out and they definitely achieved their goal)! I can not wait to see where the Hart family goes next!
Goodreads Rating: 5 Stars
**Thank you so much to the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinions. Hardcover “Ways to Grow Love” is a wonderful companion/follow up to “Ways to Make Sunshine.”
When the story starts, school has just ended, and Ryan is excited about the summer reading program at the library (LOVE), carrying on with some fun family traditions, trying new recipes, and getting ready to go to her church summer camp for the first time. And most exciting of all: she is waiting for her baby sister to be born, even though being a big sister will mean some big changes for Ryan.
I am not religious at all, and I thought the church/church camp aspect of the story was handled beautifully - strong messages about kindness and caring without being preachy.
The family dynamic is so sweet and loving but still realistic - Ryan’s brother Ray is *such* an older brother. (And the pickle situation was hilarious.) Ryan is such a relatable character for kids, and I think this is a perfect realistic fiction book for elementary school kids.
* Thank you to Bloomsbury Children’s Books and NetGalley for the ARC. Release date: 4/27/21 Hardcover I really like these books, and can't wait for more of Ryan Hart. A bonus to the book is that the illustrations are so adorable! Hardcover Ryan is looking forward to her summer vacation, but her mom’s pregnancy is throwing things off. Her mother is on bed rest, she has to quickly pick books out at the library, never gets to go to the supermarket, and her family is struggling financially. Is there room in her life to love someone new? The illustrations are well done, the plot is well written, and the character dynamics were realistic. Lessons of tolerance and learning to love others are great for young readers to learn. Readers who enjoy realistic fiction and family stories will enjoy reading this book.4 stars, Grades 4 to 7 Hardcover
My daughters absolutely loved the first book in this series! I was so excited to get an Advanced Readers Copy from the publisher of the sequel! They are already asking for book three!!!
This cute, middle grade novel is the perfect read for young girls. Ryan Hart is a charismatic and bubbly character that just warms your heart! This story has so many gems for young children to learn from and grow.
I am just as excited as my girls to continue reading Ryan’s journey. This book is full of Black girl magic and definitely sparks joy!!! Hardcover Ways to Grow Love is a sweet follow up to the first installment of the Ryan Hart series. Readers will be entertained by Ryan’s antics even as they learn how to navigate the ups and downs of relationships with grace and kindness for others. This is a perfect elementary school/young middle grade book for kids who have mixed feelings about welcoming a new sibling and will appeal to those dealing with friendship issues or learning to share their besties with new friends. Overall, very well worth reading.
Read my full review on my blog.
Many thanks to Bloomsbury for an eARC of this book in exchange for a review. Hardcover I liked the first book more, but this still brought back sweet memories of being little. The camp parts made me think of the hand games and songs my sister and I would sing with the other girls we were at camp with. I also definitely got the big sister vibes in regards to being expected to be an example and having to miss out on things!
That being said, I think I liked this book less because of all the Christianity. And I usually am really irritated by atheists who get upset by mentions of faith, so I'm not sure why it bothered me here. I think because it reminded me of my own experiences growing up in the church and reasons why I don't like it anymore. Nothing bad happens or anything! There's a part where a woman from the church says that their mothers and fathers taught them how to clean up after themselves, and I was thinking... it's Portland. Do some of them have queer parents? I sound like a stereotypical liberal, but it's something I couldn't stop thinking about.
I really love how Black these stories are and how they fill a void that I didn't really have when I was younger; I loved the Ramona books and Junie B. Jones, but they didn't have scenes about getting your hair done with beads (which I wore until I was at least twelve) the way this did, and because of that, these books have such a beautiful richness. The Christian stuff was a bit much, though! I felt like it was one of my vacation bible camp special movies that we had to watch at times. And I guess it's weird to me that it went un-interrogated! But then I'm like... she's ten, why would she interrogate her faith? So this is obviously personal stuff and doesn't really reflect on the book or writing.
Anyway. If you're wondering why I wrote that all out, it's mostly for myself! Hardcover 5 rosy, loving stars for this second book in the Ryan Hart series. I ended up reading the two books in the series back to back so I got to enjoy extra time with the Hart family. Book #2 picks up right where Book #1 left off. Ryan finishes 4th grade and is looking forward to a fun summer. But with a new baby on the way at her house, some of her plans are not working out the way she expected. Can Ryan live up to her name and have a memorable summer? I love her interest in cooking, time at church bible camp, and especially her persistence in the summer reading challenge at her library. An especially poignant scene occurs when Ryan's grandma explains how to be a rose. Great advice for girls of all ages.
Thank you to Bloomsbury Childrens and Edelweiss+ for a DRC in exchange for an honest review. Hardcover I really liked this book. I liked how it showed it in a sort of timeline and how it only had like 2 or 3 time skips. Hardcover
Newbery Honor and Coretta Scott King Author Award winner Renée Watson continues her charming young middle grade series starring Ryan Hart, a girl who is pure spirit and sunshine.
Ryan Hart and her family are back in another installment of stories about a Black girl finding her way and her voice as she grows through change and challenges. In this book, Ryan finds herself waiting on lots of things -- like for her new sister to be born healthy, for her new recipes to turn out right, for that summer camp trip to go better than she fears! And of course Ryan is facing these new challenges and new experiences in her classic style -- with a bright outlook and plenty of spirit! Ways to Grow Love (Ryan Hart, #2)