THE GIANT PUMPKIN SUITE

A sweet coming of age middle-grade novel about the richness of family and community, unexpected friends (and enemies), and the personal strength that can come out of unforeseen change.

Eleven-year-old Rose Brautigan has grown seven inches in the last eight months. She’s always been different from her twin brother, Thomas, but now she towers over him in too many ways. The gap in their interests and abilities continues to widen, as well. Rose is singularly focused on winning the upcoming Bach Cello Suites Competition, while Thomas is engrossed in the challenge of growing a giant pumpkin.

When a serious accident changes the course of the summer, Rose is forced to grow and change in ways she never could have imagined. Giant Pumpkin Suite is about the growth of one amazing giant pumpkin seed and one amazing girl. Along the way there’s tap dancing and classic musicals, mail-order worms and neighborhood- sourced compost, fresh-squeezed lemonade and much more...

Melanie is a graduate of Hamline University’s MFA program in writing for children and young adults and this is her debut novel. When not writing, Melanie works at Winding Oak (www.windingoak.com) providing social media management for high-profile authors.