New book features local school garden

The garden project at a local elementary school, Woodland Elementary West in Gages Lake, has been immortalized in a book.

The author is Anne Nagano, who works on the garden project and operates a Web site to help people who want to start educational gardens.

The paperback book, which Nagano says is the first in a series of six for children in grades 1-4, is called "Our Generous Garden." It sells for $12.95 and published by Dancing Rhinoceros Press.

It tells about children planning, planting and harvesting their garden. They eat some of the bounty and donate 900 pounds to a local food bank.

The book and the experience it inspires will enhance curricula about nature, how to grow food, healthy eating habits, community involvement and math and science.

Besides color pictures by Theresa Mezebish, the book features child-friendly pop-ups.

For more information, visit Nagano's Web site, gardenabcs.com

Root, root, root for the home team

It's been a great year for baseball in Chicago.

Whether you cheer for the Cubs or the White Sox, you will want some memorabilia for your littlest fan so he or she can learn there's always next year. That's especially true now that we're accustomed to winning a lot of games.

Bellini, a Chicago shop for children, offers pint-size rocking chairs completely decorated with the colors and logos of your favorite for $105. A two-step step-up with storage is $52.50.

Visit bellini.com or call (312) 981-7301.

All the best goblins stop at this shop

Halloween is coming, and the holiday has gotten so big you will want to spice up your decor.

Sur La Table, with shops in South Barrington and Naperville, has several ideas.

We like this ceramic witch-shoe candy dish for $15.

Metal tea light candle holders come in pumpkin, witch and cat forms for $5 each. Square orange plates with different black designs on them are four for $20 with matching mugs $5 for adults, $4 for children. And a Halloween witch candle that burns 25 hours is irresistible for $12.

Visit surlatable.com.

- Deborah Donovan