This was a fun, quick middle grade read. I will definitley pick this up for my kids in the future so they can read a hard copy!

This middle grade novel started out promising. The writing is strong, and the characters are likable, and I was pleased to note that it was short. (I often lament the absence of strong, slim novels these days as compared with what was published decades ago, and I got my hopes up.) Unfortunately, the plot quickly becomes bogged down by too many storylines. Though the title and cover suggest that the pumpkin race is at the heart of the story, this is just one of several disparate threads running through the book that never seem to come together. There is just so much going on - references to Ojibwe language and culture (which some reviews have identified as inaccurate), the arrival of a mysterious estranged Irish grandfather, a feud between protagonist Billie and her best friend Sam, beekeeping, pumpkin growing, and more. Far from being the compact and focused novel I was hoping for, this book would have needed to be twice as long to even begin to properly handle everything it tried to take on.

A beautifully written book showing young readers how the world around them isn’t always about them. Billie is very self-absorbed but I don’t think any more so than other children her age. This her summer of growing and learning for the next stage of her life.

I was very impressed with how the author weaved science and math into the story without the reader feeling like they just received a lesson.

I would definitely recommend this book to any on my middle-grade readers with confidence.

I received a complimentary copy from Random House Children’s through NetGalley. Any and all opinions expressed in the above review are entirely my own.

I had never heard about pumpkin boat races until I read about them in a Scholastic News article that put my whole 3rd grade class in awe. When the opportunity came along to read The Pumpkin War, I thought it sounded like an interesting book for the age group that I teach. The book features 12 year old Billie who lives on Madeline Island with her family. The main conflict in the story is that Billie has never forgiven her best friend Sam for bumping into her pumpkin at last year's pumpkin race and therefore making her lose the race. She spends the whole summer still holding a grudge against him while she goes about harvesting honey, tending llamas, fishing, boating, and taking care of this year's pumpkins. Will she ever be able to forgive him and get her best friend back? Will she be able to win this year's pumpkin race? Both of these questions will keep young readers motivated to keep reading. If used as a teacher or family read aloud, the book offers multiple opportunities for discussions around friendship, forgiveness, different cultures, and rich vocabulary. I loved how the children in this book were always outside doing things in nature too. Thank-you NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book. All thoughts expressed are my honest opinions of the book.

The Pumpkin War was about friendship and growing up. Billie is 12 and she takes on the responsibility of tending her own bees and growing her own pumpkins for the great pumpkin race at the end of summer. Being first is important to her, and last year she was not.

Over one summer, she learns that people aren't perfect. Not her parents. Not the rest of her family. Not her best friend. Not herself.

I even found myself fascinated by the ins and outs of beekeeping and pumpkin raising. This book is perfect for those kids on the cusp. Those leaving behind childhood but not quite completely ready for adulthood.

Disclaimer: I received this book from Netgally for review purposes.


Honestly, I loved this. One of the things I love about children's books is if you feel like anyone can read them and enjoy them, which was definitely the case for this one.


As a young reader I used to love reading a book and then giving it to my mom to read, and having her also like it! It hyped me up and made me want to read and share more with her and I can see this being the case with this book. It was also pretty informative with words, information on bees, and just overall culture and general information. I loved that. I loved learning things I would have never heard of otherwise.


Basically a fun quick read for everyone 🥰

Great farm life book. Being an inner city school this is a foreign concept for my students. This book does a great job showing a life they don't know but should be aware of. Great friendship story.

The Pumpkin War (due out on May 21, 2019) is a story of friendship and family, of getting back to the earth and enjoying the small things in life – and all this in a beautiful setting, with writing that seems just perfect for a middle grade audience! I was quite impressed. Usually books that try to take on this scope of feelings and events end up falling flat in one way or another, but this one is just right. I feel like Goldilocks, dancing around with glee after finding the three bears’ house and baby bear’s “just-right” porridge.

Billie is 12 years old, the oldest of three siblings. Their dad is Irish and their mom is Ojibwe, and they live on a Canadian island. Billie is fiercely competitive in all ways, and ESPECIALLY when it comes to growing monster pumpkins! She has been in an almost year-long standoff with the boy who used to be her best friend, since she is convinced he knocked her out of last year’s pumpkin race on purpose.

I loved the depiction of rural life in Canada. Billie not only takes care of her pumpkins, but also bees. Bees! Also there is more about fishing, and gardening, and the traditions of the Ojibwe. It was just so…homey. Down to earth. I loved it, and I think middle-school-me would have loved it as well. Also, adult-me loved her parents! Their differences in background were lightly touched on, and Billie obviously embraces both sides of her heritage. She even finds out about some “family secrets” part way through the book (nothing adult level), and has a part in reconciling her dad with his past. Also, Billlie’s youngest sibling is born near the beginning of the book and the struggles of adding a new baby to family life are also portrayed – Billie’s mom and dad aren’t perfect, and I totally sympathized with them.

Billie struggles all summer long to come to terms with what happened with Sam in the last race. Despite his efforts, she’s not quite willing to forgive him. Will she let a mistake ruin their friendship? Is being first more important? I thoroughly enjoyed the way this played out, and also the fact that the author didn’t make her competitive nature a bad thing (as happens so often when it is a girl character being competitive).

5/5 stars. This book will be going on my shelf! This book was absolutely precious, in so many ways. I loved it and completely recommend it to any and all.

I absolutely loved this book! It was charming and sweet and made me want to pick up my life and move to Madeline Island! Billie caught my heart immediately and I loved watching her nurture her pumpkins and bees. She had such a poetic view of the nature and people all around her. And what a good friend she had in Sam – it warmed my heart when she realized the value of that and was able forgive him. I also enjoyed how the author had us subtly learning about the Ojibwe people. She did a fabulous job weaving it into the story. BTW – the polka scene was a crack up!! Highly recommend this for all ages of readers.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a chance to read this in exchange for an honest review.

Young's story focuses on Billie and her life the summer everything changes. She is still stewing about losing the previous year's pumpkin boat race to her best friend and neighbor. Her little brother arrives early and family mysteries throw the entire summer into chaos. Add growing up into the mix and it makes for an interesting summer. The book is filled with great growing tips, but I am not sure many will appreciate the time dedicated to describing everything. Overall, it was a quick, easy read that will engage many rural and small town readers.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Children's for the opportunity to read an advance reader copy.

The Pumpkin War tells the story of Billie and her friend Sam. They both grow giant pumpkins for a race at the end of the summer. Billie has been angry with Sam since she lost the pumpkin race last year. Through the course of the story, she learns that she isn't always right and has to mend her friendship with Sam. Readers who love facts will also find much to love in this story as Billie and Sam share their knowledge of pumpkins and bees. Billie's character is more developed than the others. The plot is straightforward, and will be easy to follow for younger readers. I was rooting for Billie at the end of the story. You will have to read it to find out what happens!

Review copy courtesy of NetGalley.

As more and more educators are chucking Laura Ingalls Wilder for her anti-Native-American overtones, may I humbly suggest that “The Pumpkin War” - set in rural, lake-side Wisconsin replace the Little House books? My favorite thing about Wilder’s series was always how she described all of the processes behind the farm chores, and this book does exactly that. Billie describes making and selling honey, fishing for her grandmother’s restaurant, riding her own boat out, and helping her neighbors take care and sheer their llamas. This is all besides the scheming and careful attention to growing the thousand pound pumpkins that she will then turn into a boat to race in.

If the rural how-to isn’t your kind of book, there’s also a lot of realistic fiction angst as Billie struggles with her former best friend, who also happened to beat her and destroy her in last year’s pumpkin race. Her family is struggling through adding a new baby and her father has a mysterious subplot involving his own life.

The book is respectful to Native American customs as Billie is one quarter Native American and she describes attending a powwow. Careful readers may note that the author does not appear to have that background but acknowledges doing research with an expert.

Will definitely be purchasing for my library and recommending as a read!

I'm writing this review after fighting back the happy tears I got once I finished reading the book.

"The Pumpkin War", as the name implies, is about Bille who is focused on growing a pumpkin big enough to beat the rest of the competitors, especially her ex-bff sam, in the annual pumpkin race held in Madeline Island, Wisconsin. Bille and Sam used to be inseparable friends until sam robbed her off the victory she deserved during the previous year's pumpkin race. From that instance, Bille decided to hold a huge grudge against sam.

Like the popular saying " Happiness is the journey and not the destination", the story isn't really about the race. Bille isn't the only one under the limelight. In fact, her entire family is. It's more about the love, care and affection the characters have for each other. The author has conveyed the importance of cultural and family values very beautifully.

When you start reading the novel, you could literally feel the disgust, hate, and anger in bille's tone when she narrates the story. But once you get to empathize with her feelings, you get connected with her and would understand the hurt/pain she carries in her heart. This doesn't allow herself to be in her usual self. She is grumpy all the time and even though several months had passed after that incident at pumpkin race, she still keeps thinking of it and strives to get revenge.

I thought the story would be pretty straightforward wherein bille works hard to get her pumpkin right and then go on to win the race. But this is where the author differs. She takes you in a path which you never thought it existed before. She focuses on Bille's family, her friends etc who all create a big impact on Bille's life. All these events and happenings slowly mold and makes her wise and mature over time. In the end, we readers, like bille, realize that more than winning or securing first place in a competition, the values of friends, family, forgiveness, selflessness, kindness, care, and most importantly the love we have for the people around are the most priceless possessions we can ever have in life.

Those are the feelings/bonds which need to be cherished by all of us.

Thank you Netgalley for providing me the ARC.
Also, Thank you Cathleen Young for writing such an inspiring novel.

The Pumpkin War is a middle-grade chapter book that has a great balance of friendship, family, nature, and science. Not only was it enjoyable to read but it has great messages. The book was also packed full of helpful information that not only adds to the story but also teaches the young reader about new concepts like gardening. Thank you To NetGalley and Random House Children's for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

I recommend those looking for a quick, enjoyable read to pick this book up. The characters are likable and the situations are real. If you are a teacher and have a student that may not be an avid reader, you should recommend this book to them.

I received this from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read The Pumpkin War, by Cathleen Young, in exchange for an honest review.

Shh, don't tell the kids they're learning! This charming book, shares loads of practical knowledge and educational content, while engaging readers in a fun filled story. This read will intrigue right from the start. The two main characters, Billie and her friend Sam, take the reader through what it takes to grow the largest pumpkin. Billie and Sam have had their ups and downs. We learn about winning and losing, grudges and forgiveness, honesty and loyalty..
Billie has an Irish father and an Ojibwe grandmother. Even though Billie does not at first appreciate her heritage, she will learn to respect and honor their beliefs, rituals, and tradition.
I love the way grandma shares her wisdom, but never tells Billie she is wrong, or how to solve her problems. Billie soon comes to value and respect her elders, their stories, morals, and culture.

The author does a wonderful job of incorporating bits of science, math, and nature in to the lives of Billie and Sam. After all, you don't grow a 1000 pound pumpkin without knowing about biology, water, soil, and the sun. The text introduces challenging vocabulary words, all of which can be understood from the context of the story. Most importantly, Billie, Sam, and their friends and family, learn the intricacies of being a friend, a real friend.

Thank you to Random House Children's books and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book and provide an honest review.

I was so impressed with The Pumpkin War by Cathleen Young. The main character, twelve year old Billie, is fiercely competitive, spunky and extremely intelligent. She so badly wants to win the annual pumpkin race that is held every Fall. Sam, her best friend, beat her the year before and it is her mission to stop that from happening again. From the very first chapter, there are important themes discussed regarding diversity, sibling angst and winning and losing. Right away, I was hooked. This is a great book for kids!

Another thing I really liked about this book was how much education it provided. What a fun way to learn about growing pumpkins from a science perspective as well as different things about nature. The characters are also extremely lovable, but they provide teaching moments for kids. I think this would be a great parent/child read as well.

I'd recommend this to any kid who likes the outdoors, bugs/gardening, science/nature and just reading a really fun story. I would highly recommend this and definitely plan on buying this for my niece who LOVES to read.