Dear Mr. Sprouts

by Errol Broome

As Freddie's seeds grow in the Australian bush, so does his friendship with a secretive pen pal.

Genres: Childrens, Nature

128 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1991

About the author

Errol Broome grew up in Perth where she studied Arts at the University of Western Australia and worked as a journalist at the West Australian. She now lives in Melbourne. She is Literary Patron of the Society of Women Writers Victoria, and spends much time keeping her garden alive. An award-winning author, her books for children have been published widely overseas and translated into several languages.

Awards

Western Australian Premier’s Book Award (Winner 1992)
Children’s Book Council of Australia (Notable Book 1993, 1994, 1998, 2001, 2004)
Children’s Book Council of Australia (Honour Book 2001)
- bio from Fremantle Press (one of her publishers)

Reviews

[Caro · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been reading this since I was young child and not once have I tired of it.

This epistolary novel follows the lives of city girl, Anke and country boy, Freddie. They connect through tree seeds and letters. As the forests expands on Freddie's property, so does their relationship. Their lives become increasingly enmeshed as the navigate the grief, anger and frustration in their childhoods and teen years.

An absolutely beautiful tale with positive messages that I didn't even know I was receiving. It is like an old friend.

[Tina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love books I can pick up and read in an evening!
This is inspiring in so many ways.
Correspondence is such an appealing story format and this demonstrates nicely how powerful a written relationship can be.
It is an unexpected journey about a chance meeting, unlikely friendships, discovery, growing up...of trees and youth, place, identity, of sowing seeds, words and all of which these may grow in to.
A lovely way to have spent my evening.

[Sue · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very sweet little book. Obviously only a skeleton of a plot but enough to imagine the rest of their lives.

[Franny Adams · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful coming of age story as a city girl and a country boy from the bush exchange letters.
Many events transpire as the reader follows the two characters growing up from children into adults.

I felt this is a heart warming story as each character innocently get to know each other through their letters. Slowly the letters show how Freddie and Anka open up about their lifes as well as feelings. At one point Freddie keeps requesting Anka for her phone number and she refuses until he finds a way of obtaining the phone number and suprises her with a call. Freddie learns Anka's secret and brushes it aside.

At the end of the novel I felt so warm and happy.

Errol Broome is a wonderful writer and I recommend this book for anyone.

[Neill Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anke's fourth grade class project in 1997 is to attach some seeds and a letter to a helium balloon and release it. Her balloon traveled 151 kilometers to Freddie who planted the seeds and began a correspondence with Anke. This book records their letters over the next nine years as they both grow toward adulthood. Each shares thoughts and feelings with the other about the events, happy and tragic, in their lives and each has surprises for the other.

[LizSwitchedToStoryGraph · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adorable.

[Angela Reeves · Rating 2 out of 5]

dull