Common Sense Media Review
By Barbara Saunders
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Fun tale of Ryan's eventful summer with family and friends.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 7+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
When WAYS TO GROW LOVE begins, the Hart family's life picks up where Ways to Make Sunshine left off. Ryan is looking forward to her summer at church camp, starting fifth grade, and -- most of all -- the arrival of a new baby sister. The family is still adjusting to their father's switch to shift work, and their budget is tight. Ryan is optimistic about becoming a big sister and excited to keep developing her passion for cooking.
Is It Any Good?
More a series of vignettes than a single story with drive, this book will be most appealing to readers on the younger side. In Ways to Grow Love, author Renée Watson moves ahead with the set of characters introduced in Ways to Make Sunshine and keeps alive the tradition of plucky girl heroes like Ramona the Pest. The characters are likable, and even the mean girl eventually comes around and makes friends with everyone. The weakness of the story is that tensions resolve too quickly to put characters to the test and let them reveal a lot of depth.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about sibling relationships in Ways to Grow Love. If you have siblings, what special qualities does each of them bring to the family? If you don't have siblings, do you have a friend who's like a brother or sister?
Have you ever gone along with your friends on something and then wished you hadn't?
Do you have a special talent you like to share with others?
Book Details
- Author :
- Illustrator : Nina Mata
- Genre : Family Life
- Topics : Cooking , Family Stories ( Siblings ) , Friendship , School ( Middle School )
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Bloomsbury Children's Books
- Publication date : March 28, 2021
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 7 - 10
- Number of pages : 178
- Available on : Paperback, Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : September 29, 2025
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate