Family movie night? There's an app for that
Download our new mobile app on iOS and Android.
Ways to Grow Love: Ryan Hart, Book 2
By Barbara Saunders,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Fun tale of Ryan's eventful summer with family and friends.
Add your rating
A Lot or a Little?
What you will—and won't—find in this book.
Where to Read
Community Reviews
There aren't any parent reviews yet. Be the first to review this title.
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: Renée Watson
- Illustrator: Nina Mata
- Genre: Family Life
- Topics: Cooking and Baking , Brothers and Sisters , Friendship , Great Boy Role Models , Great Girl Role Models , 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, iBooks, Kindle
- Last updated: August 2, 2021
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 suggesting a diversity update.
Suggest an Update
Where to Read
Our Editors Recommend
Books About a New Sibling
Sure-Fire Picks for Your Mother-Daughter Book Club
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