Sally Ketchum

Bread Garden Sally Ketchum

An eccentric Swedish baker mentors three interesting children. The protagonist, Dalgliesh (Dogleash,) is a black-Scottish boy whose name and mixed heritage cause him low self-esteem. Fredericka (Freddie) is a bright, forward-thinking girl who collects words and experiences. Her younger brother, Hank, is full of tag-along energy and fun, and he turns out to be surprisingly brave. Other characters cause plot complications. The antagonist, Audrey/Stoneface, is the leader of a youthful neighborhood gang; and Moose is Audrey's slothful sidekick. Other characters include a harridan neighbor, Mrs. Harsnort; a proud judge, Dogleash's father; Mam, Dogleash's proud and regal grandmother (a gourmet cook); a gifted teacher, a veterinarian, a policeman, and others. The baker encourages the children to garden and he uses that garden not only as a metaphor for life lessons, but also and perhaps more importantly, to teach the children higher level thinking skills like analysis and synthesis.