I received an electronic ARC from Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing through NetGalley.
Ferry teaches readers about friendship and family using rather unusual characters - a fish, two plants and a spider. Toasty the fish and Ivy the plant have lived with the Tupper family for quite some time and have established a tolerance for each other. Then, Ollie arrives as a surprise, and Arthur comes via an antique purchase by the Tuppers. Elementary level readers will appreciate the humor and serious undertones as they learn more about each character and the humans who also happen to live in this house. Even the scary moments are handled with sensitivity and light adventure. The short chapter format will appeal to mid to upper elementary readers as they can read this in one sitting or over several days. The story is divided into three parts - Beginning, Middle, End. Fun section titles and a nod to what readers are learning about composing their writing as well.

Super cute book that my students will enjoy. The illustrations are a bonus. The 4 main characters (Toasty, Ivy, Arthur and Ollie are completely mixed matched but their unique personalities make them a perfect “quartet”.
These characters learn what it means to be a true friend and ultimately a found-family.
The funny jokes, puns added to this story!
My only negative is I wanted more interaction with Jillian, their human.

I love this chapter book! This sweet story by Beth Ferry about friendship should go into every children’s library, and with the cheery illustrations by the fan brothers, children will be captivated. Whimsical writing and fun characters create a tale that reinforces kindness and caring.

Highly recommended for families and educators!

A fish that can talk and a plant that can move in a house full of antiques turned out to be a really good story about friendship and belonging. It's a mystery with some magic and a little danger filled with lots of interesting characters introduced chapter by chapter until ...well, you just have to keep reading to find out how they all play a roll in solving the mystery and reaching the very rewarding ending!

We read this aloud with my ten-year-old daughter, captivated somewhat by the funny idea of plants and goldfish that are friends. The art is witty and clever, including the pictures wherein the fish and the spider wear bowler hats (my daughter thought those especially were an amusing plus)! Each evening my daughter couldn't wait to find out what Toasty and Ivy would be getting up to!

The story is clever, with lots of laugh out loud moments. A grumpy goldfish (with a kind heart underneath the scaly exterior) and an overly excitable plant (I know, right?) begin to accumulate other companions, including a spider with a broken leg, a wayward bird, a bee, and in doing so, learn a lot about what it means to be a friend, and about teamwork, and even love (of the platonic sort). They learn that "being most important" or "being the favorite" is much less important than "being a good friend" and helping others out.

There are two plots--the one involving the plants and the fish, the events of which largely goes unnoticed by the humans in the story, who are preoccupied with their own challenges of keeping a barely sustainable antique shop above water. Add in a subplot of magic and mystery, and it's a fun book that had us guessing from each chapter to the next just how all the events would resolve.

Thanks to Net Galley for the ARC.

A charming book, perfect for a nighttime read aloud for a precocious, early elementary-age child. The narrative voice reminds me a little of Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events (the narrator often interjects to point out foreshadowing, define words, and make recommendations to the reader), but combined with a cozy, heartwarming tone and a sweet story about found family. The illustrations are cute, depicting many the animals with top hats and the plants with silly expressions. A quick and satisfying read.

Ivy is a houseplant at 3 Ramshorn Drive. Ivy and Toasty the goldfish both feel they are the most loved part of Jillian Tupper’s life. The two often disagree on the matter. Soon, Arthur, a knowledgeable spider and Ollie, a school houseplant join the motley crew. When Toasty splashes water out of his tank in frustration and it lands on the other friends, the group realizes they can do magical things like lift heavy objects and turn things invisible. The four friends soon discover that Toasty’s tank was given its special powers by its inventor. And a mysterious man with purple shoes is determined to get the tank back at any cost. Can the four friends stop the man with the purple shoes?

The illustrations are black and white detailed sketches that bring the characters to life. The plot is engaging, well written, and humorous. The characters are memorable, well developed, and engaging. The world building is well drawn and brings the world of the friends to life. Readers who like fantasy, talking plants and animals, or magical realism will want to pick this one up. The considerable length of the novel may be a deterrent for some readers. Recommended for most library collections. 4 stars, Grades 1 to 3.

Such a charming read with unusual characters and a dynamic plot. Lots of wise gems slipped into the text.

it was cute.
i'm not the demographic for this book.
but it was adorable.
i loved the cover and illustrations.
it was a cute little distraction.

This is a sweet kids book, I enjoyed the plot and the characters and it was fun to read but I couldn't get a grip on what grade/age this was meant for. The author uses words like "antiquarians" and, let's be honest, most adults unfortunately don't know what that word means so how would a kid be expected to know it? I think many kids would be intrigued by the cover and the description and then give up when they don't know what certain words mean. So maybe keep the story a little simpler next time.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read the free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Growing home is an adorable chapter book for young readers.
Beth Ferry uses personification to give life like characteristics to one goldfish,two houseplants, a spider, a bee and a lost canary.
Through an ongoing series of events, the the head count at Number 3 Ramshorn Drive grows; with unexpected visitors of mostly the non-human variety.
Toasty, resident goldfish, is not at all thrilled with what he feels is an invasion of his privacy. All of the extra traffic is a huge nuisance for him. Luckily, his house mates,Ivy and Ollie, provide the positive influnce needed to keep the chaotic events from spiraling out of control.
The storyline provides the unlikely friends with bonding experiences which ultimately saves the family home and teaches a valuable lesson of selflessness and friendship.

Pass the cheese puffs! Growing Home is a delightful story liberally sprinkled with nuggets of wisdom and new words to learn. Any child would be FOURtunate to read this book about friends and family FOURever.

Publication Date: 5/27/25

#GrowingHome
#BethFerry
#TheFanBrothers
#NetGalley

This is a funny book. The illustrations really bring the story to life.
I thought the animals were great characters. It's a quirky book, but cute.

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC.

Thank you netgalley, author and publisher for this arc. This kids book was super cute and fun read. I would recommend this for ages 8 and up. I enjoyed the humor in this story, the spider using the typewriter reminded me of Charlottes web. I thought it was cute that the two houseplants, fish and spider all worked together.

I am 100% obsessed with this book. Loved it so much and am already recommending it to others. The characters…I fell in love with all of them, non-human and human alike. The illustrations are what you’d expect from the Fan brothers. The humor was unexpected and just delightful. This sweet story manages to pack a punch and will stay with me for a while.

Crusty goldfish Toasty and cheery houseplant Ivy live happily at Number 3 Ramshorn Drive with their family, Mr. and Mrs. Tupper and their daughter Jillian. One day they are surprised by the appearance of Arthur an intelligent spider. Then Jillian brings home friendly Ollie the violet plant. At first they don't quite get along. But when they discover the Tuppers are facing some trouble, Tasty and Ivy, Arthur and Ollie quickly work together to devise a plan to save the family.

One of the interesting things about this story is that the author often speaks directly to the reader, taking time for some teaching moments, whether its explaining vocabulary or pointing out the importance of certain feelings or actions. I think this serves to draw the reader into the story and creates a feeling like they are actually a part of the story.

In the end, this is actually a story about friendship. Each of the characters exhibits a strong personality. From time to time they are joined by other minor characters who are ultimately important in the message the story is trying to get across. As the characters spend more time together, as they learn about each other, they find ways to get along forming a camaraderie. In the end, they learn to appreciate each other and to enjoy each other's differences as they grow their friendship.

An additional point of interest are the hand drawn pictures which help emphasize points that are important to the part of the story on the corresponding page. I enjoyed this story, especially the minor bit of suspense in the ending scenes. I think it is a perfect for a child to read to a parent.

Ivy the plant and Toasty the goldfish spend their days like any other talking plant and fish. Eating cheese puffs, watching soccer, and of course, counting all of Ivy's beautiful speckles. Life is fairly normal for them in the Tupper household, until new friends start popping up. Through twists and turns, and even some burglary, this unlikely crew learns what friendship really means. Author Beth Ferry does an amazing job writing a story that is both fun and educational. Ferry uses diverse vocabulary on every page, and takes away the work by providing clear, but not stuffy definitions. The illustrations are spread out, but fun to look at and something the reader begins to look forward to. This book is perfect for those who are just moving up to chapter books.

Thank you NetGalley, Beth Ferry, and Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers for the ARC of "Growing Home."

"Growing Home" by Beth Ferry is a charming middle-grade novel about an unlikely group of friends who use their magical abilities to protect their family. The story centers around Jillian Tupper, a young girl who lives at Number 3 Ramshorn Drive with her parents, who are antiquarians. Jillian's beloved houseplant, Ivy, is the center of her attention, much to the dismay of Toasty, the family goldfish. Toasty feels neglected, as he believes he should be the most loved pet. Toasty is whiny and narcissistic in the beginning of the story. As the story goes on he learns empathy and what it means to work together with friends.

The story takes a magical turn when Arthur, a wise spider with a broken leg, arrives hidden inside an old typewriter. Jillian then brings home Ollie, a friendly school houseplant who loves to sing. When Toasty, in a fit of frustration, splashes the plants with water from his tank, they discover they have magical powers. They can lift heavy objects and even make things invisible! The writing style is very similar to Lemony Snicket, where the author uses large words then explains the definition through contextual clues.

It turns out Toasty's fish tank is no ordinary tank. It was created by a curious inventor who imbued it with special powers. However, these powers can be dangerous in the wrong hands. A mysterious man with purple shoes is determined to obtain the tank at any cost.

As the story unfolds, Ivy, Toasty, Arthur, and Ollie must learn to work together as friends to protect the Tupper family from the greedy man. They face challenges and learn valuable lessons about friendship, empathy, and the importance of seeing each other's perspectives. The story is full of rich vocabulary, often defined within the text, and features nonhuman characters who solve problems in creative ways.

The Fan brothers, Eric and Terry, have created beautiful illustrations for the book. Their soft-edged, old-fashioned, black-and-white illustrations depict Toasty and Arthur wearing tiny hats, while Ivy and Ollie have facial expressions on their plant pots. The Tupper family is portrayed with paper-white skin and dark hair. The story emphasizes the importance of friendship, empathy, and understanding different perspectives. #NetGalley #GrowingHome

This book has everything you could want in a children's chapter book. It is innocence and imagination embodied in a book! The story is CUTE and lighthearted, but also a heartwarming story of friendship and teamwork. The cherry on top: I absolutely adore the Fan brothers' art, and it did not disappoint in this instance. Growing Home will always be an immediate recommendation from me!

Growing Home is an all around whimsical and heartwarming read about the magic of friendship. Readers will fall in love with Ivy the houseplant and Toasty the goldfish, while watching them grow through their trials of protecting their new friends and the Tuppers.. The book is packed with plenty of humor and suspense delivered by the wonderful cast of characters as well as the narrator which makes for an engaging read from cover to cover. Ferry does an excellent job of weaving in important life lessons about friendship and compassion without being heavy-handed. The ending might feel abrupt for readers that delight in more explanation, but is ultimately satisfying. A great cozy read with a bit of adventure.