The vegetable museum - Michelle Mulder

Shortlisted for the Red Cedar Children’s Book Award 2021 and the IODE Violet Downey Book Award 2020; selected for Canadian Children’s Book Centre’s Best Books for Kids and Teens 2019 (starred selection), OLA Best Bets Top Ten (2019), and New York Public Library Best Books

Thirteen-year-old Chloë left her whole life back in Montreal, including her mom and her best friend. Now she’s stuck in Victoria with her dad and her estranged grandfather, Uli, who recently had a stroke. When Chloë agrees to help Uli look after his garden, she’s determined to find out why he and her dad didn’t speak to each other for years.

For decades Uli has collected seeds from people in the community, distinct varieties that have been handed down through generations. The result is a garden full of unusual and endangered produce, from pink broccoli to blue kale to purple potatoes.

But Chloë learns that the garden will soon be destroyed to make way for a new apartment complex. And the seed collection is missing! Chloë must somehow find a way to save her grandfather’s legacy.