Lily's Victory Garden — Helen Wilbur

"When Lily learns about a lottery for land plots to grow Victory Gardens, she tries to apply. But when the gardenclub president tells her she''s too young to participate, Lily refuses to give up. She knows where there''s a house witha big yard.The Bishops live in the largest house in town. It also has the largest yard. But the Bishops'' son was the first soldierfrom the town to die in the war. Now Mrs. Bishop has hidden herself away in their house.When Lily asks Mr. Bishop for the use of a small plot within his yard, his grudging approval comes with thestern warning, ""No bothering Mrs. Bishop."" As Lily nurtures her garden, she discovers that the human heart is its own garden, with the same needs forattention and love. A former librarian, Helen L. Wilbur now works on the electronic sideof the publishing world. Lily''s Victory Garden was inspired by familystories of life on the home front during WWII. Helen also authored M isfor Meow: A Cat Alphabet. She lives in New York City.Robert Gantt Steele has illustrated many projects and books about theAmerican experience. He is particularly interested in military and WWIIhistory. Robert lives in northern California."