“It just so happens my thoughts are consumed with something out of the ordinary.”

Mildred is a very focused eleven-year-old. Very focused on giant pumpkins. She’s growing the giants for her mother, who never got a chance to enter the Circleville, Ohio, Pumpkin Show weigh-off herself. After four disastrous growing seasons, Mildred is hoping to finally have a flawless pumpkin to enter in the contest. As long as busybody Aunt Arlene doesn’t interfere too much…and Daddy doesn’t need too much help at his veterinary practice…and her best friend Jacob can pitch in with some last-minute help…and the dogs don’t trample the seedlings…and the weather cooperates.

Readers will be rooting for Mildred and her pumpkin—a certified Howard Dill’s Atlantic Giant.

A paperback edition is forthcoming
from HarperCollins July 28, 2009.

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Author’s Note:

It took a great deal of research to write Me and the Pumpkin Queen. Growing giants is an extremely complicated sport — besides the hard work, dedication, and luck involved, it takes a ton of knowledge.

As a result, my constant companions during the writing process were several editions of Don Langevin’s How to Grow World Class Giant Pumpkins. If any of my readers are interested in growing a giant pumpkin, his books are an excellent place to start.

While researching Me and the Pumpkin Queen, I was also fortunate enough to be able to consult with Dr. Robert Liggett, a well-known pumpkin grower from Pickaway County.

In 2004 he broke the thousand pound barrier at Circleville’s Pumpkin Show in a big way and took home the championship title. Above is a picture of me with Dr. Liggett in his 2006 pumpkin patch. At the time this picture was taken, his pumpkin was only half-grown!

In 2008 I decided to try to grow my very own giant pumpkin for the first time. At 250 pounds it didn’t end up as big as Mildred’s or Dr. Liggett’s, but I had a lot of fun growing it!