Year of the Carrot

Although not obvious by its title, Year of the Carrot is a mystery that will keep its reading audience engaged. Leonie (Leo) MacGregor is dealing with being a teen and with middle years issues. Friends, acne, grades, anxiety and the transition to high school in a few months are only part of Leo’s problems. She lives on a farm that is the key to the plot as her father, a high school biology teacher, is undertaking to develop a variety of carrots that will withstand drought. Leo wants nothing to do with that. She wants to fix her brother’s dirt bike by herself and get rid of her acne. When the final math assignment is handed out, one component is a drone competition. But carrots soon become an additional assignment. Together, Leo and her friend Sara are involved in not only learning how to fly a drone, but they need to investigate another drone that seems to be spying on Leo’s dad’s one-of-a-kind carrot seeds.

Madeleine Hart skillfully captures the attention of the middle years reader with a wide range of topics. Besides relevant teen issues, the inclusion of the broader topic involving the agricultural debate about organic farming, genetically modified seeds and hybrid farming adds another level of interest. And flowing throughout the narrative is Leo’s secret project to repair an old, broken dirt bike. The mystery of the spying drone, the interesting variety of characters and the challenges and interactions Leo encounters capture and hold the attention of the reading audience. The humour interspersed throughout the story further adds to its appeal.

Perhaps the title, Year of the Carrot, might not grab the attention of middle years readers, but a book talk or referencing it in a math or science class might just pique interest. Also, it should be noted that the publishing company, Second Story Press, is dedicated to publishing feminist-inspired books for adults and young readers.