Anna is a young girl who helps her grandfather plant corn. That winter, her grandpa passes away, and she has a difficult time dealing with his death and therefore cannot bring herself to plant the seeds she promised her grandpa she would plant. Her mom helps her to realize that she needs to plant the corn seeds to keep the promise she made. Anna plants the seeds and remembers the song she shared with her grandpa. Now that she remembers those times she shared with him, she has closure and can carry on his farming legacy.

I give this story four stars because I loved the bond between Anna and her grandpa. When a beloved family member passes away, sometimes we feel like it is the end of the world. Anna's mom helped her to realize that the seeds would go to waste if they were not planted, and I think that helps the reader to learn a very valuable message about the importance of seizing the day and recognizing opportunity. Furthermore, if we stay sad all the time, then nothing exciting can happen. Grief is a part of life, but we have to acknowledge that and then move on and be productive. The author deals with death in a very respectful, beautiful manner. I also appreciated the teaching of the miracle of life, with the corn sprouting from the smallest seed and growing increasingly bigger with each passing season. ( )

Anna's grandpa was a farmer and she would walk with him to the cornfield. One day grandpa told her that the corn makes its own kind of music that she just had to listen. She listened and finally heard it, that raspy song just like his voice. He then grabbed a cob and gave her seeds to plant next spring. They were to be called "Anna's corn". During the winter, grandpa got very ill and died. Anna was heartbroken and she missed his smile and voice dearly. She wondered if she would ever hear his voice again and held onto the seeds for comfort. Finally, she decided that the time was right to plant her corn and stuck a sign in the ground that read "Anna's corn" to watch its progress. When it got big and tall, taller than her, she searched for the music that the corn made. Listening and listening, she finally heard it. That crackling raspy voice just like grandpa's. She will always have this memory with her and will be able to hear his voice within the corn. As children, our grandparents often pass away and it can be hard to deal with. It is often the first time that we face the death of a family member. Sometimes the only way to deal with it is to find a memory for comfort. Time will pass and she will get older, but she will always be able to hear her grandpa's voice within the corn. ( )

A very touching story about a girl and her grandfather. Her grandfather helps her grow corn. He gave her a few kernels to plant the following spring. Her grandpa dies and is very sad, but is keen to keep her promise of growing the kernels he gave her in the pouch. When she plants the kernels, they come out and grow better than before. A good read for kindergarten through third grade. ( )