May Giveaway: Mended Wood Literary Society
May is in full swing—honestly, as I write this, I’m wondering how many of you busy parents will see it!—and all over the US, thoughts are turning gradually outside and towards the natural world. As the temperatures warm, we are surrounded by ever-changing shades of green. To celebrate, today we’re filling up a library bag with favorites about nature. I am not exaggerating when I say this is the prettiest bunch of books we’ve given away. Feast your eyes:
“You can have as much earth as you want,” he said. “You remind me of someone else who loved the earth and things that grow. When you see a bit of earth you want,” with something like a smile, “take it, child, and make it come alive.” –Francis Hodgson Burnett, The Secret Garden
The Lost Words, Robert MacFarlane and Jackie Morris. This oversized volume is one of the most beautiful books I’ve ever seen. I actually know someone who cut it apart and framed the artwork in their home. The concept is simple: children don’t spend much time outdoors anymore, so they are losing the use of certain words (“acorn,” “heron,” and “willow,” to name a few). This book seeks to restore these lost words, using acrostic poems and gorgeous illustrations. The book is oversized; it’s going to take our postal assistant (me) some doing to send it to the winner. But it is so worth it!
The Gardener, Sarah Stewart, illustrated by David Small. This Caldecott Honor book tells the story of its heroine, a plucky girl named Lydia Grace Finch, who goes to live with her uncle in the city during the Great Depression. She brings some seeds and plants some happiness wherever she goes. It’s a great reminder that nature is everywhere, not just in the countryside.
A Year in the Big Old Garden, James D. Witmer, illustrated by Joe Sutphin. Written by the illustrious editor emeritus of Story Warren himself, this is a charming little book of nature stories, characterizing the animals and teaching about the landscape. Each chapter stands alone, perfect for a short bedtime story. You might know illustrator Joe Sutphin’s work from his better-known series, The Wingfeather Saga. (Did you catch our interview with Joe last week?)
The Secret Garden, Francis Hodgson Burnett. An undisputed classic. I can feel my hard heart softening a little bit every time I read a bit of this novel. It’s a brilliant story of human brokenness, redemption, and the role of a secret garden. “However many years she lived, Mary always felt that she should never forget that first morning when her garden began to grow.” I nosed my way through so many paltry editions of this title to find a beautiful, heirloom-quality edition for you. A beautiful story deserves a beautiful presentation.
One winner will receive not only these fantastic books but ALSO our minivan-proof, sturdy, beautifully made-in-the-USA tote with our logo on it! Two runners-up will receive one of our fantastic bags as their prizes.
There are a few ways to enter this giveaway:
On Instagram: Follow @story_warren, like the giveaway post, and share the giveaway (be sure to tag us!). You’re welcome to tag a friend in the comments for extra entries, too!
On Facebook: Follow Story Warren, like the giveaway post, and share the giveaway (be sure to tag us!). You’re welcome to tag a friend there in the comments for additional entries.
No social media? Leave a comment on this post, naming one of the titles here that you’d love to own or give away!
Giveaway not associated or affiliated with Meta; ages 18+; US addresses only, please. Giveaway ends at midnight Eastern Time on Monday, May 25, 2026; winners will be contacted by Tuesday, May 26, 2026.
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When she’s not behind her laptop, Kelly enjoys live music, baseball, reading great books, and traveling with her husband, David. Kelly hails from beautiful snowy New England, but after two decades in North Carolina, she feels right at home.
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What a marvelous set of books! We already own The Gardener, and it is a family favorite, so I might pass a duplicate copy on to my sister. (The author also wrote a book called The Librarian, which is equally lovely! The description of The Lost Words has me captivated, and I would SO love to read that to my boys!
All of the books books look and sound lovely but I would especially like to have The Lost Words.
I’d love to own a copy of the beautiful book The Lost Words!
I’d love to own a copy of The Lost Words.
I would love to have a copy of The Lost Words in our family library!
The secret garden would be a great!
The Lost Words book sounds beautiful, and I would love a well bound copy of the secret garden as i only have a thrifted paper book version right now.
I would love a copy of The Lost Woods. It looks beautiful!!
The Lost Words sounds like a much needed addition to our family library!
Oh goodness these are all beautiful! The gardener is one of my favorite books ever ❤️.
Beautiful! We would love yet another copy of the secret garden to add to our collection! It’s my personal favorite and my children have just been introduced to the story and love it as well.
\\\”The Lost Words\\\” sounds like a wonderful imagination resource! I\\\’m going to check to see if our local library has it.
I would live to read The Lost Words to our grandchildren
The Lost Words sounds like an amazing read and resource….so do all the others!
The Lost Words!
The Lost Words looks beautiful, and the concept makes me a bit teary. I’d love to enjoy it with my kids!
The Lost Wood or The Gardener!
These all look marvelous. I’d love to add any and all of these to our summer reading basket. But if I can only choose one I’d go with A Year in the Big Old Garden, by James D. Witmer
I\’d love to own A Year in the Big Old Garden.
I would love A Year in the Big Old Garden!
Love the story suggestions. We are in need of a new copy of The Secret Garden and would enjoy reading it aloud this summer.
Many of these titles are new to me. I especially would love to introduce my kids to The Secret Garden with such a beautiful edition.
I would love A Year in the Big Old Garden – we are expanding our garden this year and our grand daughter loves to work in it with us!
A year in the big old garden looks beautiful. The lost words also sounds intriguing.
Lost Words or the Gardener! We are working on getting our kids outdoors more but still live in a city-like area so both seem great!
A Year in the Big Old Garden looks great! We love nature!
The Lost Words looks amazing!
I have had my eye on The Lost Words for a long time.
I would love to give all of these books to my nice, especially The Lost Words .
This entire set would make a beautiful edition to my library to share with my family and students!
These all sound so great! The Lost Words especially!
I would love a copy of The Gardener.
The Lost Words sounds especially lovely!
The Lost Words looks like an amazing book that our family would love to have!
I would love a copy of The Secret Garden! I listened to the audiobook as a young child. What I remember most is learning the doxology in that book. It has a special place in my heart because of that.
A Year in the Big Old Garden.
They all sound lovely, but The Lost Woods in particular sounds amazing!