Hello, my name is Angelie and I am in seventh grade and today I'll be reading Grandma Lena's big old turnip by Denea Hester illustrated by Jackie urban which Grandma Lena's big old turnip. The whole thing started when Grandma Lena decided to grow turnips in her backyard garden with her reading glasses, Persian and rose all winter she studied her seed catalogs, hoping to find just the right kind to plant. Grandma chuckled at all the fancy names. There were white nights and scarlet queens, royal crowns and white lady. She finally decided on a turnip called purple top after all, purple was her favorite color. When spring arrived and the ground was soft enough for digging, Grandma Lena planted the tiny seeds. She didn't worry that the air was still nippy. She knew turnips liked cold weather. Soon, tiny plants popped up. For the next month, Grandma Lena watered and weeded her turnip plants every day. Hey Lena, Uncle Isador teased. I hope you taught those turnips how to swim. Your water them so much I'm afraid they're gonna drown. Grandma Lena granted and said what she always believed. Anything worth doing is worth doing right. Every day the turnips grew. One was bigger than the rest. On the first day of June, Grandma Lena stepped into her garden to find the biggest, fattest, most giant, and antique turnips she had ever laid eyes on. What a fine turnips do it will make. She thought it's enough to feed half the town. From the porch baby pearls stared at the turnip with white eyes, big potatoes she said with a giggle. Grandma Lena took hold of the enormous stem and leaves. She yanked and jerked and took but that big old turnip would not budge. Grandma took off his reading glasses and came running. Then Grandma pulled on Grandma while Grandma pulled on the turnip. Yanked and jerked and took but that big old turnip would not budge. Is he Grandma yelled stop eating up my peach jam and help us pull up this big old turnip. Uncle Isador wiped his mouth and came running. Uncle Isador pulled on Grandpa, Grandpa pulled on Grandma and the yank and jerked and took but that big old turnip would not budge. Rascal Grandma hollered but down that bone and helped us pull this big old turnip. Aunt Nettie gave baby pearl toy and came running. Aunt Nettie pulled on Uncle Isador, Uncle Isador pulled on Grandma and Grandpa pulled on Grandma. They yanked and jerked and took but that big old turnip would not budge. Rascal Grandma hollered but down that bone and helped us pull this big old turnip. Rascal dropped his chewbone and came running. Then Rascal pulled on Aunt Nettie. Aunt Nettie pulled on Uncle Isador, Uncle Isador pulled on Grandpa and Grandpa pulled on Grandma. They yanked and jerked and took but that big old turnip would not budge. Baby Pearl came totalling across the yard. Her diaper half undone. She and my Nassad Grandma. We forgot about Pearl. Baby Pearl pointed at the ground. Big potato, she said. Stand back Pearl warned Grandma. I'm going to hold this turnip out if it's the last thing I do. Okay everyone pull. In all the confusion nobody noticed that baby Pearl was holding on to Rascal's tail. Then Rascal clammed on to Aunt Nettie's skirt and Aunt Nettie grabbed Uncle Isador. Uncle Isador grabbed Grandpa and Grandpa held tight to Grandma. The whole family yanked and jerked and tugged with all their strength. Pop, at last big dirt flying in all directions up big old turnip burst out of the ground and the whole family fell in a pile behind it. Baby Pearl clapped and said, Uh oh fall down. By now the sun was setting. Everyone else once at bed exhausted. But Grandma Lena stayed up late. She washed and chopped the turnip screens and put them in her biggest spots with onions and bacon and cooked them until they were nice and tender. After that she chopped up the giant turnip. It was so big there would be plenty left over for turnip castorals, turnip fries and pickled turnips. Then she made a turnip stew with potatoes, carrots and peas. What would turnips do without cornbread thought Lena. So she baked golden brown corn muffins. The next day Grandma Lena invited all her friends and neighbors to help her fill in the hole and share her delicious turnip dishes. Half of the time showed up with shovels, holes and spades. Some brought jokes of cool apple cider and lemony tea cakes to share. It was the biggest party since last year's Fourth of July picnic. Everyone agreed that it was the best meal they had in a long time. So neighbors joked about what Grandma Lena would plant next year. It'll be big when neighbors said. And Lena doesn't do anything halfway. Of course, that Grandma Lena anything worth doing is worth doing right. That night when the family was full and dozing in their chairs, baby Pearl whisper to rascal, big potato or gone.