Let me start by saying that we grow all of these berries in our yard, but we don’t get very many.  Our berry bushes produce enough berries to wander through the yard, grab a handful, and feel satisfied that you’ve grown your own snack.  When I want enough berries to freeze or make into jam, we head to our local berry farms.

From June through August, there are always amazing berries in the Pacific Northwest.  Just when you start to feel sad that raspberry season is over, the blueberries and blackberries come out!   Blackberries grow like weeds around here and people actually pay to have companies come in and remove them. 

There is absolutely nothing better than fresh, locally grown, berries.  When we go berry picking, my kids and I eat more than we pick.

Have you heard of Tayberries?  They are a cross between a raspberry and a blackberry.  They have a very intense berry flavor.

So, what does this have to do with literacy?  Oh, so much.  My kids have the experience of growing their own food, as well as picking and preserving their food.  They have schema for berry farms, food, harvest, and gardens.

Non-fiction books are my favorite children’s books.  Here are a few of my favorite berry books.

Happy berry picking!