Bread Garden

An eccentric Swedish baker mentors three interesting children. The protagonist Dalgliesh (Dogleash) is a black-Scottish boy whose name and mixed heritage cause him low self-esteem. Fredericka (Freddie) is a bright forward-thinking girl who collects words and experiences. Her younger brother Hank is full of tag-along energy and fun and he turns out to be surprisingly brave.<p>Other characters cause plot complications. The antagonist Audrey/Stoneface is the leader of a youthful neighborhood gang; and Moose is Audrey's slothful sidekick. Other characters include a harridan neighbor Mrs. Harsnort; a proud judge Dogleash's father; Mam Dogleash's proud and regal grandmother (a gourmet cook); a gifted teacher a veterinarian a policeman and others.<p> The baker encourages the children to garden and he uses that garden not only as a metaphor for life lessons but also and perhaps more importantly to teach the children higher level thinking skills like analysis and synthesis.