"WASHINGTON -- From the beginning, Michelle Obama's kitchen garden has been an overachiever, churning out more peppers, parsley and eggplant than expected, and generating interest that -- yes, really -- crosses oceans."

"Now, the first lady has added a 271-page book to her gardening resume, and Americans can read all about the planting misses that came with the hits, get tips on gardening at home, and, Mrs. Obama hopes, draw some inspiration that just might change their lives. Oh, and if it happens to help her husband's re-election campaign, that would be nice, too.

Lofty goals for a book about a garden.

In 'American Grown: The Story of the White House Kitchen Garden and Gardens Across America,' Mrs. Obama holds out the raised vegetable beds on the South Lawn as 'an expression of my hopes' for the nation's children. 'Just as each seed we plant has the potential to become something extraordinary, so does every child,' she writes."

Nancy Benac reports for the Associated Press May 29, 2012. [2]