[.ca] Seedfolks (ISBN 0060274727)

From Amazon.com:
Sometimes, even in the middle of ugliness and neglect, a little bit of beauty will bloom. Award-winning writer Paul Fleischman dazzles us with this truth in Seedfolks--a slim novel that bursts with hope. Wasting not a single word, Fleischman unfolds a story of a blighted neighborhood transformed when a young girl plants a few lima beans in an abandoned lot. Slowly, one by one, neighbors are touched and stirred to action as they see tendrils poke through the dirt. Hispanics, Haitians, Koreans, young, and old begin to turn the littered lot into a garden for the whole community. A gift for hearts of all ages, this gentle, timeless story will delight anyone in need of a sprig of inspiration.

Not for MY 10-year-old!:
After reading the entire book, I've concluded that one chapter doesn't belong--at least not for elementary school students: The Maricella chapter. In it, a 16-old-girl is considering abortion after realizing the baby she loathes is making her look fat. She hasn't been invited to any parties since she started to show. She wishes her baby would die. She talks about leaving its body in a dumpster. This has NOTHING to do with culteral diversity. Okay, so she is a member of two minority groups. And sure, in the end she decides that she--like the garden they've planted--is part of a never-ending cycle of life and that maybe she'll keep her baby after all. Why does a 10-year-old need to know about such a negative societal situation such as this? Please, parents, know what your child is reading. Middle school students would probably be fine with this. Anyone younger than 7th grade, no way.

Seeds of hope:
I loved Seedfolks, with its way of bringing you to see other people's side of the story. It was amazing, the way Paul Fleischman used rich descriptions and amazing details to bring you into the hearts and thoughts of an entire neighborhood. I read this book when I was in fifth grade, and since, I have always remembered the characters and plots from this remarkable story. Every now and then, I find myself in a situation like one in this book, and I always find myself asking, "What would Virgil do here?" or "If I were Curtis, what would I do now?" This is one of the best books I have ever read. And I read quite a lot, so that's saying something!

Seedfolks Review:
Seedfolks is takes place in a diverse community in Cleveland, Ohio. It is basically a story about a young Vietnamese girl that plants lima beans in a vacant lot filled with garbage to please her dead father. An older lady sees the girl through her window. Expecting that the girl is up to no good, she sends one of her friends out to investigate. The friend comes back and reports that the girl had only planted beans and that they wouldn't grow if he didn't help her take care of them. Other members of the community see that someone has removed all of the garbage from the lot and notice that someone was growing plants. Slowly, everyone begins to plant things in their own section of the garden. People begin to talk and get to know each other and help to transform the neighborhood. One of the strengths of the story is the way each of the characters tells their own personal story but it all ties back to the garden. Even though there are many different characters, you never get thrown off track. This book is short and to the point with a good message. One of the weaknesses of the story is the way it ended. You find out that once winter comes, the garden looks run down and no one is really taking care of it; their owners have dug up most of the plants. You're kind of left wondering whether the garden is ever rejuvenated after spring returns. I really enjoyed this book. I like the way this story is put together and the way each of the characters is of a different ethnicity. The fact that this book can be read in one day is also a plus. Seedfolks shows how one simple act can bring a community together. I would recommend this story to anyone who is looking for something positive to read.

Seedfolk Journal:
This is a great book that can actually be applied to everyone every where. The story starts out with a young girl on a secretive mission to impress her father. The first thought of one woman was that she was buring drugs. She went down to investigate and found seeds for beans. The setting is a garbage lot. Chest high garbage as far as you could see. After a while, all the garbage was moved and many more people started building gardens. Everyone has they'reown reasons for creating his or her garden. There were numerous strengths and not a single weakness. One strength is the way Paul creates a community, form scratch. Another is the way he brings them all together. Some see the garden out the window, and others are just walking by. Another strength is how they interact with eachother and how they share what they grow. People that once hated eachother due to racial lines are now inseperable, simply due to vegetables. My overall immpression of this book is of coarse, fantastic. Who knew such a scrungy looking man could write on this topic so well. The moral of the story is community. It doesn't matter if your rich or poor, everyone needs community. I would recommend this to my whole family, but not my friends because they would think I was a freak.

Intertwined lives:
I enjoyed this story of a community that comes together because of the act of one little girl. The book celebrates the ability of a group to work with our strentghs to fill in the weaknesses of others. Also, it illustrates how people approach situations differently and bring new ideas and new approaches to others. I teach sixth grade and plan to use the book with my classes this school year in an effor to help celebrate diversity.