Seedfolks Paperback – March 24, 1999

I am an adult literacy volunteer and this book was selected for our group to read together. It was the perfect choice with short chapters and a fantastic story line of a community coming together and connecting over a garden. Well written and created many lively discussions over the weeks that we met together. I purchased extra copies for friends because I love the story and message so much. Our group even had a chance to meet the author and he shared his journey about writing the book and answered questions for is. What a delightful person. This is a fabulous book.

I bought this book in hopes that I could use it as a mentor text for my newcomer students. They are middle schoolers who come from all over the globe, all colors, cultures and backgrounds. This book far exceeded my expectations and I can’t wait to share it with them! I will use it as a character study to introduce academic language. I can already envision an anchor chart shaped like the garden that transforms from a garbage strewn lot into a beautiful garden as each character is revealed. I’ll post a picture of the finished product.

This is a terrific little book that pretty inobtrusively teaches about how people of different colors, races, religions, ethnicities, backgrounds, jobs, genders, languages, ages, motivations and physical characteristics and abilities can of their own volition connect as people and individuals around a common interest (in this case a self made community garden) and look beyond all those other more superficial characteristics that are more often used to divide people. No one gave any of these people anything. They each did it themselves – and in some cases for each other. This really isn’t about a common enterprise or team building. Its about finding some meaning and purpose in one’s life and about recognizing the similar interests of others that extend beyond the superficial or external differences. This little book is probably more effective than any DEI training manual, administrator or government mandate I can think of. As a matter of fact, most businesses and governments would be much more effective at their efforts in this regard and with greater positive results if they substituted this little book and maybe their own community garden for whatever DEI manuals and training sessions they now have. I am a 77 year old semi retired lawyer who happens to live in Cleveland and I read this book because it was assigned to my 11 year old granddaughter in her Chicago public school. (as an aside, no, you cannot see Canada across Lake Erie from Cleveland. and although the winters are not as severe as portrayed in my opinion, yes we often have snow in April. ) I am not a teacher but it seems to me this book would be appropriate for middle school children to read (could be a bit challenging for some but that’s ok). It could probably be read to younger children, but would certainly require some explanation. Some might also want to edit out perhaps the story about the assault victim. Thank you Mr. Fleischman. Well Done.

Seedfolks follows the perspectives of various people within a community. It starts of with little Kim trying to get her seeds to grow in a vacant lot right outside her apartment building. With each new perspective we see this little garden grow and how it brings together a small and diverse community. We see hate turn to love and to respect. Instead of phrases like "that Chinese woman" turns into "the school teacher." It's little things like this that make this short story so magical.Character observations: Gonzalo: "The older you are, the younger you get when you move to the United States."Wendell: "There's plenty about my life I can't change...But a patch of ground in this trashy lot--I can change that. Can change it big."Nora: "Yet we were all subject to the same weather and pests, the same neighborhood, and the same parental emotions toward our plants...We, like our seeds, were no planted in the garden."Amir: "The object in America is to avoid contact, to treat all as foes unless they're known to be friends."Each character has these little quotes and observations as they each partake in some way of the community garden. It's full of life's rich lessons and one I will continue to read to my child.

The media could not be loaded. This book is a read for a 6th grader. Good size with 101 pages with good take away from it. As it is a summer read for my son but anyways Paul Fleischman gave each character a different personality.My kid read twice in 2weeks so.Amazon delivered it in good condition.

Astonishing book. I am using this with my fourth and fifth-grade Drama/Language Arts/Social Studies classes and they love the book. We used it as a read-aloud book and then discussed each chapter afterward. They are begging us to read more and more of the book aloud to them. The students and teachers love the book. The 13 characters are richly drawn in short monologues that comprise each chapter. The author does not underestimate his young adult audience. He throws a lot at them and expects them to go with him on the journey that is Seedfolks. There is so much in this small and extraordinary book. I can't say enough about it. Themes of community, anti- bias, looking beyond first impressions, the power of nature to heal and nurture...the list goes on and on. I'm thinking about writing the author a note of appreciation I'm so smitten with this book. It's written for young adults but it is a book for everyone. I cannot recommend it highly enough. There is so much in it and if you trust your students, they will take you where the book leads them to go. I've taught for over 20 years and this book is one of the best books for use with work in Drama, Literacy, and Social Justice that I have had the pleasure of teaching in all of my years as a teaching artist.

Excelente libro formativo

Couldn't find this anywhere else locally or online in Canada. Gifted it for a friend in the UK who is volunteering in a marginalized community to help start a community garden. He got it in time for Christmas! Perf!

Libro molto scolastico ma avvincente

Estoy aprendiendo inglés y me ha resultado muy útil, de fácil lectura. Además la herramienta del asistente de traducción ayuda a su lectura sin perder el tiempo.

Ich (15) habe dieses Buch im Englischunterricht gelesen. Erst fand ich es etwas seltsam, doch von Wort zu Wort, Von Seite zu Seite, von Kapitel zu Kapitel würde es immer herzlicher, schöner und wunderbarer! Es ist soooo schön! Ich kann es allen weiter empfehlen von 15-... Jahren! Man muss es lesen! Es zeigt wie Menschen sind und sein könnten, welche Probleme es gibt und wie man sie lösen kann! Es ist nicht zu lang und nicht zu schwer und daher als Englischer Roman leicht zu lesen! Ich liebe es!!!!❤️❤️❤️