Seedfolks by Paul Fleischman
112 pages
One by one, a number of people of varying ages and backgrounds transform a trash filled inner‐city lot into a productive and beautiful garden.
NPR Backseat Book Club pick for April 2012
Sam’s review:
Seedfolks is a story told by 13 distinct voices, each from a different ethnic group. They all live in a Cleveland apartment building in a poor part of town. The vacant lot across from the building has been used as a dump until one day Kim, a young Vietnamese girl, distraught over the death of her father, plants some lima beans as a way to remember him. When Ana, an elderly Romanian woman watches Kim digging, she thinks that she is up to no good. When she investigates and discovers the beans, she decides to help Kim by watering them. Kim and Ana each tell their stories, and the garden has begun. Eleven more stories follow, relating the growth and significance of the garden in the lives of each of these residents. The result is an inspiring and moving story that had me laughing, crying, and wanting to grab a package of seeds. This book is a gift for all ages that calls to be shared and read aloud.