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Summary: Seeds of hope
Review: 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.
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Summary: Seeds of hope
Review: 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!
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Summary: Gardening plants the seeds of life in a community.
Review: In Pacific Grove author, Paul Fleischman's gem of a small book, SEEDFOLKS, gardening plants the seeds of life in a run down, Balkanized Cleveland neighborhood. This miracle tale of a community garden spontaneously cultivated in a trash-collecting vacant lot is told in thirteen unique voices. Each story is a variation on a great longing fulfilled--a longing for a connection with the living world including the people in their own neighborhood. The gardeners are inspired to cultivate their plots for a variety of personal reasons: connecting to an unknown father, impressing a girlfriend, or making some quick money. But the residents of Gibb Street harvest a newfound sense of community, and even rebirth, as they "find excuses to let their natural friendliness out," as Amir puts it. SEEDFOLKS reminds us that growing things in harmony with the natural cycles of life is an international language, like making music. Whether they were growing cilantro, ginger or arugula, the gardeners were all subject to "the same weather and pests, the same neighborhood and the same parental emotions toward our plants," which stimulated the growth of communication and connections beyond the safe and the known. The book jacket puts it most eloquently: Fleischman has written a "hymn to the power of plants and of people."
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Summary: A moving story of urban life
Review: Paul Fleischman's novel "Seedfolks" is only 69 pages long, but the author packs a lot of emotional power into this story. "Seedfolks" takes place in a troubled urban neighborhood in Cleveland, Ohio. The story begins when a young Vietnamese-American girl starts a small vegetable garden in a plot of land in a neglected, garbage-filled lot. From this small start, a project begins which transforms the neighborhood. This is a moving story which presents multi-cultural urban life in both its negative and positive aspects. Each chapter is told in the first person by a different member of the community. Thus, by the end of the book we have heard a great diversity of voices: male and female, of many age groups, and of many different ethnic backgrounds. I was really impressed with this book, and recommend it to both younger readers and adults. For an interesting companion text to "Seedfolks," try "O Pioneers!", the classic novel by Willa Cather.
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Summary: seedfolks
Review: Seedfolks by Pual Fleischman is a story of racial divide changed to community through the actions of a little girl. It all starts when she plants beans in honor of her dead father. People take notice, and one by one, people in the neighborhood begin to plant various crops from their native lands. Eventually they build a strong, protective, and friendly community that grows along side the garden.
The story is told through the eyes of 13 different characters each explaining their diverse background, what they've seen in the garden, and why they're now involved. The style makes the book a quick read, and because the characters are not directly revisited, it's not confusing.
Overall, this book's inspirational sense of true community is not only achieved in the fictional garden, but ideally in day-to-day life. Seadfolks leaves you with an uplifting, warm and fuzzy all over feeling, and a strong desire to make change.
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Summary: Seedfolks Review
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.
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Summary: Seedfolks Book Review
Review: The short story, Seedfolks, is about a neighborhood in Cleveland full of many different types of people, coming together by building a garden. It starts with, Kim, a young girl from Vietnam, who moved to Cleveland with her family. Her father was a farmer and died before she was born. In an attempt to get closer to a father she never knew, she plants seeds in a trash filled lot, near her home. Neighborhood people begin to notice her garden and begin to build their own in the same lot. One woman goes to the Health Department and has them remove the garbage.
People from all different walks of life come together to form a common goal, to make their own gardens and share in the growth. These are people from different ethnic groups, religions and countries. People who would have never before given the others a second thought. They share gardening tips, life stories and the fruits of their labor with one another. And slowly, a lovely community forms.
Some people are there for enjoyment, some trying to make money, some are forced and one is looking for love. They learn to break the language barriers with pantomimes and share their gardens with one another. I was really touched by the story of a pregnant teenager, who found friends and acceptance in the garden. And of the man who cannot speak or function on his own due to a stroke, but is brought to the garden everyday to enjoy it, by his nurse. I was also touched and felt the real lesson is in the story of Amir, an immigrant from India. He tells a story of sharing with a women, who once yelled at him and called him a dirty foreigner. While they talked one day, he brought this up, and her reply was "I didn't know it was you."I think that Amir's story is one of the most thought-evoking one of them all in this book. How often have we all looked at someone and disliked them on the outside without knowing what was on the inside?
I think the main strength of the book is the author, Paul Fleischman's ability to transform himself into so many different characters and his thought-evoking tales. I enjoy how the story is told through so many different people's eyes. I also enjoy the versatility he has been able to bring out in so many different characters. I think one of the biggest strengths is the way, he shows how the community is slowly built out of such a segregated neighborhood. I honestly can only think of one weakness. I wish that the story was longer and went more in depth into the character's lives, instead of brief pages.
I really enjoyed reading this book and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys reading. I really enjoy the lesson learned in the book. I think the lesson is that no matter what your skin color, religion or background, people can connect on common ground. Our towns and neighborhoods don't have to be made of the segregated communities we've all built around us.
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Summary: Seedfolks- An Everchangeing Book
Review: The story begins in Cleveland Ohio, on a street called Gibb. Gibb St. was so diverse it was as though you put all the grains of sand on a beach and crammed them onto a pin head. Then, hope for this urban town comes in the form of a garden, and brings the community together, just because of six tiny lima beans. In the beginning of the book we find the neighborhood divided and separate. There's high crime, homelessness, disease, poverty. and pollution. The people live like rats in a dump, and often come and go. "It's like a cheap hotel, you leave as soon as you get enough money."- Ana Gibb street was polluted so bad, that it wasn't suitable for human inhabitation. Cleveland was a town for the immigrants, with no real industry, no hope, and no real future. But, then came a girl named Kim. One cold, musty day a girl named Kim planted six lima beans in a vacant lot filled with garbage, little did she know that those beans would become an inspiration for the community. After the seeds matured, people began to notice them among the garbage, and suddenly a glimmer of hope shone in their hearts. They all started planting their own seeds such as beans, lettuce, flowers, and tomatoes. Through the garden people began to take their dull tapestries of fate and make the colors brighter, and the patterns more intricate, and complicated. People began to work together yet, still some diversity remained. " First came the fences, then the "Keep Out" signs. And then finally the barbed wire, "Paradise" was turning back into Cleveland again." -Sam Although the diversity still remained, it was still a little better than Cleveland, little did these people know that when they started their gardens, they would forever cross their strings of fate. After the people of Gibb Street began to get over their diversity, they began to become friends. As their friendship bloomed, so did the lives of the people. They learned to love, care, and be friends once again. Some of the people who had fights with their fellow gardeners before to resolve their conflicts and realized they all had been blind. "I'm so sorry, I didn't know it was you then" - Polish Lady to Amir The garden gave people more faith and because of their faith people like Sae Young found their way out of their little microcosms, and came back to the land of the living. Others, like Marcella realized that their problems in life, might not be problems, but blessings in disguise. Because of the garden their was a renewal of faith, there for making the urban life for the characters in "Seedfolks" more decent. The garden made life worth living for everyone in Seedfolks. It made a impact with all people who came into contact with it. It shows that is we can all find something in common with each other, we can get past our pre justices, and all get along. During the beginning of the book the community was separated, and divided, then it began to come together in the middle, and in the end the community was much more than a community, but a family. And to think it started out in the form of six tiny lima beans... I really liked the pace of this book and found it interesting, and intricate. It kept you thiniking about everything that happenend. I found myself going "hmm, now why did the author put that in there?" when I read things going on in the story. I really liked this book and would reccomend it for anyone young, or old.
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Summary: A fine description of life's paralells
Review: The story had strength as well as weakness. Its strengths included describing the way people plant their seeds. This method helped me understand how very important it is to know what you're doing when planting seeds so you can have a great outcome .The major weakness was the part of Florence, which could have been given longer to develop her character better.
My overall impression of this story was that it was wonderful. I can't believe that just by a little girl being so sad and taking her pain to the vacant lot to plant her some seeds made the whole the community come together.
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Summary: Seedfolk Journal
Review: 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.
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