Seedfolks by Paul Fleischman

ISBN: 0590511904
Genre: Fiction
Published: 2004

Seedfolks is a story of a rundown city coming together by creating a community of gardeners. It is told from13 character perspectives, all in chronological order. The characters all come from different cultural backgrounds. Some are immigrants, some are young, old, and some are even criminals. The book shows the reader that if people come together, a lot can be done.

Amazon.com Review

"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."

A review from homeschoolbuzz.com
A child's simple act of planting lima beans in a vacant lot results in a community garden, spawning a sense of kinship in the neighborhood. In monologue form, 13 different points of view represent the melting pot of America as each reflect on their roots, and their present day lifestyle. The young Vietnamese girl, the Mexican teen, the elderly black man; narrations so unmistakably clear you'd swear you could actually hear their voices.
The only chapter of concern is one told from the unwed pregnant teen's point of view. Though her plight is a real part of America, you may not be ready to share or discuss this issue with your children.
Seedfolks offers a revealing look at inner-city culture, and could be used in any study of urban life, immigration, or the many cultures that represent America.

How I would use it in the class
This is a great book on working together in a community to reach a goal. It is an urban setting that shows much progress can be made by working together. I would use this to model that for calss behavior.