Normally, I wouldn’t think it’s important to reference a character’s race in a blog post, but that’s essentially what this book is all about: race relations. 'Seedfolks' follows the story of a trash heap turned community garden started by a small Vietnamese girl. Who knew gardening could produce more than just produce? Thanks to Paul Fleischman’s 'Seedfolks,' I now get that. This is a great book to use in the classroom with 4th and 5th graders! This story allows readers to discuss how to put aside stereotypes and ethnic and age differences and what can come of that when one does. When all these people are in the garden, prejudices are put aside, and even through language barriers, they learn to communicate with each other. This story is great because it really opens up the idea that even in a city that is so diverse as Cleveland, where every group tends to keep to their own group, something as special as a garden can bring them together. Some characters become involved with the garden at different times throughout the summer, and they tell their part of their story accordingly.

Each person comes from a different ethnic background, and the ages of each character ranges from elementary to elderly. Paul Fleischman doesn't repeat any character, and yet through this a cohesive story is able to be told. Every chapter is written from the first-person point of view of another character. What is most interesting about this book is how it is written. One day a young girl decides to plant some lima beans in a corner of a junkyard-type lot and not too long after, different people from around the city to start little by little transforming the lot into a real garden. Seedfolks is a story of a rather large group of diverse people from different ethnic backgrounds ages who all happen to be influenced by a old lot turned community garden in the center of Cleveland, Ohio.

It's different and unique, just like the characters in this story. This story isn't your normal garden story.

Seedfolks amazon