Seedfolks [Turtleback]

Paul Fleischman (Author), Judy Pedersenk (Illustrator)

Product Details

• Turtleback
• Publisher: Demco Media (April 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0606167323
• ISBN-13: 978-0606167321
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 4.2 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (111 customer reviews)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A moving story of urban life, November 24, 2001

By 

Michael J. Mazza - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Seedfolks (Hardcover)

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.

16 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Life is Made More Beautiful by Simple Gestures..., January 11, 2002

By 

Lisa Johannes (Carrollton, TX USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Seedfolks (Paperback)

The diversity of the world is represented by the very real and honest characters who live near the vacant, trash-filled lot that soon becomes a mecca of collaboration, peace, and beauty in this novel. There are 13 chapters to this book, each narrated in the first person by a different character who somehow finds some answer to his/her life's needs through the transformation of a simple garden. You will appreciate the honesty of each character, from the son who sees his father become a greedy liar to the man who understands that sometimes we are responsible for our own segregation. You will love seeing the emotional growth in a Korean woman who is recouperating from a life of tragedy, and your heart will be touched by Curtis who is trying to make amends for his past decisions. What is most impressive is that Fleischman is able to tell this delightful tale in such a way that the reader feels as if they're in on a secret--as if we know how the lives of the characters connect in a way that they do not understand themselves. If you like this clever novel, you will also enjoy Paul Fleischman's Whirligig, which has a similar affect on the reader. I recommend this book to young readers (6th grade+) as well as adults.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Touching, insightful, profoundly hopeful..., May 19, 2002

By 

"kault001" (Baltimore, MD United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Seedfolks (Paperback)

I read this outloud to my fourth-grade class a few years ago, and it was a wonderful experience. The book was absolutely appropriate for 10-12 year olds-- especially in a group or discussion format. (Some of the subtle issues might be lost to young readers reading on their own.) This book is a terrific introduction to issues of diversity and the importance of difference in the world. My class was an all-white upper-middle class group, and it was eye-opening for them without being overwhelming, heavy-handed, or too challenging. This book defines hope, and is a necessary part of a curriculum for this alone. Also good for discussions of change, feelings of ambiguity, class-issues, etc.