Seedfolks
Written By: Paul Fleischman
Published: 2004
While Seedfolks has not been my favorite book by any means, it sure does a lot of things right. In my opinion, one of the biggest requirements for a high-quality story is having high-quality, well developed characters. Fleischman does this and he takes it to the next level. For me, this book was not about the story. It was about the characters who are involved in it.
Seedfolks didn't have one distinct plot. Instead, we learned about the thirteen characters and their lives. We met people of all different ages, backgrounds, and cultures. These people are so different, that would not have been connected if it weren't for the community garden. Not all of the characters directly interact, but they are all working together to protect and strengthen this little garden. With a funnel here and a trash pickup there, piece by piece the garden comes together to become something beautiful.
This would be a great mentor text for older students to refer to when learning about developing rich characters. Fleischman does an excellent job of giving the reader a strong idea of who each person is, what their story is, and how the garden is impacting them. While I probably would not use this as a class wide read or read aloud, I will definitely keep this book in mind when crafting writing lessons based on the needs of my students. I give Seedfolks 3 stars.
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