BOTM for APRIL , option 2: Seedfolks by Paul Fleischman

[Jemima]

This thread is for your comments on Seedfolks which is ONE of our April choices.

Please remember the guidance: Respect, tolerance, good vibes.

Feel free to comment as you wish within those ideals. Try not to reveal the plot or if you want to specify something about a plot point put it in 'spoiler' tags, using square brackets.

Enjoy!

See the other post for comments on the Secret Garden :)

[Jennifer]

I read Seedfolks last night and absolutely loved it. The two things that struck me almost immediately were that (1) every journey begins with a single step, and (2) the best way to counter racism is through individual meetings.

The way the story of the garden unfolds through the small vignettes, each of them being told from a different resident's point of view, provided a nice touch. From Kim's determination to maintain a connection to her father through growing the lima beans to Sae Young's recovery from a traumatic event being aided through the low-stakes connections provided by the garden, the small ways in which each person was affected led to larger changes in their lives and in the neighborhood was really moving.

My next two paragraphs discuss specific aspects of some of the vignettes, so I'm marking them with spoiler tags. That way, if you've read it, you can read them, but if you haven't, you won't have the vignettes spoiled.

I think my favorite vignette was Marciela's.(view spoiler)[ Perhaps not surprisingly, her vignette receives a lot of negative attention in the negative reviews because it mentions abortion (wow, what a shock that a story about a 16-year-old pregnant girl might mention abortion) and because she very clearly doesn't want her child and wishes she would miscarry. The raw feelings from that vignettes were hard to face, but also completely understandable when considered in the context of her age and ethnicity, especially when you take a moment to consider how she would be perceived by others. In my experience as a high-school teacher, I have found that many pregnant teenagers go through periods where they have thoughts similar to Marciela's. It always struck me as a normal part of the process for them, as in many ways they were grieving the loss of the life they had prior to getting pregnant. (hide spoiler)]

Finally, one of the most moving parts, for me, came in Amir's vignette.(view spoiler)[ Royce, a young black teenager, had been kicked out of his home by his father and had been sleeping in the garden. In the beginning, as described by Amir, we have the statement "[h]e was young and black. He looked rather dangerous. People watched him and seemed to be relieved when he left the garden." It's such a simple statement, yet it is truly indicative of what most young black males face as they become teenagers and adults. Yet, for Royce, as he spent time in the garden, - and thus around the other members of the community - the perception of him changed. They got to know him as an individual, learned about him and his family, and gradually the racist lens of 'black male = dangerous' fell away. When the other community members got to know him, he became "trusted and liked - and famous, after his exploit with the pitchfork. He was not a teenage black boy. He was Royce." That is the power of getting to know the individual. (hide spoiler)]

After finishing Seedfolks, I can easily see this becoming a quick comfort read for me. Its length makes it easy to read within an hour or so, and if I don't have that much time, the way the book is divided into vignettes means I can also pick one or two to read as a quick dip into the larger story.

This was a great pick for an April read!

[Jemima]

I have my copy and hope to read it over the weekend :)

[Patricia]

I want to read this one. It sounds interesting and also I have a copy of this book:)

[Jemima]

Well, Jennifer was right - it doesn't take long to read!

I enjoyed it, and urban gardening is one of my 'things' (along with rewilding and general gardening). I also enjoyed each story as it panned out. It sort of features every reason why gardening is good for you, whoever you are.

So I was a bit disappointed when I discovered it was fiction, and carefully constructed fiction at that. I also felt bemused by the intended audience. It's probably suitable for everyone, although the long explanation by the author at the back suggested he was thinking of young adult.

Do you think MG readers would enjoy it? Over to all the MG librarians for that question, I think!

[Justine]

I agree with Jemima and Jennifer's comments. Loved it. I love the simplicity of the story. So little said but it means so much more. Through such a short story, we see the diversity and the struggles in the lives of the characters. I can see why it would be used in the classroom. It will generate much discussion and sharing of life experiences. In answer to Jemima's questions (even though I am not a librarian), I believe that MG readers will appreciate this book only with adult guidance as I think they will take it only at face value and miss the bigger points.

[Jemima]

Thanks, Justine :)

[Susan]

I personally loved the book. I love how one small action caused others to act. Each good work led to more until a whole community was created. I enjoyed the many different viewpoints and how each person's background affected the way they saw the garden. And the different ways they learned and grew through it.

That said, I really don't see this as a middle grade book. Some advanced MG kids might enjoy it, but I think both the writing and subject matter are a little above most middle graders' levels. I don't think most would appreciate the different ethnic backgrounds and references or the points being subtly made.

But again, I really enjoyed it.

[SaraKat]

I enjoyed Seedfolks! I was thinking all the stories would end up coming together more at the end, but the subtle weaving of them all in the garden was satisfying enough. I loved the garden and the different uses everyone was putting it to. I enjoyed the different cultural ideas about what should grow and the various reasons people had for their plantings. It felt very realistic.