SeedFolks

By; Paul Fleischman

The story starts with Kim.  She lives in apartment building in a busy city neighborhood.  Kim plants some Lima beans in a vacant lot thinking of her father who died before she was born.  She wants to show her father that she can work hard and have patience.  The rest of the story shows how this small act has a ripple effect on the entire community.  The vacant lot becomes a place for a community garden and as the plants grow and change so do the people who tend to it.  

I LOVED this book.  I found so many "seeds" of wisdom.  Gonzalo told of his uncle and how coming to this country changed him.  His statement, "the older you are, the younger you get when you move to the United States" really made me think.  Our school has many families who have recently moved to the United States.  As I read this statement I remembered a mother telling me (with the help of an interpreter) that in Mexico she had a biology degree and was a teacher but because she could not speak fluent English she was now cleaning hotel rooms. As I reflect upon my short visit to Mexico,  I also have a deeper understanding of this statement.  I too was like a baby and I needed to rely on others for help with the simplest of tasks like working the washing machine or getting directions.  I think that is why this chapter meant the most to me.