Seedfolks by Paul Fleischman Dina Buzaglo Shaanan College Copyright is reserved

 immigrant background  parents’ model - dedicated gardeners  mother’s volunteerism  resolving conflicts by writing Copyright is reserved

 Isolated immigrants becoming a community  Each character represents a new perspective  Each one goes through a climax and resolution  Twelve chapters develop 13 different characters  Each one gets a whole chapter except one Copyright is reserved

 Leona – Spanish word for lioness persistent and goal oriented gets the garden going  Sam – a retired Jewish man, craves for peace, represents the author  Nora – charitable British figure – aids handicapped Copyright is reserved

 Florence – African-American lady, retired librarian, a watcher and a protector of the garden  Ana – Romanian woman, spends most time watching people, driven by curiosity  Royce – the only figure with no chapter, homeless but responsible and kind Copyright is reserved

 …glass half-full… regaining optimism despite personal tragedies  …hard work pays off… Appreciating the close family bond  …bravery is color blind Kindness resides in all human beings Hard work pays off Copyright is reserved

 Confusion leading to peace of mind – Curtis’ transformation  Building up a personality – Royce’s kindness  Going in the footsteps of her father (Seedfolks) – Kim fulfills her life wish (the author’s?) Copyright is reserved

 A threat or a blessing? Sam (positive attitude) vs. Sae Young (negative attitude) Jewish sources  “Many years add in wisdom” (Job, 32:7)  “The soul never ages; it only becomes more vibrant.” (The Rebbe)  “Of all people, it is perhaps the elderly …who can best teach us all to lead a meaningful life.” (Toward a Meaningful Life – The Wisdom of the Rebbe by S.Jacobson) Copyright is reserved

 13 different viewpoints to life or different perspectives  13 isolated characters communicating through a garden or parts and whole  evaluating the personalities in the story Copyright is reserved

Thank you for letting me share with you some ideas that may be of value for different streams in our society. I hope you use some of them in class. I would like to express my gratitude to Paul Fleischman, the author. Special thanks to Valerie Jakar, my teacher at Shaanan College. Last but not least, my M.Ed. colleagues at Shaanan. Copyright is reserved