Seedfolks by Paul Fleischman (Paperback)

In a gritty Cleveland neighborhood, a young girl scatters a few lima bean seeds in a trash-filled vacant lot. That small act draws curious neighbors one by one, and the lot slowly becomes a shared community garden.

Told in thirteen short chapters, each narrated by a different resident, this brief novel moves between voices of different ages, backgrounds and languages. Each narrator carries loneliness, prejudice or loss, and each finds something in the soil that connects them to the others.

Illustrated by Judy Pedersen, this edition is a staple of middle school classrooms and a good fit for readers interested in community, immigration and urban life. It is quick to read yet leaves plenty to discuss.