Symbolism of Seedfolks

          The garden in Seedfolks, which was once a vacant lot, brings a neighborhood of people together that are all different races, religions, and have different ideas about life. Even though none of them speak the same language, they all learn a universal language that brings them together as one. The garden invites people with its warm welcome that symbolizes hope for a better life.

          The garden symbolizes a few different things, and it changes for each person that tends to it. Overall, the garden represents hope for a better life to all those who plant their seeds. Many of them believe that their lives will grow stronger as their seeds sprout up from the ground. They want to see a change in their life, and their plants help remind them of hope for the future. The garden almost became its own club because it was a place where everyone could be a part of something. Each member of the neighborhood felt like they belonged. Even Maricella, who explains herself as an outcast, tells that she felt that she belonged to something. "She said how it wasn't some disgrace to be part of it. She said it was an honor." (page 57)

          Vegetables aren't the only things that grow in the garden. Friendships begin to grow and develop as the people get to know each other. Seeds are planted, and they become stronger the more time they spend together. Certain people looked down on others before the garden was started. They begin to see that they are all more alike than they thought. Sae Young tells about an experience of the garden, and how it made their friendships stronger, almost like a family. "Next day, thunderstorm. Cans almost full. Little girl there, very proud. Someone bring three old pots to scoop water out of cans. Hard to pour into narrow containers. I put one by each garbage can. That day I see man use my funnel. Then woman. Then many people. Fell very glad inside. Feel part of garden. Almost like family." (page 39)

          The main theme that is developed throughout the novel has to do with people coming together despite their differences. It is shown that people from any race, ethnicity, or culture can come together through the garden that grows in this neighborhood. The people that spent time in the garden became less prejudiced and judgmental as the garden grew in size. They also made many friendships that helped them as individuals. People performed many deeds of kindness through the garden, and they used it to help others. They began to understand each other even though they had different backgrounds, and they didn't speak the same language.

          The end of the book shows the power of the garden, and the promises it held inside its walls. "But the garden was still empty. I was disappointed. I suppose it was still too early to plant. I began to wonder if anyone would come. Maybe no one was interested. Or maybe the city had shut it down, or sold the lot. I was worried. Then one day I passed it--and someone was digging.

          It was a little Oriental girl, with a trowel and a plastic a bag of lima beans. I didn't recognize her. It didn't matter. I felt as happy inside as if I'd just seen the first swallow of spring. Then I looked up. There was the man in the rocker.

          We waved and waved to each other."

         

          This garden that was started by one small Vietnamese girl brought together a whole neighborhood, and it grew much more than fruits and vegetables.

Walk Two Moons Book Review

Walk Two Moons, the winner of the Newberry Medal is a story that takes you through the life of a young girl from Kentucky named Salamanca. It is a fictional novel written by Sharon Creech for young-adult readers. The story shows the ups and downs of being a young teenager and seeing a problem from different points of view. It is a great book that is full of life lessons that all of us need to learn and use in our lives.

Salamanca, called Sal for short, is a thirteen-year old girl that is on a road trip with her Gram and Gramps to the place where her mother was last seen in Idaho. Sal's mother had left a few years earlier, and her father decided to move up to Ohio to ease the pain of the place where his wife had left. While on their trip, Sal tells the story to her grandparents of her friend named Phoebe Winterbottom where she finds her own story hidden underneath. She explains the whole story of her move from Kentucky to Ohio and the changes she had to face. The main theme that is developed throughout the story is that every story has many sides to it, and there is never just one point of view that is right or wrong.

While listening to Sal's story about growing up it makes the reader think about themselves and if they have ever been too quick to judge a situation without any details. The line that shows up again throughout the book is, "don't judge a man until you've walked two moons in his moccasins."

Each character had a very different personality which added to the effect of seeing things from different points of view. The main character, Sal, is trying to deal with the disappearance of her mother while she is moving into a new town with many different people. She makes a connection with her best friend, Phoebe, when they start to deal with some of the same problems. Sal's father and his new friend named Margaret add to the story with their personalities and make it more exciting. There are many other characters that give their input on the issues discussed in the book that make it more interesting and give the story different angles.

Walk Two Moons somewhat reminded me of Because of Winn-Dixie. The two stories are told from the perspective of young girls that are trying to deal with similar problems, and they are trying to learn about seeing things from different points of view. It is a fun book to read because while you're reading about the story of Sal and Phoebe you are reminded of similar experiences that you have been through. Many of the problems they face are just a part of growing up and learning about the world.

Some things that I liked about the book were the two different stories going on at the same time. There is the story of Sal traveling with her grandparents, but at the same time she is telling the story of what happened back in Ohio with Phoebe. It was fun to switch back and forth between the two stories being told. I also liked how it explains what has really been happening at the end of the book, so it all makes sense.

I would recommend Walk Two Moons because it shares so many important life lessons that most of us fail to remember because they seem so childish. It is a good reminder to always walk in someone else's shoes before judging a situation. It is a fun story to read about growing up and the many different lessons we learn from our mistakes.

Fahrenheit 451 Book Review

This science-fiction novel takes place in a mysterious future world created by Ray Bradbury. It discusses some very interesting problems about a society and what is wrong with this city that has a different way viewing the world. It is written for teens or young adult readers. The book was written in 1953 and addresses some problems that could possibly happen in the future. The future world that it explains in some ways relate to our current world. It is a book that makes the reader think about what happened in the story after they finish the last page and close the cover.

The main character named Montag is a fireman who doesn't put out fires, but starts them. His job description is to burn books because they are a problem and cause trouble in their society. The people of Montag's city focus more on television rather than literature and things of substance. When Montag meets a 17 year old girl named Clarisse who looks at things a little differently, he realizes that something isn't quite right about the way he is living, and he decides that he wants to see what it's like to live with a purpose. He faces many obstacles throughout the story that changes the way he sees things. Some of the themes are about the importance of literature and books and how they can set our minds racing with good and bad.

It was an intriguing story because it raises so many issues that are applicable in our society today. It makes us wonder if we are forgetting the importance of literature and wasting all of our time watching TV. The main character, Montag, sees this problem, and he tries to find some type of solution. By the end of the book, you feel like you know the characters personally. Montag's wife, Mildred, and his boss, Beatty are both interesting characters, and they see the world in such different ways. A young girl named Clarisse is the voice of sense in this novel because she sees the world for what it really is. An old man named Faber sees what is wrong with the society, but he is too afraid to try and make a change. This book reminded me of the Hunger Games or Uglies because it has a different setting and it takes place in a future world. I liked how it made you ponder if our world is really wandering too far from the world of literature, and we are forgetting how important it really is to us. I also liked the metaphors throughout the book because it created a clearer picture of what was happening. When Bradbury would describe something he would add great detail to give the reader a perfect image.

I would recommend this book because it makes you think about what's really important in our lives, and if we are payng attention to the direction our world is going. Also, it makes you wonder if our society is leaning away from books for the better or for the worse.

Surprises of Utah Weather

In the last week, I have spent the majority of my time in a place where the sun shines almost every day of the year. The temperature is about 60-80 throughout the different seasons. I had a volleyball tournament in Anaheim this past weekend, and the weather couldn't have been more perfect. The sun was shining every day, and there was a slight breeze so it didn't get too hot. We spent as much time outside as we possibly could. Then after my tournament was over, my family and I stayed for a few more days to hang out at the beach. It was even warm enough at the beach that I was getting hot so I got in the water to cool off. In the beginning of April! This trip was so much fun because we got to escape from the never ending winter that lingers in Utah.

I have to say that it was one of the biggest disappointments I have ever faced to come back to a blizzard when we hit Salt Lake on the drive home. I bought sunglasses in California for the beach because the sun was so bright, and then we came back to a place where I definitely won't need them. It doesn't seem right that there is a thick layer of snow in my  backyard, and we're supposed to be out of school for "Spring" break. I guess the people who planned the school year out misjudged when spring would come around by a bit.

Our tradition is to go camping down in Southern Utah over Spring break each year. We didn't do that this year because of my volleyball tournament. But I remember it being really warm when we would come back home.

If I remember right, when Punxsutawney Phil came up out of his hole on February 2, he told us that there would only be six more weeks of winter. Back then, that seemed very far away and like it would never end. If only I knew that was just the beginning. If his prediction was true, spring should have started in the middle of March.

Also, Easter is coming, and it would be so sad to have a rainy, cloudy Easter Sunday. In all of the pictures that you see, Easter is a day where children search for eggs in the green grass on a sunny day. I surely hope that's the way it will be this year. It would be a disappointment to many if it was a gloomy day on such a happy occasion. I don't remember ever hunting for eggs in the snow, and that better not change.

Now I know this blog may sound a tiny bit annoyed, and I am getting pretty fed up with this wacky weather. I really need to stop complaining because there is absolutely nothing I can do about it. I'm pretty sure that no matter how hard I try, I will never be able to control the weather. I'll try to hold my tongue for the rest of this endless winter, and then I'll show my excitement when the sun finally shows its face.