A Handful of Seeds - Hardcover

Hughes, Monica

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1895555272 ISBN 13: 9781895555271

Publisher: Fitzhenry and Whiteside, 1993

Synopsis

One sad day, Grandmother died.

"You cannot stay here," said the man who owned the land. "I have a family ready to move in."

Young Concepcion has no choice but to move to the [barrio] of the nearby city. There she meets children who, in order to survive, must steal the food they eat. But Concepcion has a plan. With back-breaking work she plants a garden amid the rubble, using her grandmother's legacy: a handful of chili, corn and bean seeds. But her garden is destroyed. Will she have the strength to begin again?

Monica Hughes's powerful story is complemented perfectly by the paintings of Luis Garay, a young Nicaraguan artist. Sharon, Lois and Bram provide a moving introduction. Published in collaboration with UNICEF Canada, A Handful of Seeds offers a message of hope on behalf of the thirty million children worldwide who live on the streets of their cities.

About this title

About the Author

A writer of international acclaim, Monica Hughes published over 35 books and many more short stories and articles during her 29-year career. She was often honored for her work; Hunter in the Dark and Keeper of the Isis Light both won the Canada Council Children's Literature Award. She was the recipient of the Vicky Metcalfe Award for a body of work, the Queen's Jubilee Medal and the Order of Canada.

From School Library Journal

Grade 1-3?Concepcion, a young Hispanic girl, is forced by her grandmother's death to move to the barrio. There she meets a group of orphans who offer to teach her how to survive in the city by picking through garbage and stealing from merchants. Instead, she plants her corn, beans, and chilies in the hard ground to grow food the way she learned from her grandmother. One day the garden is trampled by the other children as they are being chased and beaten by the police. With the seeds that are left, they help Concepcion replant the garden, and plan to sell their surplus vegetables in the city. They have a feast and meet another gang of hungry orphans, and Concepcion gives them some of her food, seeds, and knowledge. Hughes's well-written narrative does not hide the ugliness of life in the barrio. However, the easy resolution of Concepcion's problems makes the story seem like a fairy tale. Nonetheless, it is a good vehicle for introducing a difficult subject, and Garay's expressive, textured illustrations, done in rich earth tones, give it depth and feeling.?Maria Redburn, Irving Public Library, TX
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Fitzhenry and Whiteside
• Publication date: 1993
• ISBN 10: 1895555272
• ISBN 13: 9781895555271
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 15
• Illustrator: Garay Luis