Question

Caleb’s mom stared across the table scattered with chopstick[7]
wrappers. She swirled her half-empty wineglass.
Caleb watched from the shadows in the cabinet under the sink, his
pajama-footed toe propping[8] open the door. He knew his parents
thought he was strange. He didn’t mind.
~

Caleb’s mother set a bowl of cereal on the table. He turned a page in his
book.
“Hurry, sweetie, mommy’s got an 8:30 meeting.” She picked up his book
between two manicured[9] fingertips. “God, that saints[10] book again? I
told Nana to take it back to her house.”

“I like it. Nana gave it to me.” Nana lived across town in an old house
filled with dusty furniture and tall bookcases. Nana sometimes slipped
old books in his knapsack[11] when they visited and Caleb’s parents
weren’t looking. This one, the Children’s Book of Saints, was Caleb’s
favorite.
“I know she did, hon, but it’s all make-believe.[12] You have your nice
Thomas the Train books instead. You love those.”
Caleb hadn’t loved those since he was four, a whole year ago. And he
was pretty sure a talking train wasn’t real, anyway.
“Nana’s book’s not make-believe. These saints are real.”
His mom thumbed her phone. “Maybe they were real people once, a
long time ago.”
“No, they’re real now. I’ve seen them.”
“What, sweetie?” She looked up sharply.
“I’ve seen them! I have!” Caleb’s lower lip wobbled.[13]
“Baby, it’s not nice to tell stories. Now finish your breakfast so mommy
won’t be late for work.”
A tear dripped off Caleb’s chin into the sugar-frosted milk. He pushed
the spoon around for a minute and put the bowl in the sink.
“Great job,” said his mom, digging in her purse for her keys. “Now brush
your teeth and let’s go.”

~

Caleb sat in the backseat of the Lexus, making a cross of smudge
marks[14] on the window with the tip of his nose.
His mom glanced in the rearview mirror. “Stop that, honey.”
“Can I walk the last block to school? Through the park? I’ll walk fast, like
I did yesterday.”

“Sure, sweetie. I’m glad you can cross the street by yourself like a big
boy.”
Caleb’s school was a new building, glass and steel. It backed into an old
park, with wrought-iron[15] benches and a fountain with a statue
honoring some forgotten hero.
His mom stopped the Lexus by the curb. “Now walk straight across, and
don’t stop. I’ll watch you from here.”
Caleb climbed out of the car and heaved the door shut.
He took a deep breath. He loved this park—he imagined it was his
garden. Red and white pansies[16] lined the cracked cement walkway.
Sweet bushes of gardenias[17] bloomed behind each bench. The spring
breeze blew a fine spray from the fountain, and on sunny days, like
today, a rainbow glimmered[18] above the weathered general’s
outstretched, broken sword.
Saint Francis[19] sat on his usual bench, surrounded by pigeons and
sparrows pecking at his scattered birdseed. Francis winked at Caleb and
made a chirruping[20] noise. A fat squirrel jumped from a nearby bush,
perching[21] near Francis’s feet. Delighted, Caleb watched Francis pull
a piece of bread from his pocket and hold it out to the squirrel, who
grabbed it with a tiny paw.
Caleb walked down the sidewalk, glancing back at the Lexus, his mom
typing on her phone. By the fountain, Saint John the Baptist[22] stood,
raking dirty fingers through a brown, scraggly[23] beard. He fixed a
wide-eyed gaze on Caleb and pointed. “Repent,[24] child! The Kingdom
of God is at hand! Repent and be saved!”
Caleb nodded solemnly[25] at the strange words and continued across
the park.
Under a soaring[26] oak tree lay Saint Teresa,[27] her face turned
toward the sky. Her eyes were staring at something Caleb couldn’t see.

He would have been frightened of her, but he could see the peaceful
smile on her thin face as she murmured[28] in another language.

~

Caleb reached the street in front of his school and waited for the
crossing guard to let him walk. He waved at his mother, who sped away.
He smiled. He loved his garden. His Garden of Saints.

The Garden of Saints Writing Assignment
120 words minimum: Write two or more paragraphs and submit the assignment in Google Classroom.
First sentence:
Jennifer Dillard’s “The Garden of Saints” is a story of contrasts.
The contrast is between the world of the parents (mostly seen through the mother) and Caleb’s world.
Show readers the details of one world; then move into describing the other world. However, you must recall that the writer of this story is not neutral. So as you describe the two different worlds being contrasted, you should weave value judgments into your descriptions. A writing response that neutrally describes the two worlds would not make a satisfactory response to this story.
Begin your writing by adding to the sentence below.
______________________________________
Jennifer Dillard’s “The Garden of Saints” is a story of contrasts.
answer like a 12 year old

Answer 1

Jennifer Dillard’s “The Garden of Saints” is a story of contrasts. The grown-up world looks shiny but small. Caleb’s mom drinks wine, hurries to meetings, and cares more about her phone and keys than about the saints or what Caleb believes. She calls the saints “make-believe” and wants him to read Thomas the Train instead, like that’s more proper. Her house and her car are new and clean, but they feel sort of empty because she doesn’t notice the important things. To me, that world seems a little rude and lazy, like adults who forget how to really see.

Caleb’s world is bright and messy and full of life. The park is his garden and the saints are real friends who feed birds, talk to squirrels, and stare at invisible things with gentle faces. He sees Saint Francis wink and Saint John shout warnings, and Saint Teresa look peaceful under the tree. Caleb’s world feels honest and brave, not fake at all. I think his world is better because it cares and notices tiny miracles, while the parents’ world just rushes by. The story makes me want to be like Caleb and pay attention to the little wonderful things adults ignore.