Allied With Green: Background

Summary
Allied with Green

Short Story by Naomi Shihab Nye
This summary of the short story includes

targeted passages from the text for you to read
on your own.
Background
In the story, the word “green” is used to refer to green things
in the natural world, like trees and plants. “Allied with Green”
is about a girl, Lucy, who has a deep respect for green. If
you are allied with something, you are on its side and show
support for it. Lucy is an ally for green.
Summary
Lucy has to write a paper about what she believes in. Lucy
writes about the color green.
Lucy then spends time noticing green things growing
everywhere, from things growing in pots in the front of poor
homes to grasses along the river. Lucy believes that green is what
seems to keep everything else going.
Once Lucy starts making a list about why green is important,
© Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company • ©SolStock/E+/Getty Images
she can’t stop. Lucy thinks that green has had a bad summer.
There has been a long drought, or period without rain, and high
heat. This means green things are having a hard time growing.
Each week, there is only one evening when Lucy’s family is
allowed to water the plants outside. So, the rest of the time, Lucy
and her mom wash fruits and vegetables inside in a tub. Then
they take the tub outside to water the plants. Water is special and
shouldn’t be wasted.
The situation is in the news. If people in Lucy’s town water too
much, they can be reported.
Allied with Green 1

Summary
TARGETED PASSAGE
Read this passage from the selection to learn how Lucy feels
about taking care of plants.
7 Last semester, when asked to write a paper on addiction: something that a

addictions, Lucy wrote about trimming and got a person is unable to stop doing.
C. Her teacher scrawled across the top of the paper,

“What is this?” But Lucy often feels happiest with
pruning shears in her hand, heading toward an pruning shears: a tool for
overgrown jasmine vine. t rimming plants.
8 It’s a clear task, trimming. The longer you’ve done
it, the more you know how it encourages green, in the long run: a long time.
the long run. Also, you can have fine ideas while READING CHECK
trimming. Queen’s crown, germander, plumbago. Why does Lucy like trimming
Snip, snip, snip. her plants?
Next, Lucy decides to include in her paper the idea that cities
hurt their green because of money and greed. Later people feel
sad about it. Then they name things after plants and trees to
make up for destroying them.
Lucy thinks about her father’s experiences with green. When
he was in college, he spoke out against destroying green spaces.
He was against the highways that were being built. Now Lucy’s
father drives on those highways. He feels bad about it. So, he
plants free trees in small green spaces around the cities. Once
he planted small trees as a gift to a restaurant. Then they were
stolen overnight. Clearly some people were desperate, or eager,
for green. Unfortunately, destroying green to build was necessary
because there are so many people. But the result was that hills,
fields, and other open spaces were turned into shopping centers.
Lucy thinks that streets and rooms are better when there is
green. Green makes people feel better, too, such as the example
of a tired kid who goes outside to feel better. Patience is required
with green. Green takes time to grow.
© Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company
Allied with Green 2

Summary
TARGETED PASSAGE
Read this passage from the selection to learn what Lucy is
thinking about as she writes her paper.
19 So, why don’t people respect green as much as they

should?
20 This was the serious question growing small
fronds and tendrils at the heart of Lucy’s paper. She at the heart of: at the center of.
knew her teacher might turn a snide nose up at it. turn a snide nose up: not
Oh, blah blah, isn’t this rather a repeat of what you appreciate or respect.
wrote last semester?
21 People took green for granted. They assumed it took green for granted: expected
would always be skirting their ugly office buildings green to always be there.
and residences and so they didn’t give it the attention READING CHECK
it deserved. Somewhat like air. Air and green, close What is Lucy most concerned
cousins. about as she writes her paper?
Lucy loves small parks, community gardeners, and roof

lawns. Lucy also loves a man in New York City, Robert Isabell. He
planted pink flowers on his building. He started out as a florist
in Minnesota. Then he was a party planner in New York. He used
flowers and plants at his parties. After he died, Lucy reads an
article about him. She keeps the article on her desk. She wishes
that she could have worked for him to learn how green can be
used to make people feel like they are in other places.
Green can save people. But it has to be cared for and
respected.
Tend is a more important word than most people think.
TURN & TALK

With a partner, discuss how Lucy feels about green. To what
degree do you think people should respect green things?
© Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company
Excerpt from “Allied with Green” from There Is No Long Distance Now: Very Short Stories by Naomi
Shihab Nye. Text copyright © 2011 by Naomi Shihab Nye. Reprinted by permission of HarperCollins
Publishers.
Allied with Green 3

Allied With Green: Background

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Summary

Allied with Green

This summary of the short story includes

Allied with Green 1

7 Last semester, when asked to write a paper on addiction: something that a

C. Her teacher scrawled across the top of the paper,

Allied with Green 2

19 So, why don’t people respect green as much as they

Lucy loves small parks, community gardeners, and roof

TURN & TALK

Allied with Green 3

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