Saturday, May 9, 2009

A Single Shard


Author: Linda Sue Park
Originally published : 2001 (Clarion Books)
Length: 152 pages
Awards: Newbery Medal 2002, ALA Best Book for Young Adults 2002
Personal Enjoyment Rating: 4/5
Amazon Rating: 4.5/5 (145 Customer Reviews)
Goodreads: 1,885 ratings, 3.99 average rating

12-year-old Tree Ear, an orphan who lives under a bridge with the crippled Crane-man, enjoys watching the master potter of his Korean village when he's not scavenging for food to eat. When he breaks one of the potter's creations, he must work to pay off his debt. While he dreams of eventually learning to use the potter's wheel, his responsibilities increase, until he is given the honor of taking the potter's finest work to the city to present to the royal court. His journey does not always go as planned, but he is committed to fulfilling his assignment not matter what.

There's so much to love about this Newbery winner: lovable characters with great names, meaningful and humorous relationships, a picture of life and pottery in 12th-century Korea, important life lessons learned, and a compelling story. Readers of all ages can enjoy it, making it a great read-aloud selection. I laughed, I cried, and I will not soon forget Tree Ear and his adventures and perserverence.
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7 comments:

  1. AmandaMay 9, 2009 at 10:28 AM

    This is going STRAIGHT to my tbr pile. I don't read a lot of books about Asia, but this one sounds wonderful!

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  2. SusanMay 11, 2009 at 8:29 AM

    I just checked this one out of the library. Glad to hear you liked it.

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  3. BeccaMay 15, 2009 at 5:35 PM

    This one sounds like a cute book. I like stories about Asian culture. I find it fascinating. I used to be oppose to reading YA books, but that was before I began reading book blogs featuring them. They are not all the silly high school drama reads I remember reading in my own teenage years. I have a new appreciation for it.

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  4. ScoutMay 22, 2009 at 11:43 AM

    This is an excellent book. We listened the audio version as a family, which was very good.

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  5. KimMay 29, 2009 at 8:37 PM

    What a great review for a very good book! I really enjoyed this one too.

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  6. TriciaJune 30, 2009 at 7:03 AM

    Actually, I think it was your review that made me decide to read it! Thanks for reminding me...I've linked to your review!

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  7. TriciaJuly 10, 2011 at 10:24 PM

    Actually, I think it was your review that made me decide to read it! Thanks for reminding me...I've linked to your review!

    ReplyDelete

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