Title: A single Shard
Author: Linda Sue Park
Age: 10-15
Award: Newbery Award 2002
It
is a story of a 10-year old, homeless orphan named Tree-ear in 12th century Korea. He lives
under a bridge with another homeless man, Crane-man, who has taken care of him
for years. They struggle to eat and stay warm but this 10-year old has a secret
indulgence...he goes and watches a master potter work at his wheel. One day, he
finds the potter gone but notices several of his pieces drying on a shelf. He
goes in for a closer look and when the potter finds him there, he startles and
knocks a valuable piece off the shelf and it breaks. To pay the debt, he works
for the potter but once his debt is paid, asks to stay on and work for him in
hopes of one day becoming his apprentice. But in Korea, apprenticeships are passed
down father to son and this orphan realizes he'll be left out once more.
It had a simple and well-written story
line that was easy to follow. It was an encouraging and heart-warming book. It
made me feel inspired and connected to each of the characters. Even though it
was short I still felt like it was complete. I also appreciated
the extra information and notes that the author included at the end to explain
more about celadon pottery.
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