| "A SINGLE SHARD"
Author: Linda Sue Park
Interest Level: Middle Grades (4-8)
ATOS Reading Level: 6.6
AR Points: 6.0
Publisher Recommended Age: 10+
Publisher: Random House/Yearling
Book Type: Trade Paperback
Pages: 192
Book Description:
Tree-ear is an orphan boy in a 12th-century Korean potters’ village. When he accidentally breaks a pot, he must work for the master to pay for the damage by setting off on a difficult and dangerous journey that will change his life forever.
The book tells the story of a 12 year old boy named Tree-ear, who is an orphan and lives under a bridge in Ch’ulp’o with Crane-man, a crippled man. Tree-ear always watched potter Min make his pottery. One day when no one was around Tree-ear peeked at potter Min’s work.
There were many objects, but only one interested Tree-ear, a rectangular lidded box. It was undecorated on the outside, but what about the inside? Out of curiosity, Tree-ear decides to look inside the box and found five smaller boxes. They fitted perfectly around each other. But then suddenly there was a shout, and Tree-ear was frightened and he dropped the box, which broke. Now he has to work for the potter Min.
One day, an emissary named Kim arrives to hire a potter for a new commission for the palace. While spying on other potters in the village, Tree-ear learns of a newly created technique and must decide if it is ethical to reveal the stolen information to Min. He decides not to but Min does get a chance to demonstrate that he can use the new inlay technique and sends Tree-ear to the emperor with samples of his best work.
On the long journey to Songdo, Tree Ear passes through the busy town of Puyo. There, the boy is attacked by robbers, and all of the pots are smashed, leaving him with just a single shard to display his master's skill (hence the book's title A Single Shard).
The book includes an interview with the author, Linda Sue Park.
Book Group Guide:
Book Reviews:
Kirkus Reviews (Starred Review): "Intrigues, danger, and the same strong focus on doing what is right turn a simple story into a compelling read. . . . A timeless jewel.”
Book Awards:
USA: Newbery Medal (2002)
USA: American Library Association (ALA), Notable Children's Book
USA: Illinois, Rebecca Caudill Young Readers Award Nominee (2006)
USA: Massachusetts, Children's Book Master List (2003)
About the Author:
Linda Sue Park is a Korean American author of children's fiction. Park published her first novel, Seesaw Girl, in 1999. To date, she has written six children’s novels and five picture books for younger readers. Park’s work achieved prominence when she received the prestigious 2002 Newbery Medal for her novel A Single Shard.
Park was born on March 25, 1960 and grew up outside Chicago. The daughter of Korean immigrants, Park has been writing poetry and stories since the age of four. Park published her first poem when she was nine years old for Trailblazer magazine. Through elementary and high school, she continued to publish poems in magazines for children and young people.
Park competed on the gymnastics team at Stanford University and graduated with a degree in English. She obtained advanced degrees in literature from Trinity College, Dublin in Ireland and from the University of London.
Before writing her first book, Park worked at many jobs, including public relations for a major oil firm, food journalism for British magazines and newspapers, and teaching English as a second language to college students.
Park competed in the television game show Jeopardy! on an episode aired October 20, 2006, where she finished in 3rd place.
Park lives in Rochester, New York with her husband and two children, Sean and Anna. She came to Hong Kong in 2007.
Park generally writes historical fiction. With the exception of three picture books, all of Park’s books center upon Korean history and Korean culture. Her first three novels are set in ancient or medieval Korea. However, her fourth novel, When My Name Was Keoko, depicts the more recent history of Japanese occupation of Korea during World War II. Project Mulberry occurs in a contemporary setting outside Chicago. Park’s latest book, Archer’s Quest, introduces a historical figure into modern times.
Park researches her Korean heritage for her books, demonstrated by historical details within the story along with sections for author’s notes and bibliographies. Her topics feature characteristic elements of Korean culture, including: embroidery (Seesaw Girl); kite fighting (The Kite Fighters); celadon pottery (A Single Shard); silkworms (Project Mulberry); Korean food (Bee-Bim Bop); and archery (Archer’s Quest). She also continues to publish poetry. |
