A Single Shard

Title: A Single Shard

Author: Linda Sue Park

Publisher: Sandpiper

Date: 2005

Number of pages: 168 Pages

Reading level: Ages 9-12

Genre: Historical Fiction

Summary: Tree-ear is an orphan, forgotten by everyone except an elderly man named Crane-man, who has a badly damaged leg. Tree-ear and Crane-man have lived together under a bridge for over ten years, and while they often go hungry, Crane-man has taught Tree-ear that no matter how poor they are, it is always wrong to steal. And while it is hard for Tree-ear to always follow Crane-man's rules, he spends his days gathering food the honorable way, by searching in the nearby forest, picking through rubbish heaps, and collecting leftover rice in the fields. But Tree-ear has another desire, one that goes beyond filling his belly. When he is not helping Crane-man under the bridge, he is spying on the potter Min, an artist known throughout the village for his exquisite work and unpredictable temper. As Tree-ear watches Min shapes mounds of clay into beautiful vases, he wishes he could make his own pots.

After Tree-ear accidentally breaks one of Min's prized creations, Min allows the teen aged orphan to work for him until the debt is paid off. But when Tree-ear finally works up enough courage to ask Min to teach him to make a pot, Min, who is still recovering from a devastating loss, makes it clear that has no interest in showing Tree-ear his trade. Min's refusal couldn't come at a worse time. A royal emissary is in the village searching for the finest ceramics. The palace wants pottery, and the single commission they award to one potter will keep that man busy, and wealthy, for a lifetime. But will Tree-ear be able to help his employer when he knows there is no chance that his hope of becoming a potter will ever be fulfilled.

My reaction: While Korean pottery may seem like a boring subject for a middle grade novel, Park makes the pottery, and the men who created it, accessible and fascinating. Through Tree-ear's eyes, we are given glimpse of the rich and textured world where he lives. While this is certainly a book about pottery that is still highly prized, it is Tree-ears struggles and triumphs that will keep the reader interested.


Potential Problems: I didn't see any problems with this book. Each mistake or lesson Tree-ear learns, is evident and the moral reasoning is explained and understood.


My recommendation: This book is recommended to all young readers, and adults as well. The level of detail in the process of creating pottery is astounding, so any budding artist would find this book a good read. The major characters are all male, so boys might find this a book they can relate to, but female readers will also love it.