Friday, February 2, 2018

A Single Shard

A long long time ago in a potters’ village in Korea there lived an orphan named Tree-ear. He lived under a bridge with Crain-man, who had taken him in as a toddler. Together they foraged for food, told stories, and kept each other company. Thirteen-year-old Tree-ear loved to watch an older potter at the wheel and see the pieces he made. One day while examining a ceramic box in the potter’s workshop, Tree-ear is startled and drops it. The potter, Min, is furious and berates Tree-ear. The piece is very valuable, and Tree-ear agrees to pay off the debt by working for Min. The work is hard, harder than Tree-ear ever imagined, but it's also satisfying. Tree-ear wants more than anything to learn to use the wheel and create his own pieces. But Min will not teach Tree-ear the craft, as it's passed down from father to son, and Tree-ear is only an orphan. News arrives that the royal court is coming to look at the potters’ pieces, and maybe pick one of the men and put his work on commission. Min hopes he's selected, but is another potter working on a new technique? What will become of Tree-ear if Min is selected? Will Tree-ear ever learn to use the wheel? 


I didn’t know much about A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park. What a treat it turned out to be. I loved how the words flowed, and I felt like I was being told an elaborate bedtime story every time I picked it up. The relationship between Crain-man and Tree-ear was so special that it tugged at my heart. I was impressed by how hard Tree-ear worked and how driven he was to learn the ways of the potter.Tree-ear is respectful of others, and I liked the way he thought of their feelings. There are a couple of scenes that broke my heart, but I truly loved the way the story unfolded. I would recommend this book to readers fourth grade and up who like historical fiction and stories with amazing characters. You will be rooting for Tree-ear!



Has anyone else read A Single Shard? Or have you read another book by Linda Sue Park? We’d love to hear your thoughts!

Happy Reading!
~L

32 comments:

  1. This sounds like a beautiful story, I feel I need to just keep reading. Have a great weekend, hugs, Valerie

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    1. Valerie- It really is a beautiful story! :) ~L

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  2. I haven't read this book, but I remember it won the Newberry Award when it came out. A writer friend of mine who DID read it was enamored of the writing. My interest is piqued once again, so this definitely goes on my TBR list.

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    1. Elizabeth- I can see why it won the Newberry Award. The writing really is beautiful. Hope you enjoy it! :) ~L

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  3. Sounds like one that sure sucks you in. Some neat names too.

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    1. Pat- I liked the names and the story really pulls you in. :) ~L

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  4. Another wonderful pick and lovely review. Hope you have a lovely weekend.

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    1. Thanks, Brenda. Hope you have a lovely weekend too! :) ~L

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  5. Sounds interesting but I haven't read it.

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    1. Mary- It is great and so is the audio version! :) ~L

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  6. Hi DMS - it does sound an intriguing book ... I'll see if I can get it out of the library ... cheers Hilary

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    1. Hilary- I hope you can! It is a little older- but definitely a book that received a lot of awards, so it should be available. Enjoy! :) ~L

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  7. What a touching story. I've been known to cry over some books. Thanks for sharing.

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    1. Beverly- This one brought tears to my eyes! :) ~L

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  8. I want to read the story as well as read it to my grandkids. Thanks for sharing!

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    1. Authors with Advice- I hope you and your grandkids enjoy A Single Shard. I loved it! :) ~L

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  9. Sounds like an excellent story Thanks for sharing!

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  10. Thanks for sharing. It sounds like an interesting story!

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  11. This reminds me of a story but I'm having trouble putting my finger on it. I know I've heard this before.

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    1. Robert- It has been out for a while- so maybe you have heard of this book. It used to have a different cover. :) ~L

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  12. Sounds interesting! I need to read more books that aren't non-fiction / boring, haha - http://www.domesticgeekgirl.com

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    1. Gingi- Non-fiction books are great too. This is definitely an awesome read. :) ~L

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  13. We do love it when words flow, does not happen often in YA and children literature, sadly

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    1. Dezmond- The writing really is beautiful. :) ~L

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  14. Haven't read it, but I'm going to check it out. Sounds great.

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    1. Rick- I think you will really enjoy it! :) ~L

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  15. Lovely review sweetie :D Yay for loving this adorable looking book. <3 Not really for me, but it sounds cute. Thank you for sharing :)

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    1. Carina- Glad you enjoyed the review. It is a beautifully written story with lots for the reader to think about. :)

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