A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park

It took a couple chapters for me to get hooked on this story. I’m glad I stayed the course; it turned out to be a beautifully-told tale.

This is an historical novel set in Korea: 1200’s. Tree-ear is a homeless boy, survigin with the help of Crane-man, also homeless. Crane-man lives under a bridge and has already learned to scavenge food when he befriends Tree-ear, who ends up caring for him. Their bond is like family.

Tree-ear has a deep interest in pottery-making. He eventually becomes apprenticed to a pottery-maker. This man is taciturn, uninterested in training Tree-ear, and angrily grieving the death of his son. Tree-ear manages to earn his way, care for Crane-man, help earn a royal commission for his master to make pottery for the royal court, and win the respect of the potter so that he might trained to become a potter one day himself.

In this book, you will learn much about the art of ancient pottery-making and catch a glimpse of the culture of Korea, mid-1200’s, while enjoying a well-woven story with a satisfying end.

When I went on Amazon to buy it, many adults liked it. One commenter pointed out that while adults liked it, why would it receive a Newbery-award since it wasn't a particularly gripping novel for tweens? Instead of repeating myself, I'll just cut and paste my response to the secular crowd:

This is an accurate review, and the same thought crossed my mind about whether children would like it as much as I (an adult) did. Maybe, though, the Newbery is an award intended to reward quality literature that should be promoted, not just what will titillate, excite, or merely entertain. In this case, the book fits the bill, and I, as a parent, am looking for more books like it. My child is not the best judge of the good, beautiful and true. But books like this one will give her/him a boost in judging quality when experience and time kick in.

Safety Rating: 3 Vatican Flags

Historical Fiction: 12th Century; Korea