A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park

2002 Newberry Medal Winner

I don't quite know why I put off reading this book. I have picked it up at least 2 dozen times and read the back, and for some reason I just kept putting it back down again. I am so glad I "resigned" myself to reading it.

Tree-Ear, an orphan living under a bridge in a potter's village, looks forward to the days he can sneak behind the house of Master potter Min and watch him throw a pot. He is fascinated by the way that Min can take a lump of clay and transform it into a instrument of use and beauty.

One day, when Tree-Ear sneaks behind the house, Min is not there. Tree-Ear sneaks into the yard to admire the works in progress. When Min startles him, Tree-Ear breaks a valuable piece. Tree-Ear proposes that he may work off his debt by serving the master potter. What follows is a lesson in patience, for Tree-Ear assumed the potter would show him the trade that he covets. Instead, Tree-Ear finds himself hauling wood for the kiln and harvesting the clay for his master's use.

News comes to the village that an emissary from the Royal Palace will be arriving with the intent to comission several artists' works. As a consequence, Tree-Ear finds himself on a dangerous journey of both body and spirit.

I hope this summary works, because I certainly labored over it. This one is tough, since you can either give too much or too little. I'm not sure which is better.

I found that I really appreciated this story. Too many times, authors try to force feed kids "lessons" in their stories. This one hands them to the kids without their even knowing it. Even I got a great lesson in patience. Several chapters into the book, I said to myself, "This had better pick up". Well, I pushed through it, and even though the pace didn't increase in the story, my interest certainly did. Imagine--a kid, 12 or 13 at the oldest, homeless and hungry, has the opportunity to possibly improve his own life and the lives of those close to him. The conflicting emotions that Park is able to communicate--"pride and shame", for example, are all that a kid experiences in daily life.

I recommend this title for the seasoned reader, unfortunately, I am afraid a reluctant reader would not be caught soon enough. However, for all those kids wanting to make a transition from lighter series to more "grown-up" stuff, this is a good choice. It is briefer than a lot I have read from the Newberry list, but its content makes it a good choice.