A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park (2001) Paperback

Having just traveled to South Korea, I have become fascinated with its ancient customs. The author writes a touching and sensitive story of class distinction in medieval Korea; and I also learned a lot about the making of quality ceramics, especially the coveted and lovely green celadon method.

A single shard is a fantastic book full of dynamic characters and stunning descriptions. My only wish was that the author would have managed to slide some humor into the story. Overall, it was a fabulous read, and I look forward to seeing some more of Park's work.

A wonderful piece of historical fiction! Linda Sue Park is fast becoming one of my favorite authors. I first read this book as part of a course on East Asia, and then I was able to go to South Korea and was fortunate to be at a celadon pottery festival near where this book takes place! It was a wonderful experience, and made the book come alive for me! I loaned my first book out to a student, and never got it back, so had to order another. I ordered two, so I can have one to keep and one to loan out!

I love this book because it has a interesting plot and I never felt bored reading. Also the character descriptions made you feel like you could be that boy who worked hard for what he wanted. This book is one of those books you recommend to anyone. You really get to be the character and do what they do. This is and amazing book and I would recommend it to anyone who loves learning about new cultures.

I found this gem of a book while wondering through a used book store. I did not know that it was "young adult" literature until I was almost a quarter of the way through and already captivated. I needed something light and enjoyable to read at the end of the 2013-14 winter. This book fit the bill. The only reason I gave it a four stars instead of five is that the end is a little too predictable.
The best review of this book is the woman who said that the orphan under the bridge story is a common one in Korea. I was not surprised by this. After all we have the "Cabbage Patch" doll and the stork that brings children. Why not an orphan that lives under a bridge with a kindly crippled man?
I do not know how authentic the description of 12th century Korean and Chinese culture is. I hope most of it is true. The story does not really depend on it. It could happen at almost any time and anywhere with just a change of customs. It is a timeless story of someone having a dream and it comes true through hard work and loyalty. It is also a story of facing fears.
The prose flows beautiful. There is no over wrought sentiment about the child or the crippled man who he lives with. It could have slid in over idealism, but I do not think it did. The potter who finally accepts the child is grumbly and he has a difficult and dangerous journey.
I can not attest if a young adult in the US would like such a tale. I can say this very, very adult reader did. I am glad I found it and I am passing it on to a friend who will like it as well.

Beautiful story to read- brings up wonderful ethical issues for young readers to contemplate- honesty, theft of intellectual property, keeping promises, taking courage to persevere, honoring others regardless of personal cost, being responsible despite personal cost. There are many characters that are worthy of upholding as role models in this story! Enjoyable read. Beautiful ending.

I read it though a digital library loan but will be purchasing it to add to my home library. I want all my children to read it.

I found this book at the library while browsing for any interesting reads for my child. I figured that it must have some merit if it won a medal. It didn't seem to capture my child's interest, so in frustration I decided to read a few pages myself. Well, I was hooked! It's a beautiful story with many a life's lessons intertwined. The ending was so moving that I needed more than a few tissues. I've decided to read this book to my kids at night. I also want to explore Linda Park's other works as well. This would make for a terrific movie by the way. Any movie producers out there?

A Single Shard By Linda Sue Park

Book Report by Jaden Ficklin

How I rate this book:

I rate it a 10 out of a 10 because it's one of the best books I've read in the whole entire world!

A single shard of What?
Pottery, but not just any pottery, this is ancient Celadon artwork

Who?
Tree ear: is a 12 year old orphan
Crane Man: is an old, homeless
man who takes care of Tree Ear
Min: is a grumpy but very good pottery maker
Min's wife: is a very nice woman

When?
1100 A.D. (about 900 years ago)

Where?
Ch'ulp'o, Korea

Why?
To let us know about the people who started Celadon pottery

Tree Ear has to eat garbage scraps and grass because he is an orphan and the only one taking care of him is Crane Man who is homeless. They live under a bridge.

One day, when Tree Ear is looking for food, he sees a potter named Min turning a lump of clay into an awesome vase on a spinning wheel. He wants to do it too, bad!

So he starts working for Min for free, hoping to learn how to sculpt.

After a year, the King's emissary comes, looking for the best in the kingdom. He likes Min's work, so he asks him to send some of his best pottery to Songdo, the capitol city.

But Min is too old to go, so Tree Ear volunteers to take it for him.

Then Tree Ear asks Min if he'll show him how to make pottery. Min says no. Only my son can, and my son has died.

But Tree Ear decides to still take Min's pottery to Songdo, because Min's wife has been so nice to him.

Songdo is a super long ways away. Crane Man tells him about this cool cliff on the way. When Tree Ear goes, he stops by the cliff to see it. Two robbers come up. They grab Tree Ear, steal his money and throw Min's pots over the cliff. They both shattered.

All Tree Ear finds is a single shard.
What will Tree Ear do to show Min's pottery to the Emissary? You'll have to read this yourself to find out what a great book this is.

A Single Shard Success

The Newberry award winning novel A Single Shard by Linda Sue Parks is a story of adventure about a boy who went from living under a bridge to learning from and being adopted by the greatest potter in either the state or the country. How could this happen you ask? It took many things: an accident, a debt, a determined kid, an old man's wisdom, hard work, accidental spying, skills, another bad thing, an offer, a long journey by foot, a little luck, good use of wits, courage, more luck, and the death of a very close friend for all this to happen. This all could have happened because as miraculous as it may have seemed this story could really have happened a long time ago in ancient Korea (This story is based on a real artifact that inspired the author).

The main character in this story is a kid named Tree-ear (he was named after the fungus that grows in rings around trees because he went unnoticed even when listening in on a conversation just like the tree-ear fungus goes unnoticed). Tree-ear would have to fend for himself if it were not for Crane-man. One day when he had free time, he went to master potter Min's house to watch him work his potting magic, but Min was not there, so he went to inspect his pots. Min then came back and yelled "Thief". Oh no, Tree-ear had dropped the pot! In return Tree-ear must work for min for nine days. After this Tree-ear begs to work for Min no payment, hoping to learn and become a potter. After not learning anything after a half a year he asks why "Potters teach their sons... and you're not my son." Tree-ears heart was shattered, he had begun to see Min like the father he never had.

When something critical to Min's hopes and desires occurs (a job at the palace) Tree-ear is the only one who can save Min now even after what happened. After the journey ( which was almost a failure) Tree-ear comes back to the village to find his old life, his life has been crushed and Min's the only friend left, but will Min return the favor and help Tree-ear or let his heart destroy him? In the end tree-ear didn't know whether to be happy or sad, he had a new life but his old life (he did like his old life) was gone completely with no hope of recovery.

All in all, I think that A Single Shard is an amazing book with some happy and some sad parts in it and is an over all good book. I would highly recommend this book for anyone who has read my review. On a scale of one to ten I would give this book a nine and a half because there isn't a book yet that that is perfect, but this one came close!

Linda Sue Park wrote a fantastic book that feels like it can come to life! It takes place in a small village near the west coast of Korea. It is mid through late 12th century. It's about a 12 year old boy named Tree-ear who would like to be come a potter. He watches his favourite potter Min make fabulous things out of clay. Tree-ear's gaurdian is called Crane-man. They live under a bridge and have barely any food. Tree-ear's parents died of the fever and got his name because he is an orphan and named after the mushroom that grows at the bottom of the tree. One day, he accidentally broke one of Min's Boxes while Min was now where in sight. So he then works for Min. He then wants Min to teach him, but Min says he can't because he is not his son. One day a person from the palace called an emissary who comes to commision a potter to the palace to make pottery for the emperor. So when the emissary arrives at Mins house to take a look at his work, he finds great interest in Min's work. Min wants to impress him one more time so then he makes more. The day he is suppose to arrive, Min broke all of his Pottery on purpose because the coloring of the celadon (light green glaze the potters used on their pottery).

Since the emissary likes Min's work the best, he desides to give him one more chance. So Min is greatful for it. He works his best to impress him. so then he has Tree-ear take his work to the emissay in Songdo since Mins is too old. Then, Tree-ear gets out some clay and makes a little monkey to remind Crane-man of him. So Crane-man was instructed by Min to make a Jiggeha( an open framed backpack made of branches). So then he set off onto his journey. on arrived at a villige almost at Songdo. Crane-man told him to go to the rock of the falling flowers. So when he went there, a couple of robbers took his money and threw and borke the vases that Min worked so hard on making the emissary. So he gets so upset that he throws his jiggeh over the rock of falling flowers. Then, he realizes that he didn't hear the crash of the second vase that Min made for the emissay. So Tree-ear climbed down to check up on it. It just apperead to be in big shards. So the, he decides to bring a single chard to show the emissary becuse that single piece has a lot of Min's work in it. When he shows the emissary, the piece, he decides to give Min a commision to the palace. When he arrived at Min's house to share the news about the commision, Min tells him of how Crane-man drowned in the river. When they pulled him out, they found a little ceramic monkey. The next evening, Tree-ear is back at the bridge throwing stones. Suddenly, Min wants him to chop up some wood for his wheel. Then another voice came out from Ajima( It means Auntie in Korea. She wants Tree-ear to call her that). She says "Come home on time for supper!" Home? That is right! Tree-ear is now apart of the family. He now has a new name which pleased him of not being called an orphan. His new name is Hyung-pill. Tree-ear (or Hyung-pill is what I should say) couldn't of been happier.

I like this lit circle book because it you could really catch on to it. It was easy to read, great vocabulary, and had an amazing plot. It was full of adventure that you can picture in your head easily. I really would recommend it to people who love adventure and excitment! I know you will like it as much as I did! So what are you waiting for? get comfortable and start reading!

A small piece of pottery may seem like nothing, but in A Single Shard it is everything. Linda Sue Park writes of people with great desires, of difficult times, and a wisdom that should be taught to all. The novel has been given the honor of a Newberry Award. Park has written four other books including Kite Fighters and Seesaw Girls. The book tells an enjoyable story with a strong moral.

It all starts out with a homeless orphan named Tree-Ear, who managed to find work with a master potter, Min. Then one day, news arrived that the Royal Emissary was coming for pottery; it was Min's chance to get a commission. When the emissary arrived, Min, and all the other potters in the village of Ch'ulp'o, displayed their work. The emissary was very fond of Min's work, but gave a commission to Kang, a potter who had come up with a new style of pottery. With haste, Min took the on new style and made two beautiful vases. He then sent Tree-Ear to the capitol city to deliver the pots to the emissary, and try to finally get a commission. Tree-Ear is faced with many dangers on the way and when he finally reached the emissary, only a single shard of the pottery was left. Tree-Ear then returned to Ch'ulp'o and gave his master the emissary's answer. Linda Sue Park puts in one surprising ending!

Though this book has many good qualities, I found that I was uninterested in what Park had to say in different areas of the book. There are many exciting events in A Single Shard, but in between them the plot strictly focuses on how an orphan does chores for a potter. It was good how Park stayed on focus but this subject gets boring after awhile. Sometimes she just puts in too much. One example is how every day Tree-Ear returns to his friend Crane-Man under the bridge every day after work. Usually hey have a long discussion about something very simple. It gets old. Fortunately, the suspense makes up for this sort of material.

The suspense was one of the best features of A Single Shard. It got me through the long and more boring areas by making me wonder what would happen next. For example, after a long description of a days work, Tree-Ear asks Min if he can throw pots. What would Min's answer be? Linda Park put me into the scene with this method. Another example is how Tree-Ear is looking for a pot that was thrown a the cliff. Had it fallen into the water without being harmed, or had it shattered against the stone?

Readers that are ten and up will be more likely to enjoy this book. A Single Shard may be confusing for younger readers. I always enjoy seeing a weaker character, in this case Tree-Ear, rise and become important in the end. The moral is deep and the novel is well intentioned. A Single Shard is a good addition to Linda Sue Park's novels.

The novel was great but there were some parts that made me feel sad. Here are the sad parts.

Towards the beginning of this novel, where Min told Tree-ear "you are not my son" which meant that Tree-ear couldn't learn to throw pots, was the first sad part. I felt sorry for Tree-ear becuase he really wanted to learn how to throw pots. He had been hoping to repay Min by making pottery for him.

At about the middle of this novel, Tree-ear got attacked by toduk-nom[bandits who hide throughout the countryside] and broke the pots that were being delivered to the royal emissary for a chance to get Min the royal Commission. I was afraid Min wouldn't get the commision. I thought Tree-ear would break the promise to Ajima which Tree-ear would be very upset if he did.

Towards the end of this novel, Tree-ear found out that Crane-man had died. I was sorry for tree-ear because I thought he would have to live by himself during the harsh winters. I was afraid Tree-ear wouldn't be able to have supper because he had to work for Min all day and wouldn't have time to go get supper for himself.

This story was really good but I felt sorry for the people the sad parts happened to.

Linda Sue Park wrote a fantastic book that feels like it can come to life! It takes place in a small village near the west coast of Korea. It is mid through late 12th century. It's about a 12 year old boy named Tree-ear who would like to be come a potter. He watches his favourite potter Min make fabulous things out of clay. Tree-ear's gaurdian is called Crane-man. They live under a bridge and have barely any food. Tree-ear's parents died of the fever and got his name because he is an orphan and named after the mushroom that grows at the bottom of the tree. One day, he accidentally broke one of Min's Boxes while Min was now where in sight. So he then works for Min. He then wants Min to teach him, but Min says he can't because he is not his son. One day a person from the palace called an emissary who comes to commision a potter to the palace to make pottery for the emperor. So when the emissary arrives at Mins house to take a look at his work, he finds great interest in Min's work. Min wants to impress him one more time so then he makes more. The day he is suppose to arrive, Min broke all of his Pottery on purpose because the coloring of the celadon (light green glaze the potters used on their pottery).

Since the emissary likes Min's work the best, he desides to give him one more chance. So Min is greatful for it. He works his best to impress him. so then he has Tree-ear take his work to the emissay in Songdo since Mins is too old. Then, Tree-ear gets out some clay and makes a little monkey to remind Crane-man of him. So Crane-man was instructed by Min to make a Jiggeha( an open framed backpack made of branches). So then he set off onto his journey. on arrived at a villige almost at Songdo. Crane-man told him to go to the rock of the falling flowers. So when he went there, a couple of robbers took his money and threw and borke the vases that Min worked so hard on making the emissary. So he gets so upset that he throws his jiggeh over the rock of falling flowers. Then, he realizes that he didn't hear the crash of the second vase that Min made for the emissay. So Tree-ear climbed down to check up on it. It just apperead to be in big shards. So the, he decides to bring a single chard to show the emissary becuse that single piece has a lot of Min's work in it. When he shows the emissary, the piece, he decides to give Min a commision to the palace. When he arrived at Min's house to share the news about the commision, Min tells him of how Crane-man drowned in the river. When they pulled him out, they found a little ceramic monkey. The next evening, Tree-ear is back at the bridge throwing stones. Suddenly, Min wants him to chop up some wood for his wheel. Then another voice came out from Ajima( It means Auntie in Korea. She wants Tree-ear to call her that). She says "Come home on time for supper!" Home? That is right! Tree-ear is now apart of the family. He now has a new name which pleased him of not being called an orphan. His new name is Hyung-pill. Tree-ear (or Hyung-pill is what I should say) couldn't of been happier.

I like this lit circle book because it you could really catch on to it. It was easy to read, great vocabulary, and had an amazing plot. It was full of adventure that you can picture in your head easily. I really would recommend it to people who love adventure and excitment! I know you will like it as much as I did! So what are you waiting for? get comfortable and start reading!

A small piece of pottery may seem like nothing, but in A Single Shard it is everything. Linda Sue Park writes of people with great desires, of difficult times, and a wisdom that should be taught to all. The novel has been given the honor of a Newberry Award. Park has written four other books including Kite Fighters and Seesaw Girls. The book tells an enjoyable story with a strong moral.

It all starts out with a homeless orphan named Tree-Ear, who managed to find work with a master potter, Min. Then one day, news arrived that the Royal Emissary was coming for pottery; it was Min's chance to get a commission. When the emissary arrived, Min, and all the other potters in the village of Ch'ulp'o, displayed their work. The emissary was very fond of Min's work, but gave a commission to Kang, a potter who had come up with a new style of pottery. With haste, Min took the on new style and made two beautiful vases. He then sent Tree-Ear to the capitol city to deliver the pots to the emissary, and try to finally get a commission. Tree-Ear is faced with many dangers on the way and when he finally reached the emissary, only a single shard of the pottery was left. Tree-Ear then returned to Ch'ulp'o and gave his master the emissary's answer. Linda Sue Park puts in one surprising ending!

Though this book has many good qualities, I found that I was uninterested in what Park had to say in different areas of the book. There are many exciting events in A Single Shard, but in between them the plot strictly focuses on how an orphan does chores for a potter. It was good how Park stayed on focus but this subject gets boring after awhile. Sometimes she just puts in too much. One example is how every day Tree-Ear returns to his friend Crane-Man under the bridge every day after work. Usually hey have a long discussion about something very simple. It gets old. Fortunately, the suspense makes up for this sort of material.

The suspense was one of the best features of A Single Shard. It got me through the long and more boring areas by making me wonder what would happen next. For example, after a long description of a days work, Tree-Ear asks Min if he can throw pots. What would Min's answer be? Linda Park put me into the scene with this method. Another example is how Tree-Ear is looking for a pot that was thrown a the cliff. Had it fallen into the water without being harmed, or had it shattered against the stone?

Readers that are ten and up will be more likely to enjoy this book. A Single Shard may be confusing for younger readers. I always enjoy seeing a weaker character, in this case Tree-Ear, rise and become important in the end. The moral is deep and the novel is well intentioned. A Single Shard is a good addition to Linda Sue Park's novels.

The novel was great but there were some parts that made me feel sad. Here are the sad parts.

Towards the beginning of this novel, where Min told Tree-ear "you are not my son" which meant that Tree-ear couldn't learn to throw pots, was the first sad part. I felt sorry for Tree-ear becuase he really wanted to learn how to throw pots. He had been hoping to repay Min by making pottery for him.

At about the middle of this novel, Tree-ear got attacked by toduk-nom[bandits who hide throughout the countryside] and broke the pots that were being delivered to the royal emissary for a chance to get Min the royal Commission. I was afraid Min wouldn't get the commision. I thought Tree-ear would break the promise to Ajima which Tree-ear would be very upset if he did.

Towards the end of this novel, Tree-ear found out that Crane-man had died. I was sorry for tree-ear because I thought he would have to live by himself during the harsh winters. I was afraid Tree-ear wouldn't be able to have supper because he had to work for Min all day and wouldn't have time to go get supper for himself.

This story was really good but I felt sorry for the people the sad parts happened to.

I read this book for a college teaching language arts class. I found the story gentle, deep, insightful, memorable. I just returned from several months in Asia. This book constantly came to mind as I learned to adapt to a very different culture. Just like Asia, this book should be read slowly and savored over time. Let it grow on you,

Tree-ear an orphan whose parents died when he was young. He was brought to a man named Crane-man, a unwealthy elderly man with a twisted calf and foot in which he can only walk on one leg.

Tree-ear was so called after the mushroom that grew on tree trunks without benefit of parent seed. Min a very talented potter sends Tree-ear on a journey to Songdo to deliver a piece of pottery so that he might have a chance to get a commision in the palace. The problem is Tree-ear hasn't been to Songdo since he was a child.He also wonders how he will provide food for Crane-man like usual.. On his journey some impleaent people come in his way. The destruction is so major Tree-ear could quit the journey but he knows he came here to do one thing and he will continue to do it.

In this book I like that the story was based on real legends like when Min said he wouldn't teach Tree-ear how to make pottery because it was tradition that father teaches the son.Also when there are any bad situations you are on the edge of your seat. But others you think that they are so predictable. A bad thing about this book is that the beginning is slow. When you first start reading this you are like oh wellt his book seems boring already and it does not pursuade you to read it. It also is very detailed on parts it does not need to . But in some parts like Tree-ears journey to SOngdo i wish there was more about that.

I would not reccommend this book to someone who is impatient with books you need to force yourself to read this one. If you are into action and unwaiting suprises then I would recommend this book to you.

I think this book is probably the best literature book that I have read since 4th grade. I loved Crane-man's sense of humor and his wisdom. I enjoyed the plot of the story, how Tree-ear had to take Min's pots from Ch'ulp'o to Songdo. I think that the one night Tree-ear had seen the fox when he had to camp in the woods on his journey to Songdo was thrilling to read. It was like you could actually picture your self in between the two rocks hiding from the fox. I also liked how the title of the book finally fit in with the story when some robbers broke the pots and Tree-ear had to take a single shard of the pottery to Songdo.

I didn't understand why Min was constantly being mean to Tree-ear throughout the first half of the book. Tree-ear's work was never good enough for Min. I guessed that maybe it was because Min had lost his son and he didn't want Tree-ear to replace him. It made me sad at the end of the book when Crane-man had died. I felt as if I had actually witnessed his death. What I did not understand about Crane-man was a few days before Tree-ear had left for Songdo, when Ajima had asked Crane-man for his assistance while Tree-ear was gone and had offered him food, and Crane-man refused to the offer of food and to assist Ajima.

I recommend this book for people of all ages. It is a great book to read. I think this book is great for schools, for passing time, or just for fun. Either way, this book is an excellent book.

This book was honestly the most fantastic book I've ever been assigned to read in class! I loved it! I liked this book because the author used so much passion in her writing; and the vocabulary was truly stunning. I did not like this book because on ocassion, the story dragged on, otherwise this book was terrific. This book is about an orphan named Tree-ear living with his companion Crane-man under a bridge in a twelfth century Korean potters' village. One day after watching master potter, Min, Tree-ear creeps into Min's workplace and starts to fantasize about one day creating his own masterpieces, when he hears someone scream, and drops the piece of pottery he was holding. Now he must work off the damage he's done. At first,he only has to work nine days, but Tree-ear wants to do more. Then an emissary from the royal palace comes and asks Min to come to the Kings Court to show the court one of his pieces of pottery. Min cannot make the journey so he sends Tree-ear in his place. When Tree-ear comes home, tradgedy has struck. As it turns out, Crane-man fell off the bridge, the water was too cold and the shock was too great for his heart. But,the good thing is that Min has been granted a commission by the royal court. In the end, Tree-ear lives with his surrogate parents, Min and his wife Ajima, and they all live happily, from then on.

A Single Shard:

Five Stars

An orphan boy named Tree-Ear grew up on the streets. He never really had money, food, or anything. A homeless man with a cripple leg named Crane-Man takes him in. This story takes place in twelfth century Korea in a potting village called Ch'ulp'o. Tree-Ear begins to watch a potter named Min. He admires his work, and one day while Min is away, he sneaks in to admire his work. Min comes home only to find tree ear to appear to be stealing! Of course, Tree-Ear would never do such a thing, for it is bad character. He begins to work for Min. When a Royal Emissary comes to assign a new commission, Kang, a rival potter with work of less value than Min, develops a new type of inlay work by using red and white slip. He receives a limited commission. The Emissary admired Min's work very much. He told him to make a pot with the new type of inlay work and bring it to Songdo. Min sends Tree-Ear. Will he make it? Read the book to find out.

I loved this book. It was inspiring, moving, powerful, and spellbinding. While short, it keeps you going. I have heard good and bad things about this book, but I think it's great. It's the kind of novel that tells a great story with awesome descriptive words. It's like watching a movie in your head.

A SINGLE SHARD tells about a young orphan boy named Tree-ear who lives under a bridge with an old man called Crane-man in late 12th century Korea. Tree-ear was brought to Crane-man by the monks at the temple several years ago. Perhaps they felt that the child would help the crippled man in his old age. Whatever the case, the two have lived together for ten years, living off of scraps from rubbish piles and fallen rice. One of Tree-ear's favorite activities is to secretly watch the master potter, Min, create works of art. Eventually, Tree-ear becomes Min's apprentice and sets forth on a journey that will change their lives forever.

A SINGLE SHARD is a wonderful book. It is full of messages about honestly, heroism, and honor. It also illustrates the difficulties an artist has in being an artist and remaining true to the creativity within. Because it takes place in a different country (Korea) and at a different time (1300's), the novel is a great book to read as part of an interdisciplinary unit or just to learn some interesting information about the history of Korea. The story is told in a very easy-to-read style, yet the simplest words are often filled with depth. This is a wonderful book and won the 2002 Newbery Medal. After reading it, it's not difficult to see why.

(This is the spoiler-free review from my blog bookshelfbriefs.wordpress.com.) This is a very good story by Linda Sue Park chronicling the inspirational life of an orphan boy in 12th Century Korea. His life is shaped not by a single person or event; it is a process that involves influences, circumstances, and desires of course – but also many difficult choices.

This boy’s story provides a beautiful glimpse into traditional Korean culture: respect for elders, restraint in relationships, unspoken or indirect meaning. And it raises questions along the way. Will tradition triumph over passion? Will character overcome cast?

It also highlights the beautiful Korean celadon pottery. Once you've read the book (or before if you don’t mind spoilers), you can visit Linda Sue Park's website for more information about her pottery inspiration. All the pieces described in the book actually exist.

In addition, personal responsibility is modeled well, as is hard work, delayed gratification, self-sacrifice, and loyalty. Throw in the suspenseful elements, rivalry, ethics, and you have a great story mix.

A favorite quote involved the concept of tackling a big task - "One hill, one valley…one day at a time…" This is how a journey is made, a task is accomplished, a life is shaped.

A good read for all ages.