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 to 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 begins berating Tree-ear. The piece is very valuable and Tree-ear agrees to work off the debt by working for Min until it is paid off.  The work is hard, harder than Tree-ear ever imagined, but it is 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 is passed down from  father to son, and Tree-ear is only an orphan. News comes that the royal court is coming to look at the village potters’ pieces and will maybe pick one of the men and put his pieces on commission. Min hopes he is 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 the way the story 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 very respectful of others and I liked the way he thought of others and 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 people in grades 4 and up who like historical fiction and stories with amazing characters. You will be rooting for Tree-ear, just like I did.

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

Why Would a Baseball be Muddy?

Miracle Mud: Lena Blackburne and the Secret Mud that Changed Baseball  by David A. Kelly. 

This is the true story of how a special mud became the standard by which professional baseballs got prepared for games. Lena Blackburne wanted to play professional baseball and make it to the Baseball Hall of Fame. But, his baseball skills weren’t good enough for his dreams to come true. 

He still loved the sport and stayed part of it in any way that he could. One problem was the soggy baseballs that batters couldn’t hit very far. The baseballs needed the shine to be taken off of them, and most people used dirty water to do this (or other even more disgusting methods). When Lena discovers a mud that can do the job, he changes the way baseballs are prepared for play. His mud was a miracle, not only to him, but to all the baseball players who have used it over the past seventy five years. I was so stunned when I read this book! I was amazed by the fact that professional baseballs need to get “dirtied” before they can be used to play. I immediately started looking up facts and was shocked by what I learned. I also enjoyed the pictures which are done in a way that your eyes focuses on parts of the illustrations that tie into the text. The pictures made me ready to go to a baseball game and enjoy some time in the sunshine.

Miracle Mud: Lena Blackburne and the Secret Mud that Changed Baseball is a great book for baseball fans, those who like to learn the story behind interesting facts, or people who like to get dirty. A short picture book that is sure to be a hit during baseball season. With the facts at the end, I bet you will learn something new too!

Happy reading! ~ Mrs. Robinson