A Single Shard
First edition
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| Author | Linda Sue Park |
|---|---|
| Cover artist | Jean and Mon-sien Tseng |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Historical novel |
| Publisher | Clarion Books |
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Publication date
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April 23, 2001 |
| Media type | Print (hardback & paperback) |
| Pages | 152 pp |
| ISBN | |
| OCLC | 44803112 |
| LC Class | PZ7.P22115 Si 2001 |
A Single Shard is a novel by Linda Sue Park, set in 12th-century Korea. It won the 2002 Newbery Medal, awarded for excellence in children's literature; it also received an honorable mention from the Asian/Pacific American Awards for Literature.
The New York Times praised A Single Shard as being "deftly shaped" and "surprisingly moving", stating that the Newbery Medal would help expose the novel to an audience it would otherwise have not reached. A Single Shard is the Newberry Award winning novel by Linda Sue Park. In this novel, Tree-ear is an orphan who lives under a bridge with Crane-man, a physically disabled man who took him in when Tree-ear was only a small child. Tree-ear is fascinated with the potters in his village, especially Min, and often watches them work. One day Tree-ear goes into Min's yard and investigates the work that he has drying in the sun. When Min comes out and startles Tree-ear, he drops and breaks a box. To pay for his mistake, Tree-ear offers to work for Min for nine days. Nine days turns into eighteen months, changing both Tree-ear and Min's life forever. A Single Shard is a story of self-discovery and hope that will inspire readers of all ages.
Tree-ear will often stop at the home of Min, a potter in town who throws his clay in the backyard where Tree-ear can watch without being seen. As Tree-ear watches, he imagines what it would be like to learn to throw a pot. One day, Min has left several pieces of his work in the yard. Tree-ear sneaks over to have a look, so fascinated with a box that contains multiple smaller boxes that he does not hear Min come into the yard. Min begins to beat Tree-ear, accusing him of spying. Tree-ear drops one of the small boxes, shattering it on the ground. Min demands that he leave. Tree-ear begs Min to allow him to work for him for nine days in order to pay for the box.
As Tree-ear arrives for his first day of work, he feels a great deal of excitement at the idea of learning the craft of the potter. However, Min wants Tree-ear to cut wood for the communal kiln. For nine days, Tree-ear cuts wood for Min. When the nine days are over, Tree-ear returns to Min's and requests a continuing job. Min informs Tree-ear that he cannot pay him, but Tree-ear only wants to learn the trade therefore he does not expect payment. Min agrees, sending Tree-ear to the river for clay.
One afternoon word spreads throughout Ch'ulp'o that a royal emissary is coming to offer commissions to the best potters both in their village and another village down the coast. All the potters begin working at a fast pace in order to have their best work ready to display. During this time, Tree-ear notices some odd behavior in another potter, Kang. One night, Tree-ear sneaks up to Kang's work shed and sees him carving out flowers in the side of a vase and then filling the holes with colored clay. Tree-ear wants to tell Min what he has seen, but he is concerned that by doing so he would be stealing from Kang, so he waits.
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