A Single Shard

Author: Linda Sue Park

Main Characters: Tree-ear, Min, and Craneman

Setting: A Korean Potters Village

Tree-ear is a young orphan boy who lives under the bridge with Craneman. In the beginning of the story Tree-ear was walking around the village when someone’s jiggeh (backpack) was leaking, so rice was falling out of it and so Tree-ear gathered the rice for him and Craneman when the person was around the bend.

Tree-ear sneaks around Potter Min’s house so he can watch him make vases. One day Tree-ear was sneaking around Potter Min’s pottery and he broke one of the pots. To pay back for what he broke Tree-ear has to work for Potter Min for nine days. Tree-ear started the next day and he had to go up the mountain to get wood. When Tree-ear was going down the mountain he fell and got a deep cut on his hand.

Tree-ear returns every morning and goes up the mountain to chop wood and then he goes to the kiln.
Tree-ear did his job for nine days and instead of stopping he asks to stay so that he can make a vase. He now collects clay. Soon the emissary arrives and would like Min to show his work to the court.

Potter Min sends Tree-ear to Songdo to show Potter Min’s work. The emissary signed Potter Min a commission.

When Tree-ear returned he was told that a farmer’s load was too heavy and it broke the rails of the bridge and Craneman died. Ajima and Potter Min asked Tree-ear to stay the night. Ajima and Potter Min gave Tree-ear a new name which was Hyung-gu and allowed Hyung-gu to live with them. Hyung-gu lived happily ever after and was taught how to make a vase.

Aunt Kelli picked this book out for me since it is based in Korea where we are moving. This book was very good and I would suggest you read this book.

Because of Winn-Dixie

Author: Kate DiCamillo

Setting(Where): Naomi, Florida

Main Characters(Who): Winn-Dixie the dog, Opal the little girl, the preacher

Main Ideas(What): Opal finds a dog in the Winn-Dixie grocery store. The grocery store was going to call the pound, but Opal claimed the dog as hers even though it was not. She named the dog after the grocery store. Winn-Dixie helped Opal make some unusual friends and Opal gave Winn-Dixie a happy home.

I liked the book because it was a story of a 10 year old girl and her dog. I have read this story numerous times and enjoy it more each time.