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    A Single Shard
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    A Single Shard
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    A Single Shard
    Audiobook3 hours

    A Single Shard

    Written by Linda Sue Park

    Narrated by Graeme Malcolm

    4/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    Tree-ear is an orphan boy in a 12th-century Korean potters' village. When he accidentally breaks a pot, he must work for the master to pay for the damage by setting off on a difficult and dangerous journey that will change his life forever.


    From the Trade Paperback edition.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPenguin Random House Audio
    Release dateJan 22, 2002
    ISBN9780807207031
    Unavailable
    A Single Shard
    Author

    Linda Sue Park

    Linda Sue Park, Newbery Medal winner for A Single Shard and #1 New York Times bestseller for A Long Walk to Water, is the renowned author of many books for young readers, including picture books, poetry, and historical and contemporary fiction. Born in Illinois, Ms. Park has also lived in California, England, and Ireland. She now lives in Western New York. Learn more at lindasuepark.com.

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    Reviews for A Single Shard

    4/5

    712 ratings72 reviews

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    • 5/5
      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 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 berates Tree-ear. The piece is very valuable, and Tree-ear agrees to pay off the debt by working for Min. The work is hard, harder than Tree-ear ever imagined, but it's 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's passed down from father to son, and Tree-ear is only an orphan. News arrives that the royal court is coming to look at the potters’ pieces, and maybe pick one of the men and put his work on commission. Min hopes he's 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 how the words 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 respectful of others, and I liked the way he thought of 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 readers fourth grade and up who like historical fiction and stories with amazing characters. You will be rooting for Tree-ear!
    • 4/5
      In 12th-century Korea the orphan Tree-Ear longs to become a potter and learn the art of creating the much-sought exquisite celadon pottery his village is known for. His big chance comes when he begins to work for the master potter Min, and a competition for a royal commission. This middle-grade novel is a beautiful introduction to the Korean culture, as well as to the art of pottery. Park gives us a wonderful cast of characters, starting with the main character, Tree-Ear, an orphan who wound up in the care of the homeless Crane-man, who was crippled from birth and lived under a bridge. I love their relationship, how they care for one another, and give to one another so selflessly. I also really appreciated the complex relationship of Tree-Ear to his mentor Min, and to Min’s wife, Ajima. The cultural barriers to truly bringing him on as an apprentice were as shocking to Tree-Ear as they were to this reader. I learned much about celadon pottery, and particularly the uniqueness of the inlay process. The Author Notes expand on the culture and the art, and sent me to Google to look up the Thousand Cranes vase. The novel was awarded the Newbery Medal for excellence in Children’s Literature.
    • 5/5
      A homeless boy is fascinated by the work of potters in his village, especially that of the most talented. He manages to become the man's assistant, and in time becomes trusted to handle a difficult and dangerous task. I liked the information about the Korean Celadon pottery and the way that the Korean culture of honor is portrayed.
    • 5/5
      Some very lovely characters in this book, crane man a wise old adopted father shows understanding and gives some great advice and is a lovely companion for the main character Tree Ear. The developing relationship between Min, his wife and Tree Ear is touching. He has to work hard to learn the skill he has set himself as a goal but with many challenges along the way. I love the language that is used to describe the pottery processes.The way the "question demon" is dealt with is very well written. A question about stealing an idea is discussed in the middle of the night between tree ear and crane man. The advice is well presented.
    • 5/5
      Tree-Ear is an orphan in 11th century Korea. He lives under a bridge with Crane-Man, his one and only friend. After accidentally breaking a piece of fine pottery by the town's most skilled potter, Tree-Ear becomes first indebted to the cantankerous man, and when the debt is worked off, chooses to continue working for him.The book is a paean to honor, devotion, and dedication.
    • 5/5
      Awesome historical fiction. Intense world-expanding read.
    • 5/5
      A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park (2011) is a Newbery award winning book about a young boy who discovers his interest in pot making. Tree-ear is an orphan from Korea who lives under a bridge with the only father he has ever known, Crane-man. Throughout the story many moral issues are brought up and discussed between the two main characters. The author presents an authentic view of Korea and it's culture during the 1100's. Park spent time in Korea with her aunt's traditional Korean home. This experience helped Park write her books.In a classroom this book would provide a great way to discuss moral issues. Teaching students to have good morals is apart of democratic teaching. Literature groups could be formed around this novel with each student having a specific job to help the group.
    • 2/5
      The Newbery Medals seem to go through phases. Although I'm reading the books in reverse chronological order, I've read enough of them in the past and have looked at the lists enough to see some patterns. The 1930s saw a great many books about children in other countries honored, whereas in the 1940s tales of American history prevailed. A Single Shard seems like a book from the 1930s. Set in 12th-century Korea, it's the tale of a homeless orphan, Tree-Ear, who has formed a sort of family with a destitute cripple, Crane-man. They actually live under a bridge. Tree-Ear's ambition is to be a potter, making the famed celadon ware for which their village is known. A Single Shard details his struggles on the way to realizing his ambition. Unfortunately, it also describes the pottery-making process in agonizing detail. Even though the book is full of incident, I found it rather dull and I suspect children might, as well. It's this sort of book that gives the Newberys a bad name. I might, however, recommend it for children with a special interest in Korea -- or in pottery.
    • 3/5
      Author Linda Sue ParkTitle A Single ShardIllustratorpublisher Yearlingdate 2001pages 152Short summary of plot: Tree Ear was orphaned when he was a baby and taken to live with crane man who was in a sense also orphaned. Crane Mans deformity made it impossible for him to support himself through a job or trade. He lived under a bridge and scavenged for food. He did not believe in stealing or begging for food. Tree Ear learned many moral lessons from Cave Man. Min who did pottery was in this book too. Tree Ear saw the pottery Min did and thought it was cool. Tree Ear wanted to make pottery himself but he was made to fetch firewood instead. Min use to have a son but he died. Min basically took Tree Ear in and kind of took care of him you would say. Tags or subject headings would be learning lessons and hard work as a 12 year old. Friendship and building a relationship with a person would also be a tag or subject heading. My personal response I didn't really like this book it was really boring until like the last couple of chapters until Min got robbed that was like the cliffhanger that was really the only interesting part in this whole book. I wasn't impressed at all. :(
    • 4/5
      This is a beautiful story. Love the way the author conveys the spirits of male characters, mostly. Great way to learn about a time, a place, and a culture that you or/and students weren't familiar with before, with an uplifting and happy ending.
    • 5/5
      I really enjoyed this book for many reasons. The main ideas of this story are good morals, hard word and determination. Throughout the entire book the teachings that Tree Ear learn are invaluable. Before he even starts working for the potter, Tree Ear is taught morals that make him the honorable boy he is. He learned from his friend about how stealing and lying was wrong. Tree Ear demonstrates hard work when he repays his dept to the master potter. Even though the work was not what he had expected, nor what he wanted to do, Tree Ear does it all to the best of his ability and puts all he can into it. Also, Tree Ears determination to become a potter himself drove him through his hardships to become a better person. This story is very insightful. It shows the reader what a good person should be like. Even though Tree Ear has nothing and no reason to be a good person, he still does so anyway.
    • 4/5
      This book is written for 10-12-year-olds but I found it a nice read for adults as well. I'll remember the story a long time. A Korean orphan living under a bridge with an older, crippled man, obtains scraps of food wherever he can. Their small town is home to many potters and all aspire to get a commission from the palace so they can make more money. The boy is interested in the potting trade and one day breaks a piece of pottery accidentally. The master potter allows the boy to make up for it by working for him until the debt is paid. Longs days of hard work begin, and the boy longs to learn the trade, but the grumpy old potter doesn't allow him near the potting wheel.

      Emissaries from the palace come to town to choose a couple potters for commissioned work for the palace and competition is stiff. A series of events lead to a long, dangerous trip for the boy.

      At the ages the book is intended for, many young people devour books and I think this one would be a hit with them. The book is a Newberry Medal winner.
    • 3/5
      I picked this up because it was a Newbery award winner, and because I'd rather enjoyed another book by Park, "When my Name was Keoko," which deals with more modern Korean history. This story is also set in Korea, but in the 12th century. It tells of an orphan boy, Tree-Ear, who gradually becomes assistant to a talented potter, and finds himself going on a journey to try to win the potter an Imperial commission. The characters are sensitively drawn and believable, and the small dramas of the tale momentous in feeling. Plus, the reader gets to learn a little bit about Korean pottery, which is very interesting!
    • 5/5
      Tree Ear is an orphan, living under a bridge with a homeless man called Crane Man. After breaking on of Potter Min's pots by accident, Tree Ear agrees to go work for the potter, hoping to learn the trade himself.
    • 5/5
      This is a beautifully written story. It's truly incredible how Linda Sue Park conveys the spirits of her mostly male characters.My middle school students and I learned much about a time, a place, and a culture that we weren't familiar with before. One roots for little Tree-Ear as he never gives up on his dream. This is the ultimate story of perseverance and ( thank goodness) an uplifting and happy ending.
    • 4/5
      Park's story of a homeless boy in ancient Korea started slowly for me, but once he began to hang around watching the great pottery artist Min, I was engaged entirely. Tree-ear worms his way into the pottery shop, doing menial tasks and soaking up information. He's an artist himself, but an artist without the opportunities to work with his medium. The ways around and through his problem are exquisitely imagined and warming to read. Perhaps my favorite part (which actually caused my eyes to fill with tears) is this passage:
      "Tree-ear was rubbing the sediment between his fingers, as he always did. Suddenly, his fingertips tingled with a strange feeling. For some odd reason, he thought of a time when he had been on the mountainside, taking a break as he chopped wood. He had been staring into the forest greenery when a deer appeared in abrupt focus. It had been there all along, and he had been looking straight at it. But only at the last moment had he actually seen it.

      It was the same now, only instead of seeing with his eyes, he was feeling with his hands. The clay felt good - fine, pliant, smooth - but not ready yet."

      A wonderful book.
    • 4/5
      This was great. Listened to it on a road trip. A young man works for a potter (Master Potter *giggle* (said in Dobby's voice) ) and eventually changes the old man's life. Set in Koreo centuries ago.
    • 5/5
      I read this book very quickly and though it's a Newbery Winner, I just didn't find any one outstanding section. The book as a whole was a very enjoyable read. It covers a range of emotion as well as situations, moving from poverty to a feeling of usefulness, from the joys of friendship to the sadness of losing loved ones and the joys of family. It is easy to see why A Single Shard won the Newbery Award. The book plays before the reader's eyes, creating a visual that is not as much a description as it is simply factual. We all know what a wheelbarrow looks like, but what is the experience of pushing it over roots and bumps in a road while trying not to break pottery? Most of us understand the idea of firing pottery, but how does it feel to stand around and wait to see if that final stage comes out exactly how you'd hoped it would? These are the sorts of descriptions you will experience within these pages... and yet the reader will also find so much more. One of the lines near the end of this book reads: "There were some things that could not be molded into words." Nothing is truer of the the thoughts and feelings that come along with experiencing this wonderful read.
    • 5/5
      Tree Ear is an orphan who lives in a village where many make their living making pottery in 12th century Korea. Crane Man is an old man who takes him in as a toddler to raise him under a bridge. The two have to forage through garbage to get food to eat. Tree Ear is fascinated by a local potter named Min, and goes to work for him to repay him after breaking some of his pottery on accident. Tree Ear continues to works with Min and helps him to get a royal commission. While on his long trip to try to gain the commission, he is met up by bandits who destroy the pottery and he is left with a single shard to sell Min's wares. Although he ends up losing his dear father figure, he ends up as part of a loving family in the end.I loved this book. The history of Korea and pottery was fascinating. It also had amazing heart. I would recommend this to a reader of any age. Classroom connection: Korea, pottery, family
    • 5/5
      A Single Shard is a touching book about Tree Ear, an orphan in Korea who has become fascinated with the work of a local potter. Through an unfortunate accident, Tree Ear gets an opportunity to work for the potter, giving him more time to observe his work. Later, Tree Ear is sent on an important mission that will ultimately change his life.This book is beautifully written, and contains many teachable moments as Tree Ear struggles with issues about values, integrity, perseverance, etc. guided by his friend, a crippled man who has cared for Tree Ear since he was a baby. The book offers opportunities for discussions and debate, as well as extensions to learn about the process of Korean pottery-making and Celedon glazing. Well-written characters and well-balanced plot make this an excellent read for Middle School-age children.
    • 4/5
      THe book tells the story of an orphaned who lives in Korea, with his friend, under a bridge. His dream is to become a maker of pottery like many in his community and loves the uniqueness of it all. THru perserverance and attitude he acheives his goal and becomes a potter. This book tells of a simple rags to riches storry about how someone with nothing can still become something.In the classromm setting, i would definetely use this as an inlet to get the kids talking and discussing what they might like to be when they age up. Even go as far fetched as talking about what their father watnted to do compared to what they ended up doing and possibly why. THis book tells of a good lesson of self esteem and perseverance.
    • 5/5
      Tree-ear is an orphan in the 12th century. He lives under a bridge with Crane-man. Because he is an orphan and has no family, he is shunned by the people of the village. He lives on scraps of food but is slowly starving to death. One day he sees Min, a master potter, at work and marvels at the beautiful pottery. Tree-ear sneaks into Min's workshop and accidentally breaks a pot. Now he must work for Min to pay him back for the broken pot. The two slowly come to realize that they need each other. Then one day Tree-tea is given an important assignment: deliver a pot to the King's Court. During this journey he is attacked and the pot shatters on the ground. Tree-tea manages to find a single shard that shows the beauty of Min's design. Will it be enough to show the King how deserving Min is of becoming the King's official potter?This is such a wonderfully written book. The subject of Korea and it's pottery which flourished in the 11th and 12th century. It was even considered better than pottery from China! Linda Sue Park has combined several elements, family and adventure, into a story that educates as well as entertains us.
    • 4/5
      Tree-ear, an orphaned boy in 12th century Korea, lives with Crane-man under a bridge. He often admires the work of the potter Min. After breaking a piece of pottery, Tree-ear goes to work for the potter. It will eventually change his life. It's a good story at a lower middle grades reading level that will resonate with many of its readers.
    • 5/5
      I love this story. The characters are unforgettable.
    • 5/5
      A wonderful story about a young orphan who finds his place in the workshop of an old and unhappy, yet talented potter.
    • 5/5
      I was hooked and could not put the book down...The book takes place sometime in the 12th century in Korea. I enjoyed the book very much so, amazing are all the riddles, sayings, folk lore, and old stories passed down from generation to generation. The book is full of many lessons and life learning. The greatest asset this book delivers and what makes this book so enjoyable are the characters. There are only four characters throughout the book but the author does a great job in giving each character a strong voice in the book and a distinctive role... The characters...Tree-ear an orphan who finds himself working (for food) as an assistant to a potter, must go on along journey to deliver pottery to the palace. Crane-man a homeless man who lives with Tree-ear under a bridge who has only one useful leg but is full of wisdom. Min the master potter who is bitter but has his reasonings. Ajima the potter's wife who's heart is so warm.Five StarsThe characters are the strongest aspect of this book. The story is full of lows (Tree-ear being confronted by the robbers along his journey) and highs (Min changing his view on Tree-ear). The book is full of twists and turns and full of emotions and as a reader the emotions hit me as well, became sad and happy and angry all along the book. I would recommend this book for any middle school and high school student, including adults. This book has no boundaries; the book delivers a great message about courage and many others. The book became an easy read because the story was so interesting and fast moving.
    • 5/5
      Having very limited experience with the Korean language, I sometimes found it difficult to correctly pronounce some of the names, places, and words when reading the printed version of this book. However, the audio version of this story helped to clarify pronunciation. I struggled to understand Tree Ear's (the orphan boy) logic and reasoning, but admired him for his determination and honesty. I was pleasantly surprised by the way Linda Sue Park intertwined historical and cultural facts to create a moving story.
    • 4/5
      This was a beautiful book! I loved the relationships between Tree-Ear and Crane-Man. I thought Crane-Man was such a wonderful father - he shared wisdom with Tree-Ear and encouraged him to dream and encouraged him to be honorable. Those qualities gained Tree-Ear a great treasure in the end. I also fully enjoyed the setting of the novel - 12th century Korea.
    • 5/5
      Fascinating culture, lovable characters, excellent plot, and dramatic twists... This book is amazing! It makes you laugh and cry. It is written for middle-school aged kids, but I still re-read it every few years and always enjoy it just as much. This is one of my favorite children's fiction books ever.Without doubt, Linda Sue Park's best work.Recommended!!
    • 5/5
      This novel won a well-deserved Newbery Medal. Tree-ear is a 12-year-old orphan with big dreams. He dreams of becoming a potter. He spies on master potter Min and eventually convinces Min to take him on as an assistant. When the emperor announces that he is looking for a Royal Potter, Tree-Ear is given the task of delivering two vases (examples of Min's best work) to the palace. Even though the vases break along the way, Tree-Ear refuses to give up and manages to deliver a single shard to the emperor.I read this for a class on adolescent lit. Though it is a book I probably would not have picked up on my own, I loved it.