A Single Shard

Average Rating:
4.87805
41 Reviews
Categories: , , , , , .
TitleA Single Shard
Publication TypeBook
Year of Publication2001
AuthorsPark, Linda Sue
Number of Pages148
PublisherClarion Books
CityNew York
ISBN0-395-97827-0 (hardcover)
Abstract

Park (Seesaw Girl) molds a moving tribute to perseverance and creativity in this finely etched novel set in mid- to late 12th-century Korea. In Ch'ul'po, a potter's village, Crane-man (so called because of one shriveled leg) raises 10-year-old orphan Tree Ear (named for a mushroom that grows "without benefit of "parent-seed"). Though the pair reside under a bridge, surviving on cast-off rubbish and fallen grains of rice, they believe "stealing and begging... made a man no better than a dog." From afar, Tree Ear admires the work of the potters until he accidentally destroys a piece by Min, the most talented of the town's craftsmen, and pays his debt in servitude for nine days. Park convincingly conveys how a community of artists works (chopping wood for a communal kiln, cutting clay to be thrown, etc.) and effectively builds the relationships between characters through their actions (e.g., Tree Ear hides half his lunch each day for Crane-man, and Min's soft-hearted wife surreptitiously fills the bowl). She charts Tree Ear's transformation from apprentice to artist and portrays his selflessness during a pilgrimage to Songdo to show Min's work to the royal court he faithfully continues even after robbers shatter the work and he has only a single shard to show.
URLhttp://www.amazon.com/Single-Shard-Linda-Sue-Park/dp/0440418518/

Supplemental Contributions

Members of the community have contributed the following materials as supplements to A Single Shard.

Title Attached Files Contributed By Contributed On Link

Ceramics Unit for A Single Shard

Unit for art teachers by Malia Bennett in two files, Trinity Area High School (Pittsburgh site)

 2 Malia Bennett 11/8/11

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A Single Shard/summary and activities

summary and a variety of activities for multiple grade levels

 1 Katherine Hoffer 9/29/10

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Average Rating:
4.87805
41 Reviews

Reviews for A Single Shard

5

Posted By: Ann Marie Kern

Posted On: June 1, 2011

Ann Marie Kern

Grade:5

Subjects:All

Chartiers Valley Intermediate School
Book Review: A Single Shard
Grades: 5 – 8
Grade Level Equivalent: 6.8
Lexile Framework: 920L
Guided Reading Level: U
AR: #49768
Genre: Historical Fiction

Subject: Crafts, Determination and Perseverance, Loyalty, Achievement and Success, Korean

Newbery Award Winner 2002
Subjects it can be used in:

*Reading *LanguageArts *Social Studies

A Single Shard is based on a thirteen-year-old orphaned boy named Tree-ear in 12th Century Korea. Tree-ear lives under a bridge in Ch'ulp'o, potters' village famed for celadon ware. He is taken care of by another outcast of the time, Crane-man. As Tree-ear grows his interests go far beyond what Crane-man can provide. Tree-ear is drawn to a new interest, pottery. He becomes fascinated with watching a particular potter by the name of Min. Tree-ear returns daily to watch in secret the brilliance of the potter, until Tree-ears admiration gets the best of him and he enters Min’s pottery. He is discovered and Tree-ear’s hidden adoration is met with Min’s temper.
To pay for his trespass and disrespect, Tree-ear is put to work as Min’s helper. It is a dream that Tree-ear has wanted, to learn to make pots of his own. But it does come with a price: the backbreaking labor of digging and hauling clay, Min's sour temper, and his own ignorance. Tree-ear’s determination to prove his capability provides him with the opportunity to absorb everything that allows one to be a remarkable potter.
A Single Shard allows for detailed questioning, visualization, prediction, inferences, and evaluation. The book can be connected in the curriculum through reading, art, social studies. When using a trade book, I create a learning unit that is integrated into other subject areas. I draw in history of the region that is the setting of the book, culture, and main theme. This book allows for many opportunities to discuss and learn of the Korean culture in the 12th century through the eyes of a 12 year old boy. Through this reading most students find that they have some commonalities with Tree-ear, even though he is from another time and place. He wants to be respectful, but respected. This is a story that guides students to realize that one has to be patient and can learn through a multitude of means.
Resources to assist in teaching:

Guide for Using a Single Shard in the Classroom
pages 48 Teacher Created Resources, ISBN 978-0-7439-3158-8
Web pages with resources: (check, some links can be taken down) http://www.neiu.edu/~gearup/units/yal/TMMS_Single_Shard/
http://www.merrybee.info/ba/single.html
http://www.lessonplanet.com/search?keywords=single+shard&media=lesson
http://www.edhelper.com/books/A_Single_Shard.htm?gclid=CNvj3cfH_qgCFUWA5...

5

Posted By: timothy a mcveagh

Posted On: June 1, 2011

Timothy A. McVeagh
Pittsburgh Central Catholic HS
StudioArt/ Art Appreciation 9 - 12

A Single Shard is a compelling story of a young orphan boy named Tree-ear and his struggle to find meaning in his life with the help of others. He is mentored by a small cast of characters, each of which helps to provide for the boy, a variety of life lessons and necessities for survival and development. Crane-man is an old, crippled, man who befriends the boy and teaches him practical and philosophical life lessons which span from the making of soup to the development of his pride and dignity through lessons of honesty and truthfulness. Min is the master potter and craftsman. His relationship with Tree-ear begins by scolding and punishing him for an honest mistake. Min eventually comes to find the boy worthy enough to be taken into his household from the streets and given the necessary status to fulfill his dream of becoming a master potter. Ajima is the wife of the master potter Min. Ajima provides for Tree-ear a loving care and compassion that can only be provided by a mother figure. This care helps Tree-ear continue to find the courage and perseverance to complete a journey that is filled with obstacles. The book provides us with many examples of life lessons of pride, dignity, discipline and perseverance. In my own experience of studying to be a potter in a college environment, I was reminded of being taught that being able to raise the clay into pottery was only possible with focus and discipline. Preparing one’s self and the clay were synonymous with success. This seemingly simple lesson has been adopted by me in my coaching and in the classroom as the critical element to quality performances and success later in life. This book provides a viable means of learning about this concept through an interesting and enjoyable story. Although it may be written at the grade school level, it is a lesson that many high school students and adults would benefit from learning.

5

Posted By: Malia Bennett

Posted On: May 21, 2011

Malia Bennett
Trinity Area High School
Ceramics 9-12
‘A Single Shard’ by Linda Sue Park is a engaging novel set in Korea in the 12th century. Although perfect for middle school students, this novel could be used with high school students if used as a guide to encourage deeper exploration of the many concepts within. The novel follows the story of Tree-ear, a twelve year old orphan who lives under a bridge with his friend and mentor, Crane Man. Crane Man, although old and partially lame, is full of wisdom and good humor and teaches Tree-ear how to survive without the support of a community. This is a good lesson on social strata and could start an interesting conversation on populations in the students own community who may be homeless. As a ceramics teacher, this concept is a great lead-in to our annual Empty Bowls fundraiser which benefits a local food pantry.
Tree-ear begins to spend time watching a local potter, Min, whose seeming magic with clay has fascinated him. One day Tree-ear sneaks in to take a closer look and ends up breaking a piece of pottery. Determined to work off his debt to the potter, Tree-ear becomes an apprentice to Min. This part of the story is a chance to discuss social status and apprenticeship patterns in Korea and to contrast them to the students own culture. Another possible tie-in at this stage, depending on the age of the students, would be Chapter one of ‘Apprenticeship: From Theory to Method and Back Again’ by Michael W. Coy entitled ‘Japanese Folkcraft Pottery Apprenticeship: Cultural Patterns of an Educational Institution’ by John Singleton. This reading, although complex, could be broken down and discussed as a class and perhaps contrasted with apprenticeship programs and unions today.
The book continues to give a wonderful description and history of Korean celadon pottery. Any art or ceramics teacher would be encouraged to take this opportunity to pull out of the readings a description and understanding of the chemical processes involved in firing the kiln and attaining the correct reduction atmosphere.
‘A Single Shard’ is packed full of opportunities to engage, enlighten, and challenge students in a variety of disciplines. I recommend this book as a continuing thread in a conversation that covers that wide variety of topics. The students will connect with Tree-ear and make comparisons between his world and his challenges and their own.

5

Posted By: Erin Diehl

Posted On: October 21, 2010

Erin Diehl

A Single Shard would a great book to be read by fourth to twelfth grade students. In late elementary school it can be used to compare and contrast the Korean culture and the European cultures they are familiar with. This could be used easily in a reading class and a social studies class, even to the point it can be a collaborated effort between the two. It could be used in comparison with Oliver Twist, even though the time periods are a few centuries different. There are many differences as well as many similarities in the two texts.
This book goes through the life of a poor orphan, and how he survives with a disabled man, living in poverty. He knows he is ‘unnoticeable’ to the upper levels of society, so he watches people and becomes obsessed with an old potter, which leads a naturally curious boy to snooping around the potter’s house when he thinks no one is home. This leads to a travesty in which the boy needs to repay a debt, which he does, and then hopes to become an apprentice. It brings in other aspects of forgiveness, compassion, and leads to the acceptance of a young boy whose life completely changes after he makes a terrible mistake.

5

Posted By: Veronica Kennedy

Posted On: October 20, 2010

Veronica Kennedy, Winchester Thurston School
6th, 7th, 8th grade World Mythology and Spanish

Review: A Single Shard, by Linda Sue Park.

I could not put down this book once I started reading it. The story is compelling. Through the eyes of Tree-Ear, an orphan boy, we see and hear the goings on in a small Korean village of potters in the 11th century. The book does a very good job of showing what life was like in that period, but the essence of the book is the lesson that Tree-Ear learns about perseverance and absolute dedication to the pursuit of his goal: To become a potter.

The grueling work and the slow process of learning when the clay is ready teaches Tree-ear patience and the pride that comes when he can tell by touch when the clay is perfect for throwing. Love, mutual dependency and sacrificing for another is the lesson in the relationship he has with Crane-man, who takes him in to his “home” under the bridge and pushes him to succeed. The journey to the emperors palace in a coming of age saga in which persistence and sense of duty pay off well. We are glad at his overcoming the obstacles to becoming a potter and finding in the end a family.

This is a perfect book for the 5-8th graders, and a book that can be read by the whole family for home discussion. The Confucian value of “honor your elders” is present in every page. Particularly touching is the final acceptance by the potter Min of Tree-ear as his adopted son, whereby Tree-ear gains the status he must have to be a potter. I heartily recommend the book for classroom use.