Customer Reviews
Amazing Book 
2008-08-29
If you are a teacher, from elementary to high school, you NEED to get this book. It is AMAZING.
excellent book 2008-08-29
A Single Shard is an excellent book for young readers and is equally enjoyable for adults. I will use excerpts from this book when teaching my high school students about early Korean celadon firing. The characters are believable and likable, the story line is gripping and well written and sprinkled throuhgout the book is fabulous information about the making and firing of some of the finest pottery in history.
Not for a reluctant 10 year-old reader. 
2008-08-23
My 10-year old daughter is a very reluctant reader, so when a list of books was assigned for summer reading, I picked the ones that either have been recognized by other people or have won awards. I have trusted "Newberry" medal for years, and it had never let me down. Until this time.
The book was boring, monotonous, with words just flowing pass you without leavin an impression. In order to help my daughter to get through the book, we took turns reading chapters aloud. When it was my turn reading, I was literally falling asleep because for pages and pages nothigh was happening in the plot. I guess, that would make this book a great good night story, your child would have no trouble falling asleep, just be careful that you are still awake by the end of the chapter.
We finished the book and searched the Internet for images of Korean pottery, because even by the end of it, we still had trouble picturing the artifacts described in there. With all those hunderds of words that filled page after page to talk about vases, we still could not understand how they looked like.
A Single Shard
WORST BOOK I'VE EVER READ!!! 2008-07-20
I was reading this for my summer reading log. It turned out to be really bad. Not only is it boring, but it drags on. Don't read this unless you are obsessed with pottery!
Simple and perfect. 2008-05-07
What an absolutely captivating story! I am somewhat familiar with stories from Japan or China, but I guess I am just oblivious to contemporary child-aimed Korean-inspired literature. What a horrible elementary school teacher I am. Anywho, I first heard about this book back in college in a children's lit class... but never bothered to read it until my little sister found it. She read it and recommended it to me.
And thus I was captivated by its gorgeous simplicity that made a truly inspiring fable as well as a piece of historical fiction.
The story follows the adventures of Tree-Ear, a young orphan who becomes the servant/apprentice of a master potter. Tree-Ear yearns to learn pottery, but his broken-hearted master refuses to teach. When Master Min is summoned to send samples of his work to the royal court, it is Tree-Ear's task to make the delivery.
This is a beautiful, inspiring story that touches on love as well as art. It brought tears to my eyes.
Do not read this book!! 2008-04-09
Two lovable hippos teach the meaning of friendship in five separate vignettes: "Split Pea Soup," "The Flying Machine," "The Tub," "The Mirror," "The Tooth."
MY SIXTH GRADE BOOK REPORT 
2008-03-28
A Single Shard is an adventurous historical fiction that leads one boy's life to an adventure so great he will remember it forever. The boy's name is Tree-Ear and he is an orphan that lives with a man named Crane-Man. The village was Ch'ulp'o, Korea during the twelfth-century. He is barley surviving on scrapes of food under a bridge. He gets curious and accidentally breaks a potter named Min's pot. Then Tree-Ear has to work for Min for nine days. Later on after his work is finished he will work more, hoping to become a potter like Min. An emperor's assistant comes in hope of finding a great potter like Min. There is another potter who is just as great as Min and he is Kang. The theme is Tree-Ear trying to become a potter. The conflict is Tree-Ear's quest to become a potter. I liked this novel because it shows how live was in the twelfth-century at Korea. This is a great book for people who think History is a great genre.
a single shard 2008-03-27
I would recommend this book to all the people because this book has mixed emotions. In the beginning you feel sorry for tree-ear and crane-man because they live under a bridge and because their poor. And you are horrified when tree-ear gets BADLY injured. But towards the end you feel good for tree ear and what he accomplished. But their you go again you are sobbing,horrified to what has happedned to a certain someone death. But on the other hand you feel good about another persons death. IM not only saying that this is a good book to read im saying this is book that gets your hopes up,this is a book that gives you a little boost when your feeling down. Lat but not least this is a book that lets YOU express who YOU are . Thank You for letting me into your homes(computers) well unless you at work so that would mean thank you for letting me into your jobs anyway goodbye and dont forgett to buy this book unless you already have it. Well bye anyway.
Third Quarter Book Report 2008-03-25
The book a Single Shard, is a fiction book. It is about an orphan boy, named Tree-ear, who lives under a bridge in Ch'ulp'o, Korea. He lives with a man named Crane-man. One day, Tree-ear was walking and saw a potter working. When the potter Min left, the boy went over to the already made pottery. The boy was dreaming of creating works of art just like Min. Tree-ear was so caught up in his dream that he knocked over one of his pots. Tree-ear had to help the potter to catch up by collecting wood, for nine days in a row. After those long hard days, Tree-ear decides to work longer, hoping to become a potter. Min then gave Tree-ear the job of cutting clay. Min's wife is very kind to Tree-ear.For example she provided food for him and Crane-man. To thank her for her kindness, Tree-ear goes on a journey to give the king, Min's work. Tree-ear thought that the potters happiness would make her happy as well. Little does Tree-ear know, this journey is long and hard. This book shows the importance of family, Korean pottery, and adventure. I liked this book because it was nice how the potter and the boy come closer, from the beginning of the book to the end. I did not like this book because of what happened to Tree-ear on the mountain during his journey. Overall I thought this book was fantastic!
a orphan dream 2008-03-24
A single shard is a great piece of historical fiction. this novel is based
in Ch'ul'po, on the west coast of Korea in the mid- to late twelfth century. This book is about a young named tree-ear that is an orphan boy. tree-ear lives in a brig with his friend crane man. Crane man and tree-ear are poor and hardly survive from a little food they have. It all changes for tree-ear sees master potter min making a pot. tree-ear wishes that he could some day make his own pot. One day tree-ear sneaks in to min house to see min's work accidentally tree-ear brakes a pot of master min because master min frighten him as he study the pot in his hands. Tree-ear has to pat off the damages by working for the potter for 9 days. when tree-ear pays off the damages he tells master min that he wishes to work for him and no pay. Master min takes tree-ear's offer.
Some dislikes of the story was when min told tree-ear that he would never teach him how to do pottery. Another dislike was when tree-ear and crane man had to live under the brig thought the winter .Some things that really liked was when min's wife gave tree-ear a jacket from her dead son to keep him worm in the winter. I really loved it when min's wife told tree-ear to call her Ajima which meant aunty. I did not like it when min never told tree-ear how much he appreciated the work he did for him. I liked when the author told the tradition f the potters passing it down only to their Childs.
The main conflict of the story was when the emissary came to the village and was looking for potters to be chosen for commission . Min and kang's work were chosen to be show to the royal the pots but they chose kangs work. The emissary told min if he could go to sondo he would give him a chance to show new pots the problem was that min was to old to walk or travel that far so tree-ear afford to take the pots to Sondo to show the potters work. Tree-ear gets to Sondo but in his journey he gets robed and has no pots to show the emissary . But a shacking thing happened. The emissary "I cant tell the ending if min got the job or not".
Some things that happened in the book was when crane man died while tree-ear was in his journey . A glade thing happened when tree-ear came bake he got to live with min's family. Anther great thing was min's wife gave tree-ear a new name and takes his orphan name away which is hyung-pil . The greatest thing that happened was that min is going to teach tree-ear how to pot. I recommend this book to any person how wish to read a interesting sad story.
