A Single Shard

4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars | 1,525 ratings

Price: 9.84

Last update: 12-02-2024


About this item

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.


Top reviews from the United States

PRG
5.0 out of 5 stars Delightful to read!
Reviewed in the United States on April 1, 2024
I highly recommend this book! Not only is it very well written, but the storyline is engaging and charming. You can't help but like young Tree-ear and his friend and parent-figure Crane-man. There are no agonizing conflicts or cruelty, though there is a bit of violence in a later chapter. I can see why this won the Newbery award!
Diane Durnell
5.0 out of 5 stars Loved this Book and Author!
Reviewed in the United States on February 11, 2024
A wonderful book filled with excitement and thought provoking wonders! This author writes from the heart!❤️
I found this book ???? to be wonderful to read to a younger child 7+ or for a 10 + year old to read him or herself. I enjoyed it as an adult!
MLD
5.0 out of 5 stars Summer reading.
Reviewed in the United States on July 17, 2024
Book was bought part of summer reading. Great book!
Deborah Long
4.0 out of 5 stars Anyone who loves a story and has a heart would love this book.
Reviewed in the United States on September 11, 2018
The characters in this book are so vibrant that they sit a while with you and show you all colors of kindness, indignation, dogged determination, love and much wisdom. There is a great amount of edge-of-your-seat suspense tempered with just lovely storytelling.
Amazon shopper
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book
Reviewed in the United States on February 19, 2024
I borrowed it from the library on a whim and liked it so much I came back and bought it for a friend. Appropriate for about ages 7 and up all the way to adult. Values of hard work, honesty, and commitment. Also learned a bit about Korean culture.
Beach Biker
5.0 out of 5 stars Very Interesting, has good values, a gentle book
Reviewed in the United States on June 23, 2014
I was first introduced to Linda Sue Park from reading her picture book to my son, "The Firekeepers Son". It was a great story, and meaningful. Later, we listened to her books in the 39 Clues series ("Trust No One", and "Storm Warning"). Her books are kind, and have a lot of vivid imagination. She wove in Korean culture, folk tales, art, and history in a way that made it all come alive. This book is well-researched and I love how it ties in real historical locations and objects. The characters in the book also demonstrate good values, such as friendship, caring, courage, taking responsibility. I also found one or two precious little tips how to deal with life. I suggested this book to my nine-year-old for his book report, and was pleasantly surprised that he enjoyed it so much he practically finished it in three sittings.
PT109
5.0 out of 5 stars Always good when History comes alive; even better when the PEOPLE come alive
Reviewed in the United States on February 25, 2014
It seems to me that Park's books are written much like fables, with each chapter, each episode drawn with poignant but concise brush strokes. Sometimes, as with "Long Walk to Water," this doesn't work too well; there just isn't enough in whole to support full-blooded characters. Here, this writing style serves her - and all of us - excellently. As elsewhere, she dips in, she dips out. But here, with each emersion, she beautifully captures the essence of the time (so long ago!), the place (so mysterious and yet intimate), the story (plenty captivating) and most of all, the characters, especially Tree-ear. In about a hundred and fifty pages, she brings them all so fully alive and compelling. This is only one young man from a remote village on the other side of the earth, some 900 years ago. In a world where we might easily wonder if anything we ever do has any impact at all, we can see through this brief but powerful story that even in the smallest niche in time, the courage and perseverance and faith of a single person - without magic or histrionics - can truly make a difference. The story truly advances the Eastern philosophy that there are consequences to each and every act (each shard?) of man. I love this story at every level.
Lissa
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book for 12 year old boy!
Reviewed in the United States on March 19, 2023
My son who is 12 really liked this book. Although he did think it was sad at the end.

Spoiler: the man who has taken care of the boy his whole life dies while the boy is on his journey. When the boy returns he is adopted by the potter and his wife.

I loved it. I’ve read several by this author. She’s awesome.

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