A single shard.
Readers rate it 3.9 (48 on Hardcover)
165 pages · Released 2003 · Dell Yearling
Content report card
A single shard. parent’s guide: what’s inside
Language
Sexual content
LGBTQ+ themes
Substance use
What it offers
A note for parents
A Newbery Medal-winning historical novel set in 12th-century Korea that celebrates perseverance, apprenticeship, and integrity through the story of an orphan boy pursuing his dream of becoming a potter. The book is thoughtfully written with minimal harsh content; any challenges Tree-ear faces are emotional and practical rather than graphic. It offers rich cultural and historical learning alongside strong positive values about hard work, humility, and kindness.
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From the publisher
In this Newbery Medal-winning book set in 12th century Korea, Tree-ear, a 13-year-old orphan, lives under a bridge in Ch’ulp’o, a potters' village famed for delicate celadon ware. He has become fascinated with the potter’s craft; he wants nothing more than to watch master potter Min at work, and he dreams of making a p... In this Newbery Medal-winning book set in 12th century Korea, Tree-ear, a 13-year-old orphan, lives under a bridge in Ch’ulp’o, a potters' village famed for delicate celadon ware. He has become fascinated with the potter’s craft; he wants nothing more than to watch master potter Min at work, and he dreams of making a pot of his own someday. When Min takes Tree-ear on as his helper, Tree-ear is elated — until he finds obstacles in his path: the backbreaking labor of digging and hauling clay, Min’s irascible temper, and his own ignorance. But Tree-ear is determined to prove himself — even if it means taking a long, solitary journey on foot to present Min’s work in the hope of a royal commission . . . even if it means arriving at the royal court with nothing to show but a single celadon shard.
Shelved under
- Pottery
- Newbery Medal
- Fiction
- Orphans
- Juvenile fiction
- History
- Boy orphans
- Waisenkind
- Twelve-year-old boys
- Twelfth century
- Voyages and travels
- Jugendbuch
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ISBN 9780440418511 · Dell Yearling