A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park

A Single Shard was written in 2001 and won the Newberry Award for that year. Written by Linda Sue Park, a Korean-American writer, the story takes place in 12th century Korea. The main character, Tree-Ear, is an orphan who lives with another homeless man named Crane-man. Dispite their many struggles the two form a sort of family that keeps them going. Tree-Ear becomes facinated with the art of pottery and starts to work for a talented old potter named Min. The real conflict comes when Tree-Ear must make a journey to the palace of Korea and show Min's pottery to the court. After being robbed, and all the pottery smashed to pieces, Tree-Ear continues on with a single shard of pottery to show for Min instead of accepting defeat. This shows what an honorable and trustworthy Tree-Ear really is. The story ends with Tree-Ear returning with news about the court, (which I won't tell because it will ruin the story) Tree-Ear's adoption by Min and his wife, and the unfortuante death of his friend, Crane-man. In the end, Tree-Ear has grown into a young man and learned about life and made something of himself. I think it sends a great message of determination to children and adults! I loved it!