About this title: Tree-ear, an orphan, has become fascinated with the potters' 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 on Tree-ear 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. However, Tree-ear is determined to prove himself.
Note: This is a general synopsis. Each listing is described below.
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Clarion Books
Date Published: 2001
ISBN-13:9780395978276ISBN:0395978270
Description: A wonderful copy with some minor edgewear to the cover. Dust Jacket has some edgewear present. -, Hard Cover, Very Good / Very Good. read more
Description: Good. Light shelf wear and minimal interior marks. Millions of satisfied customers and climbing. Thriftbooks is the name you can trust, guaranteed. Spend Less. Read More. read more
Description: Good. Light shelf wear and minimal interior marks. Millions of satisfied customers and climbing. Thriftbooks is the name you can trust, guaranteed. Spend Less. Read More. read more
Description: Good. Light shelf wear and minimal interior marks. Millions of satisfied customers and climbing. Thriftbooks is the name you can trust, guaranteed. Spend Less. Read More. read more
Description: Good. Light shelf wear and minimal interior marks. Millions of satisfied customers and climbing. Thriftbooks is the name you can trust, guaranteed. Spend Less. Read More. read more
Description: Good. Purchasing this book supports the King County Library System Foundation. Thriftbooks and KCLSF have partnered to help raise additional funds for the library system. Ex-Library book-will contain library markings. Book has appearance of light use with no easily noticeable wear. Millions of satisfied customers and climbing. Thriftbooks is the name you can trust, guaranteed. Spend Less. Read More. read more
Description: Good. Former Library book. Shows some signs of wear, and may have some markings on the inside. Shipped to over one million happy customers. Your purchase benefits world literacy! read more
"Would you be drawn to a book about the making of Celadon pottery? No? Well, how about a book about a poor youngster with no future in 12th century Korea? Still no? I invite you to think again, because that is exactly what this Newbery award winning book is about--but it is so much more than that. It well deserves more attention than it has received (it is #395,836 in Amazon). Tree-Ear (named after a tree fungus that grows without benefit of parents, just like the orphaned boy who bears its name) is cared for by Crane-man, who walks with the aid of a crutch, who must scrounge for their food in garbage heaps--and in this thrifty society of Ch'ulp'o that is incredibly difficult. Tree-Ear finds himself drawn to the work of the master potter Min, whom he surreptitiously watches. He longs to learn how to throw pottery himself, but fears he never will when as Min's assistant he is only assigned menial tasks. The book deals with so many values: loyalty, persistence and hard work, craftsmanship, harmony between man and nature, generosity and sharing, survival, courtesy, compassion, hospitality, conquering impatience, all in an exquisitely written little (150 pages) book that is above all a compelling story. This quiet story is one of the most deserving selections of the Newbery Committee in the last decade."
This is a beautiful tale, set in 12-century Korea, about an orphan boy named Tree-ear, and his quest to learn the pottery trade. As Tree-ear scavenges for food in the rummage piles of his village, he becomes entranced by the work of an old potter named Min. When he dares to take a closer look at one of the pieces, he is startled by Min, and the intricate clay boxes shatter on the ground before him. Tree-ear begins to pay off his debt with back-breaking work for Min, in the hopes of one day learning to sculpt his own pot on the wheel.
Throughout the story, themes of friendship, ethical dilemmas, and patience are explored. The author weaves in Korean folklore, geography, history, and of course the art of pottery-making. A helpful guide at the back explains her inspiration for the story, along with some of the historical research she used for the book. This could be useful in a historical fiction project, teaching older students how to incorporate facts and details from the time period into their writing. The book also allows for plenty of discussion opportunities debating right vs. wrong, and would be good for character-mapping. There is a natural tie-in for the arts, which could be easily integrated into the book study."
"My children have a theory about book awards. They think they're only given to books where characters important to the hero/heroine die. To them, that little gold circle is a warning lable.
They have a point.
Still, I liked this book a lot. (Although it makes me angry when books make me cry, so from now on I'm deducting a star for the death of any characters I like. Authors beware: if you kill off multiple characters I like, you may end up with a negative rating.)
Anyway, the main character was charming. Here he was a poor orphaned boy living under a bridge and yet he was so kind and loving to everyone around him--so concerned about doing what was right. And he was always polite.
My children can't sit in the same room for ten minutes without threatening each other. So yeah, as a parent I love the main character in this book. I'd suggest that my children read it so some good manners could rub off on them, but alas, they'll see that warning lable circle on the front cover and refuse to open it."
"I read this a couple of years ago at the urging of some of my students. It was a magnificent read, all the more so because it had been students who encouraged me to read it.
It was even better this time. That is one of the marks of an outstanding book for me, a book that bears up under the pressure of a reread.
The story is that of Tree-ear, an orphan, living in twelfth-century Korea. He lives under a bridge with a fellow outcast, Crane-man, a man who is only able to hobble about with the help of a cane. The two survive by scavenging. Then Tree-ear accidentally breaks a pot of one of his village's greatest potters, Min, and, to compensate for his carelessness, he goes to work for Min. Tree-ear dreams of learning Min's trade, but Min is an angry man who feels only a son should learn a father's trade and he regards Tree-ear as no son of his. Min and his wife are childless, having lost their son earlier in life. Min's wife gradually comes to love Tree-ear and, even more slowly, Min does, too. When a representative of the king visits the village in search of a new potter for the royal family, Min's work is found to be worthy of a closer look. To show his work to the king, Tree-ear offers to take Min's pottery on a long journey to the royal city. It is a trip fraught with danger. Along the way, Tree-ear is besieged by robbers and, in the process, all of Min's work is destroyed. Tree-ear, though discouraged, does not give up. He takes an intact shard of Min's pottery to the king and the tiny piece of Min's work is enough to give Min a commission to the king. Tree-ear loses his friend, Crane-man, but acquires for the first time both a family and a vocation with Min and his wife."
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