# A Single Shard

**Author:** Linda Sue Park
**Lexile:** 920L
**Grade range:** Grades 5–8
**Age range:** 10–13
**First published:** 2001
**Page count:** 192
**Genre:** Historical Fiction (Middle Grade)
**ISBN-13:** `9780547534268`
**ISBN-10:** `0547534264`
**Canonical URL:** https://readinglist.school/book/a-single-shard
**License:** [CC BY 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) — please credit ReadingList.school when citing.

## About this book

In 12th-century Korea, an orphan named Tree-ear apprentices himself to a master potter and undertakes a dangerous journey to win royal commission for the village's celadon ware. Linda Sue Park's Newbery Medal novel explores craftsmanship, perseverance, and honor through the lens of Korean ceramic art. It is a frequent grades 5-8 novel study for world history and character-virtue units.

## Themes

- perseverance
- art
- mentorship
- poverty
- determination

## Content notes

- poverty

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