The House of Sixty Fathers

The House of Sixty Fathers by Meindert DeJong

1957 Newbery Honor Book

I loved this book! It is based on a real life experience of the author from his time as a soldier during World War II. This is the first book I've read by this author, but I'm excited to see that he has FIVE books on the Newbery list, so I'm excited to find the rest! 

The story follows a small boy, Tien Pao, lviing in China during the Japanese occupation during Word War II.  Tien Pao's village was burned and his family managed to escape and traveled up river to the city of Hengyang.  Then, left alone on their sanpan while his parents went to work, the boat comes loose of it's mouring and Tien Pas is swept down the river and into Japanese territory. 


Together with his pig (yes, his PIG!) he travels on foot through the mountainous country of occupied territory, survives on what he can find, narrowly avoids capture and gun fire, and is actually starving by the time he finds real help. Which he does find. And the story ends, against all odds,  very happily. 


This is an action packed story set in a brutal war time and there is much tension, some violence, and a lot of courage and struggle in Tien Paos' journey. I found myself telling it (in my own words not reading it) to my children in installments as I read the book, and they were mesmerized. It's a compelling story; the kind you don't want to put down. It's my next read aloud pick for my 10 year old son, who likes a story with plenty of action and excitement. 


NOTE 1/16/2012: Jabu (the 10 year old son) and I are half way through and he is loving it! 

A Single Shard

Originally posted May 6, 2003

A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park (Clairion Book/Houghton Mifflin)

2002 Newbery Medal

I gobbled up A Single Shard in one big read. I LOVED it! Such that I'm eager to read the other books by this author. It takes place in ancient Korea. Two homeless people, a boy and a man who's cared for him since he was little are the main characters. The boy ends up being an apprentice to a master potter. There is a little of the "midwife's apprentice" stuff in here with the master not exactly being the most encouraging or nurturing teacher ever and the boy having to be so determined and devoted. But it's a much sweeter story than the Midwife's Apprentice in general, for me. Plus there is a ton of information about the history and craft of pottery, which I found really fun to learn. (NOTE: SARAH HOWE, I think you would find this a fun read as a potter!) I also appreciated a book set in Asia (my mom is Japanese) especially as I haven't come across this yet in the Newbery medal list in my reading so far. (It seems like Asian American children's literature is just now coming into a period of flourishing, where as African American children's literature is by now quite well represented, including in the Newbery Medal winners.)

Themes of friendship, loyalty, abandonment/belonging, loss/healing.

There is some gritty stuff in the hard life of the homeless boy and his friend and the injustice of that. And some events in the last few chapters that I would definitely preview before sharing with a younger kid. (Let me know if you want details I don't want to lay it ALL out for people who are about to read this!) It all ends well, though not with out some sadness in the mix. But definitely uplifting and hopeful in the main!

I would recommend this one enthusiastically!

Meanwhile I've been dragging through MC Higgins The Great (even though I've loved other's by Virginia Hamilton) and haven't really been grabbed yet by The Whipping Boy either, in fact I took a break from "working on" either of these (they do feel like work!) to fly through Bridge to Teribithia and A Single Shard, both of which have that "capture me and make me want to read through to the end" quality I really love in a book! Maybe these books will redeem themselves by the end, I'll let you know!

Love, Louise