By Linda Sue Park

12th century Thailand. A small village. An orphaned boy willing to do anything to get food. And a potter who’s getting older.

Tree-ear has lived under a bridge for almost his entire life, scrounging for scraps and trying to survive with his friend. It doesn’t look like he’s ever going to be anything else besides a beggar, until an opportunity presents itself to him. He begins to help Min the potter with his work. At first, it is difficult and grueling. Tree-ear spends all day digging up clay or gathering firewood. The potter is harsh and unfriendly. But Tree-ear loves pottery, and he will stop at nothing to earn his master’s trust and learn to create masterpieces of his own.

Soon, Tree-ear must embark on a journey to deliver some of Min’s pottery. If he can succeed at this task, then he too may be able to become a potter and make beautiful pots.

Why should you read this book?

I didn’t know anything about pottery before I read this book. I didn’t think it was something I would want to learn about, but after I read this book, I was fascinated. It was very interesting to learn about how pottery is made and all the steps and processes, and it wasn’t boring or slow. The author does a really good job of bringing you into the story and all the characters and descriptions feel very real. It’s a really good story, and definitely a frequent reread.

Who should read this book?

If you are interested in history or pottery or Thailand, you should read this book. Even if you’re not, you should still try it – it may change your mind. I think I read this book in 5th or 6th grade. There are some parts that are sad or could be upsetting, but those parts are handled very well. It’s a very quick and easy read.

General Stats:

• Genre: historical fiction
• Standalone
• Age: 6th grade and above
• My rating:  ★ ★ ★ ★ ★