The Green Glass Sea: A Novel

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Klages, Ellen. 2006. The Green Glass Sea: A Novel. New York: Viking. ISBN 0670061344

PLOT SUMMARY

In 1942, ten-year-old Dewey Kerrigan is sent to live in New Mexico to live with her father, a scientist working on the Manhattan Project.  Klages focuses the story on what it is like for the children living in a secret community and the implications that come with that lifestyle.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

The plot of this story is authentic to the time period.  Small details like the adults constantly smoking demonstrate the difference between the 1940s and the present.  Dewey and her friend, Suze, both have parents working on “the gadget” which we later learn is the nuclear bomb.  The characters are completely believable.  Dewey and Suze are left in the dark regarding the details surrounding the secret work that is happening in their town.  Dewey is an unusual character.  As a girl, she is more into math and science than typical “girly” things.  She walks with a leg brace and is the kind of character that never really fits in.  Dewey has a loving relationship with her father, which makes later events in the book more meaningful.  At first, Suze and Dewey do not get along at all.  The story really becomes about their evolving friendship.

Although this story takes place during WWII, the war is secondary to the girls’ lives.  Klages focuses less on the actual war and more on what life was like for the children whose parents were working on The Mahattan Project.  The war is more of a backdrop to the plot than the center of it. 

Klages excels at recreating 1940s New Mexico for the reader.  She gives details throughout the story that allow the reader to visualize the setting.  For example, she writes: “The air smelled like sawdust and pine resin. Off to the south they could hear the pounding of hammers and the whine of motors. New people moved to the Hill almost every week, and the army was busy building more apartments and bigger labs” (63).  In addition to giving the reader a visual image of the scene, the reader also gets the impression of the enormity of the scope of the project that is happening in the labs.  Klages is able to slip these details into the story without overwhelming the reader with unnecessary minutiae.

The theme of this story focuses on the struggle between deciding between right and wrong.  The children confront this (Suze and her bullying, for example) and the adults are forced to reconcile their jobs with the destruction that they might be bringing on others.

The importance and later effects of the atomic bomb are only alluded to in the text.  The effects on Hiroshima are not explored and readers must bring that knowledge to their reading of the book.  Understanding the implications of the atomic bomb is crucial to getting the most out of this story.  Readers who do not have a good understanding of WWII will still enjoy the book, as it is very well-written, but their experience may be less powerful than that of readers who can place The Green Glass Sea in its correct historical context.  For readers interested in learning more about the events in the book, Klages has included a bibliography at the end.  This also lends further credibility to her work.

Overall, Klages did a wonderful job of creating a fictional story that is entirely believable.  Vivid descriptions and historical facts work seamlessly together to form this engaging story.

REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

School Library Journal: “After the atomic bomb test succeeds, ethical concerns of both youngsters and adults intensify as the characters learn how it is ultimately used. Many readers will know as little about the true nature of the project as the girls do, so the gradual revelation of facts is especially effective, while those who already know about Los Alamos's historical significance will experience the story in a different, but equally powerful, way.”

Starred review in Publishers Weekly: “Klages makes an impressive debut with an ambitious, meticulously researched novel set during WWII. Writing from the points of view of two displaced children, she successfully recreates life at Los Alamos Camp, where scientists and mathematicians converge with their families to construct and test the first nuclear bomb.”

CONNECTIONS

Readers who enjoyed The Green Glass Sea: A Novel might want to explore what happens next in the sequel:

Klages, Ellen. White Sands, Red Menace. ISBN 0142415189

Several books have been published about WWII, but readers interested in learning more about the atomic bomb might like:

Sheinkin, Steve. Bomb: The Race to Build--and Steal--the World's Most Dangerous Weapon. ISBN 1596434872

Breaking Stalin's Nose

BIBLIOGRAPHY

 

Yelchin, Eugene. 2011. Breaking Stalin’s Nose. New York: Henry Holt. ISBN 0805092165

PLOT SUMMARY

Told from the perspective of ten-year-old Sasha Zaichik, Breaking Stalin’s Nose is the story of how one Soviet child begins to question everything he has ever known.  Sasha is about to join the Young Pioneers (Stalin’s youth organization) when his father, a secret police officer, is unexpectedly arrested.  The story chronicles Sasha’s reactions to the arrest when his life changes forever.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Although the topic of Communism may be completely unknown to many children, they will be able to relate to Yelchin’s main character, Sasha.  This book is written from the perspective of ten-year-old Sasha and this gives the book a youthful point of view.  Children will relate to the choices that Sasha makes, the love he has for his father, and the turmoil that he is going through.  Additionally, children should be able to relate to Sasha’s feelings about the other characters, such as the scary school principal.

Yelchin presents an accurate historical plot, based on his own experiences as a child in the Soviet Union.  While not sugar-coated exactly, Yelchin does gloss over some of the more horrific aspects of Stalin’s reign.  For example, torture is alluded to but not explicitly explained when Yelchin writes: “Everybody confesses in Lubyanka. We know how to make people talk” (118).  Sufficient details are given so that the reader has an understanding of life in the Soviet Union under Stalin. 

Throughout the story, Yelchin adds details that describe the setting.  Sasha’s father’s coat smells of snow, which allows readers to picture a cold, snowy place.  Yelchin’s description of the communal apartment effectively demonstrates the squalid conditions that Sasha is living in.  I especially liked the small details that Yelchin added.  For example, Sasha’s neighbor gives him a treat--a carrot.  These snippets make the reader ponder what life would have really been like for Sasha.  Yelchin also is able to give readers a subtle understanding of the tenets of Communism.  For example, when describing the communal apartment building where Sasha lives, Yelchin writes: “We live here as one large, happy family: We are all equal; we have no secrets” (5).  Although younger readers may not be able to understand all of the nuances that Yelchin has included, older readers will appreciate them and it creates an engaging plot and setting for the story.

Yelchin seamlessly weaves the themes of honor, and loyalty throughout this story.  While young American readers may not be able to relate to the Communism that appears in the book, they will be able to relate to the importance in standing up for one’s beliefs.

The style of Breaking Stalin’s Nose is unique.  It is written in the first-person and readers will definitely feel like they are in Sasha’s head.  Russian words are included (proper nouns, mostly), but they are easily understood in the context of the story.  Also unique to this story are Yelchin’s illustrations, which are scattered throughout the book.  The black and white drawings are over-exaggerated.  The darkness of the drawings adds to the mood of the setting and the illustrations of the government officials are exaggerated to make them look scary.

Overall, this book would be a good introduction to life under Communism.  Breaking Stalin’s Nose is recommended for children in grades 4-7, but older children may appreciate some of the more intricate details.

REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

Publishers Weekly: "Picture book author/illustrator Yelchin makes an impressive middle-grade debut with this compact novel about a devoted young Communist in Stalin-era Russia, illustrated with dramatically lit spot art."

Starred review in Horn Book: “…this brief novel gets at the heart of a society that asks its citizens, even its children, to report on relatives and friends. Appropriately menacing illustrations by first-time novelist Yelchin add a sinister tone.”

Kirkus: “Yelchin’s graphite illustrations are an effective complement to his prose, which unfurls in Sasha’s steady, first-person voice, and together they tell an important tale.”

CONNECTIONS

Children who enjoyed Breaking Stalin’s Nose might also enjoy these books that take place during World War II:

Susan Campbell Bartoletti. The Boy Who Dared. ISBN 0439680134

John Boyne. The Boy in the Striped Pajamas. ISBN 0385751532

Will Sparrow's Road

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Cushman, Karen. 2012. Will Sparrow’s Road. New York: Clarion Books. ISBN 0547739621

PLOT SUMMARY

Thirteen-year-old Will Sparrow has had a tragic life.  Abandoned by his mother and sold by his father for beer, Will runs away and becomes a traveler.  Cushman’s story chronicles the people he meets on his journey.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Karen Cushman’s strength as an author is creating characters and settings that are completely believable.  Although this is the first of Cushman’s books that features a male protagonist, Will Sparrow is easily related to, similar to Cushman’s other characters.  Young Will definitely has a youthful point of view.  As an adult reader, Will’s actions may be seen as somewhat childish, but younger readers will be able to identify with these actions.  Will is the main character of the story, but lesser characters are peppered throughout the story.  The other characters are not as developed, but they are described vividly and are absolutely intriguing.

Cushman is well-known for creating accurate plotlines that are true to the time in which they are taking place.  Will Sparrow’s Road does not differ from her other books in this way.  All of the events of the story are authentic to late sixteenth century England. Cushman’s descriptions of the setting make the story come alive for the reader.  Readers will be able to visualize the markets, the roads, and the characters.  Additionally, Cushman is able to subtly weave in concepts of social history and teaches the reader about life was really like for most people during Elizabethan England.  For example, her descriptions of Will’s hunger will teach the reader about how often young boys went without food.  The theme presented throughout this book is one of self discovery as Will struggles to find himself and figure out where he belongs in society.   

The main appeal of Will Sparrow’s Road is Cushman’s writing style and her ability to make the pages come alive.  She uses words and dialogue authentic to the time period (Certes, for example) throughout the story.  When read in context, the reader will be able to understand the meaning.  The dialogue definitely has a historical feel, but it is not overwhelming.

It is difficult to review Will Sparrow’s Road without comparing it to Cushman’s other works.  As a Newbery Medal and Honor winner, her books are well-known.  Will Sparrow’s Road will appeal to readers, but it does not have the overreaching appeal of The Midwife’s Apprentice or Catherine, Called Birdy.  Positively, the male protagonist featured in Will Sparrow’s Road will appeal to male readers in a way that some of other Cushman’s books may not.  This book provides an excellent introduction to the social history of Elizabethan England.

REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

Starred review in Publishers Weekly: "Offering action, humor, and heart in equal doses, Cushman's story is, at its core, about creating and claiming a family of one's own."

Booklist: "Set in Elizabethan England, the novel is built upon Cushman's thorough research and solid understanding of the period."

Horn Book: “"[Cushman] manages the tricky balance of keeping her characters engaging and understandable for her audience while still making them very much of their time."

CONNECTIONS

Readers who enjoyed this novel by Karen Cushman are likely to enjoy her other historical novels as well.  Some of these titles include:

Cushman, Karen. The Midwife’s Apprentice. ISBN 0547722176

Cushman, Karen. Catherine, Called Birdy. ISBN 0547722184