"A Single Shard"

This book is very different.  No funny kids, no quirky grandparents, no humor at all.  I still really enjoyed it.  It is set in 12th century Korea in a potter's village.  The daily life is so different than what we are used to.  Living to survive.  Surviving as an orphan under a bridge.  I loved the sheer determination of the little orphan.  The kindness of the man under the bridge.  The way Min, the potter, teaches Tree-Ear.  Min is gruff but Tree-Ear learns that he is appreciative of his hard work.  There is sacrifice and hard work for something you really want.  Sacrifice for someone you love.  There were many good messages in this short little story of an orphan named Tree-Ear.