Book Review - THE GREEN GLASS SEA - TWU LS 5603 assignment

Bibliography 

Klages, Ellen.  2006.  THE GREEN GLASS SEA.  New York:  Viking.  ISBN: 0670061344

Plot Summary

The date is November 1943 – August 1945 in Los Alamos, NM; a community that does not officially exist.  11-year-old Dewey Kerrigan has traveled alone across country by train to join her father, a scientist, who is working on a secret project, called ‘the gadget’, for the army.  Here she meets [famous scientists] Feynman and Oppenheimer, who are also working on the project.

It is during this tumultuous time in U. S. history that Dewey herself is going through difficult personal times.  Even living with her father, every day is a challenge to traverse and find acceptance in the female-pretentious school-age community. When tragedy strikes, Dewey’s ‘family’ changes once again.

Critical Analysis

Klages made a personal trip to New Mexico to the Trinity site.  She researched several different university libraries and historical museums. She even found assistance on eBay from people who sent her vintage items.

She does a good job giving more weight to Dewey’s struggles and achievements, yet allowing the reader to understand that the science community was tackling their own obstacles and problems, morally as well as scientifically.

The appearance of heroic comic books/characters in this story adds a creditable pastime for these children.   Kids of this era also entertained themselves by creating ‘things’ from used/thrown away items, just as Dewey and others did in the novel. 

Awards

2007 Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction
2007 Judy Lopez Memorial Award for Children's Literature
2007 New Mexico State Book Award (YA)2007 Quill Awards, Finalist (Young Adult)
2007 Northern California Book Awards, Finalist (Children's)
2007 Locus Awards, Finalist (Best First Novel)
2006-2007 Winter, Book Sense #1 Children's Pick
2007-08 Maine Student Book Award List
2007-08 Isinglass Teen Read List (New Hampshire)
2008 NeNe Award List (Hawaii)
2008 Bluegrass Award Master List (Kentucky)
2008-09 South Carolina Junior Book Award List
2009 One Book, One Nebraska for Kids2009 Rebecca Caudill Young Readers Award Master List, (Illinois)
2009 Rhode Island Teen Book Award List
Reviews

BOOKLIST: “several universal themes: finding ones place in a new and (in this case) very unique community; being different; and losing a parent”

PUBLISHER’S WEEKLY: (starred review)  “ambitious, meticulously researched novel set during WWII…. successfully recreates life at Los Alamos Camp, where scientists and mathematicians converge with their families to construct and test the first nuclear bomb…. Details about the era-popular music, pastimes and products-add authenticity to the story as do brief appearances of some historic figures including Robert Oppenheimer....the author provides much insight into the controversies surrounding the making of the bomb and brings to life the tensions of war experienced by adults and children alike.”

THE HORN BOOK (starred review):  “Klages evokes both the big-sky landscape of the Southwest and a community where "everything is secret" with inviting ease and the right details, focusing particularly on the society of the children who live there…. Cameo appearances are made by such famous names as Richard Feynman (he helps Dewey build a radio) and Robert Oppenheimer, but the story, an intense but accessible page-turner, firmly belongs to the girls and their families; history and story are drawn together with confidence.”

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL:  “Clear prose brings readers right into the unusual atmosphere of the secretive scientific community, seen through the eyes of the kids and their families. Dewey is an especially engaging character…. Occasional shifts into first person highlight the protagonist's most emotional moments, including her journey to the site.... After the atomic bomb test succeeds, ethical concerns of both youngsters and adults intensify as the characters learn how it is ultimately used.”

BOOKLIST:  “The mystery and tension surrounding “war work” and what Dewey knows only as “the gadget” trickles down to the kids living in the Los Alamos compound, who often do without adult supervision… The characters are exceptionally well drawn, and the compelling, unusual setting makes a great tie-in for history classes.”

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL:   “ Discussions of physics, mathematical functions, cultural boundaries, and censorship make this exceptional story even more fascinating”

KIRKUS REVIEWS: “well researched and undeniably earnest, this child's-eye view of the development of the atom bomb seems unlikely to find a wide or enthusiastic audience….lots of information but little insight…too much description and too little action means these characters fail to come to life, making their interactions unconvincing and uninteresting… Unusual and thoughtful, but ultimately unsuccessful.”

Connections

Non-fiction books

Taylor, Theodore.  AIR RAID--PEARL HARBOR!: THE STORY OF DECEMBER 7, 1941
             ISBN 978-0152164218

Sakurai, Gail.  CORNERSTONES OF FREEDOM™: JAPANESE AMERICAN
             INTERNMENT CAMPS.  ISBN 978-0531186909

Fiction books

London, Jack.  WHITE FANG.  Ill. by Ed Young.  ISBN 978-1613820780

Miller, Sarah.  MISS SPITFIRE: REACHING HELEN KELLER.  ISBN 978-1442408517

Hahn, Mary Downing.  STEPPING ON THE CRACKS.  ISBN 978-0547076607

Zindel, Paul.  THE GADGET.  ISBN 978-0440229513

Klages, Ellen.  WHITE SANDS, RED ME.  ISBN 978-0670062355

Speare, Elizabeth George. THE WITCH OF BLACKBIRD POND.  ISBN 978-0547550299.

Lowry, Lois.  NUMBER THE STARS.  ISBN 978-0547577098

Taylor, Theodore.  THE BOMB.  ISBN 978-0152061654

Activities

These are found at http://teacher.scholastic.com/clubs/lit_circle_pdfs/greenglasssea_t.pdf

1. Reread the letter on page 190 that Jimmy Kerrigan writes to Dewey from Washington, D.C. Then reread the passage on page 199 in which Dewey explains to Suze what the letter really says. Exchange letters with a classmate, using a code like the one Jimmy Kerrigan used. See if you can break your classmate’s code.  What information did you try to pass along in secret?

2. Using descriptions from the text, draw a map of the Hill. Include as many places as you can remember from the book. Possible locations to plot on your map might be the Tech PX, the dump, Morganville, and the tree house. Make sure to include a legend for your map. Then, compare your map with a classmate’s map. How are the maps similar? How are they different?

3. Dewey and Suze like to read comic books. Some of their favorite characters are Wonder Woman, Captain Marvel, and Captain America. Use a blank sheet of paper and colored pencils or crayons to create your own comic book hero or heroine. Give your character a name. What special powers does he or she have?  References to comic books and comic book characters can be found on pages 87, 151, 181, 195, 202, 242, and 257.