1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Klages, Ellen. The Green Glass Sea. New York, NY: Viking. ISBN 0670061344
2. PLOT SUMMARY
Almost 11-year-old Dewey Kerrigan goes to live with her father, a Harvard mathematics professor working on the “gadget,” the secret Manhattan Project, in Los Alamos, New Mexico, a city not officially on the map. Not fitting in with the cliquish girls there due to her intelligence and propensity toward invention, Dewey finds a friend in Suze Gordon, but only after circumstances force them together, causing them to reconcile their differences and become friends. Set against the backdrop of the testing of the first atomic bomb, tragedy once again leaves Dewey unmoored, but she finds a family in the Gordons. 3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Ellen Klages uses abundant slang and cultural references of 1940’s songs and products like Ovaltine and Lucky Strikes. Words like fink, nifty, swell, snafu, fubar, and “$64 question” are liberally sprinkled throughout the text giving her dialogue an authentic 1940’s feel. She weaves historical details seamlessly into the story, such as the Negro porter tipping his red cap and the MP’s patrolling “the Hill,” without stereotyping. References to the many famous scientists, such as Enrico Fermi, Hans Bethe, Robert Oppenheimer, and Richard Feynman support the book’s premise, although none play a major part in the story. Vivid descriptions of the landscape, buildings, and climate give readers aged ten and up the sensation of being on “the Hill” where everything is a secret. Dewey is a likable, believable eleven-year-old who struggles with loss, bullying, and a disability as well as issues common to her age group, such as awkwardness and feeling unprepared for the changes in her life. She is an inspiration and role model to girls and boys alike that being intelligent and different is not a bad thing. The adjustments and accommodations Dewey and Suze have to make, resulting in their mutual acceptance and friendship, rings true. Klages introduces science and math concepts such as pi, the Greek alphabet, and some dialogue in Spanish demonstrating that it is not only okay to be intelligent, but also very interesting. She introduces in understandable terms the implications of atomic weapons and the characters discuss whether or not they should be used on civilians. She accurately portrays 1940’s family life and social mores, creating a story that is as authentic as it is touching.
Ellen Klages includes an Author’s Note and bibliography for further reading along with Acknowledgements where she explains how she procured vintage period material and her research resources.
The Green Glass Sea explores loss, friendship, family, and the ethics of war, transporting readers to Los Alamos, NM in the 1940’s to show readers that some of our human struggles are timeless and we can learn much from the lives and trials of others.
4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
2007 Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction
2007 Judy Lopez Memorial Award for Children's Literature
2007 New Mexico State Book Award (YA)
Starred review from 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…The two outcasts reluctantly come together when Dewey temporarily moves in with Suze's family. Although the girls do not get along at first…they gradually learn to rely on each other for comfort, support and companionship. 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.”
Starred review from The Horn Book: “Dewey, ten, embarks alone on a mysterious train trip from her grandmother's home in St. Louis to New Mexico, where she will rejoin her often-absent mathematician father. It's 1943, and Dewey's dad is working at Los Alamos -- "the Hill" -- with hundreds of other scientists and their families. 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. Dewey seems comfortable with her own oddness (she's small for her age, slightly lame, and loves inventing mechanical gizmos) and serves as something of an example to another girl, Suze, who has been trying desperately to fit in. Their burgeoning friendship sees them through bouts of taunting, their parents' ceaseless attention to "the gadget," personal tragedy, and of course the test detonation early on July 16, 1945…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.”
Review from School Library Journal: “Two girls spend a year in Los Alamos as their parents work on the secret gadget that will end World War II. Dewey is a mechanically minded 10-year-old who gets along fine with the scientists at the site, but is teased by girls her own age. When her mathematician father is called away, she moves in with Suze, who initially detests her new roommate. The two draw closer, though, and their growing friendship is neatly set against the tenseness of the Los Alamos compound as the project nears completion. 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, plunging on with her mechanical projects and ignoring any questions about gender roles. 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. 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.”
Review from Booklist: “In November of 1943, 10-year-old budding inventor Dewey Kerrigan sets off on a cross-country train ride to be with her father, who is engaged in “war work.”… and what Dewey knows only as "the gadget"…in Los Alamos....The characters are exceptionally well drawn, and the compelling, unusual setting makes a great tie-in for history classes.”
5. CONNECTIONS
*Have students research the Manhattan Project, the scientists who worked on it, and its effects on world history. An interesting series of books for older readers (high school) about the effects on Hiroshima is the Barefoot Gen graphic novel series by Keiji Nakazawa, starting with Vol. 1 ISBN 0867196025
*Have students create collages like the ones Suze creates in the novel.
*Have students research the process of invention and have them develop their own ideas for inventions.
*Other books about inventive children:
Selznick, Brian. The Invention of Hugo Cabret. ISBN 0439813786
Snicket, Lemony. The Complete Wreck: Series of Unfortunate Events-Books 1-13. ISBN 0061119067
*Other books for children dealing with loss and adjustment:
Burnett, Frances Hodgson. A Little Princess. ISBN 1613820526
Giff, Patricia Reilly. A House of Tailors. ISBN 0440238005
Hesse, Karen. Aleutian Sparrow. ISBN 1416903275
*Other books about inventing:
Casey, Susan. Kids Inventing: A Handbook for Young Inventors. ISBN 0471660868
Jones, Charlotte and John Obrien. Mistakes That Worked: 40 Familiar Inventions and How They Came to Be. ISBN 0385320434
Wulffson, Don L. The Kid Who Invented the Popsicle: And Other Surprising Stories about Inventions. ISBN 9780141302041
*Other books about women inventors:
Karnes, Francis, Suzanne H. Bean, and Rose Mary Wallner. Girls and Young Women Inventing: Twenty True Stories about Inventors Plus How You Can Be One Yourself. ISBN 091579389X
Thimmesh, Catherine. Girls Think of Everything: Stories of Ingenious Inventions by Women. ISBN 0618195637
No comments:
Post a Comment