Literature

Literature

A Single Shard

By: Park, Linda Sue
2001
A Newberry Award Winning Book. Park’s story is alive with fascinating information about life and art in ancient (12th century) Korea. It is a tale of courage and devotion. A single shard from a celadon vase will change the life of a young boy and his master. Grades 4-7.
Information for teaching A Single Shard is at http://voicethread.com/share/584594/.
Information, images, and questions for students on themes, characters, and background of Linda Sue Park's Newbery-award winning book for 4th-7th grade readers.

A Single Square Picture: A Korean Adoptee’s Search for Her Roots

By: Robinson, Katy
This book “is a personal odyssey that ascends to the universal, a story that will resonate with anyone who has ever questioned their place in the world – and had the courage to find the answers.”

Tears of Blood

By: Young-Bok Yoo
Tears of Blood: A Korean POW’s Fight for Freedom, Family, and Justice by Young-Bok Yoo is an absorbing and personal account of a survivor of the Korean War, harsh imprisonment, and fifty years of extreme hardship in North Korea until he escaped to freedom to finally return home to South Korea at age seventy. This poignant autobiography of Young-Bok Yoo brings to life the chaos of the Korean War and its ongoing impact on the Korean people north and south of the Demilitarized Zone. The author not only describes in detail the difficulties of his life, but also provides an historical account of developments in North Korea over a period of fifty years.

A Step from Heaven

By: Na, An
Penguin Group
This book is described in a New York Times review as a book “endowed with a haunting grace, by the exquisite voice of a new young writer. An Na chronicles the challenges faced by a Korean immigrant family. The journey An Na chronicles in Young Ju Park’s graceful and resonant voice is an acculturation process that is at times wrenching, at times triumphant and consistently absorbing.” Grades 8-12. It is also a highly recommended book for Language Arts teachers and school counselors.

A Yang for Every Yin: Dramatizations of Korean Classics

By: Holstein, John
The collection includes five famous Korean plays: “Harelip,” “The Song Bag,” “The Gourds Reward,” “The Money Bug,” and Chunhyang. Musical scores for each play are also available. The book can be purchased from Seoul Selection Books (http://www.seoulselection.com) The plays are suitable for grades 4-12.

Bee-bim Bop!

By: Park, Linda Sue
2005
This is a delightful storybook that will engage all children, but particularly well suited for K-3. It includes “playful verse with a bouncy beat,” charming illustrations, humor and a recipe for a very popular Korean dish.

Dear Juno

By: Pak, Soyung
“When Juno’s parents are too busy to read him a letter from his grandmother in Korea, he decides to open the letter himself. He cannot read the Korean words, but there is more in the envelope than just the letter. Grandmother has sent along a few things – a dried flower and a photograph of herself with her cat. These little things tell Juno a lot: Grandmother has a new cat and she is planting a flower garden. Now Juno wants to write back – without help from mom and dad – but Grandmother cannot read English. Juno knows just what to do.” Grades K-3

Echoes of the White Giraffe

By: Ook Nyul Choi
Sookan, the unforgettable heroine of “The Year of Impossible Goodbyes,” is now fifteen years old and a refugee in Pusan, a city in a southern province of Korea. The Korean War is raging, and she once again has been separated from her father and brothers. Anxiously awaiting any news of them, Sookan imagines a time when she can return to a normal life in Seoul. In the meantime, though she often feels sad, alone, and scared, she finds solace in a forbidden friendship with the mysterious “shouting poet” who offers her and her fellow refugees inspiration each morning. The book gives the reader a revealing look at the role of women in Korean society and provides the reader with an engrossing and romantic story of an exceptional young woman’s coming of age. It is also a captivating story about perseverance and the value of education for young people.

Firekeeper’s Son

By: Park, Linda Sue
In Korea in the early 1800s, news from the countryside reached the king by means of signal fires. On one mountaintop after another, a fire was lit when all was well. If the king did not see a fire, this meant trouble, and he would send out his army. Linda Sue Park's first picture book for Clarion is about Sang-hee, son of the village firekeeper. When his father is unable to light the fire one night, young Sang-hee must take his place. Sang-hee knows how important it is for the fire to be lit-but he wishes that he could see soldiers . . . just once. Grades K-4

Learning from Asian Art: Korea

An exceptional teaching resource. Educators who know little about Korea can be confident in adopting the lessons with minimal preparation time. Teachers of all levels will be able to adapt these materials for their specific needs. Beautiful photographs and slides inspire assignments and research in art, history and language arts classes. The kit contains a resource book, a sizable map of Korea, a helpful comparative time line, twenty photographs, ten image cards and sixteen slides that include images of clay roof tiles, Buddhist sculpture, ceramics, folk art, furniture and screens from the 7th century to the work of a contemporary Korean artist. The resource book provides accurate and clear historical information, group activities and research ideas related to every art object. Creative projects, such as making 3-D dragons, clay tiles, scroll paintings and treasure boxes, are included with every photograph. The book also includes “looking questions,” a helpful glossary, a bibliography and Internet sites that provide more images of Korean art located in Asian and American museums.
This outstanding resource is available from the Philadelphia Art Museum’s museum shop at www.philamuseum.org. for $39.95.

Good Fortune in a Wrapping Cloth

2006
This lesson book is an outstanding newly published resource for high school world history, geography and Asian studies classes. Maps, timelines, and descriptions of the Silk Road rarely show Korea’s integral involvement in Silk Road trade or the transmission of Silk Road ideas and goods from Korea to Japan. The overall purpose of this carefully researched lesson book is to expand the view of the Silk Road and of international trade found in most world history textbook and classes. Silla shows an Eastern instead of a Western view of Silk Road trade and deals with a time period that produced one of the world’s “Golden Ages.” The lesson also provides material for a debate on whether or not Silla benefited from the international connections along the Silk Road. Students may come to understand that some of the issues of globalization that we face today were also present for past cultures as well. This is available for $20 from The Korea Society on this page.

I am the Clay

By: SPICE/Stanford
This curriculum unit introduces students to the four core pillars of the U.S.-South Korean alliance: democracy, economic prosperity, security, and socio-cultural interaction. Through their study of these pillars, students develop an understanding of the nature and history of this longstanding relationship. Softcover. $44.95. It includes a CD-ROM of images and PowerPoint presentation. Very suitable for U.S. history, Asian Studies, Economics, and Government classes.

In the Absence of Sun

By: SPICE/Stanford
This is a complete unit of study for secondary and community college students. “North Korea remains one of the most misunderstood and misrepresented countries in the United States. “Uncovering North Korea” seeks to fill this gap and strives to bring more accurate information and objectivity to the study of North Korea. Softcover $69.95. Includes a CD-ROM; DVD “A State of Mind.” See SPICE.Stanford.edu/catalogue

Korean Cinderella

Lost Names: Scenes from a Korean Childhood

By: Kim, Richard
Accessible for junior high students, Lost Names, is an outstanding literary selection for high school students. Kim recounts his own childhood and the suffering and insults inflicted on his village during Japanese occupation of Korea. The writing is simple, but poetic. The story is very touching and one of the most well written and memorable books I have read in the past ten years. (High school and possibly middle school)

Modern Korean Fiction: An Anthology

By: Fulton, Bruce and Youngmin Kwon
Columbia University Press (2005)
“In terms of its range and consistent quality, there is simply no other comparable collection. A combination of fresh, new translations of old classics and a judicious selection of more recent writing makes this long-awaited anthology a most welcome publication for anyone interested in twentieth century Korea.” Janet Poole, New York University. Recommended for a senior English class and college level students.

Our Twisted Hero

By: Munyol, Yi
Yi Munyol’s short novel (128 pages) is a relevant and powerful story with a powerful message. Set in Korea during the 1960s, the book specifically references the April 19Student Revolution of 1960 when students were protesting the corrupt election of Syngman Rhee. The story itself has been compared to The Lord of the Flies with good reason, but is not as overtly violent. The story involves a 12 year old narrator, Han Pyongtae, who arrives at his new school in rural Korea. Fresh from big city schools in Seoul, he expects to earn the highest marks and the respect of his peers. Instead, he encounters a classroom bully in the form of Om Sokdae who extorts food, candy, and prized possessions from the other children and holds his classmates in terror. Worse, the teacher will not intervene. Our Twisted Hero is the story of how Han Pyongtae copes with this situation. American readers will be fascinated by this glimpse inside Korean society and the Korean school system. But this is not just a Korean story as Han Pyongtae's story seems universal. His struggle is not only with the bully, but with the perceptions of the other children, feelings of injustice, and the confidence of his parents. Highly recommended for middle and high school students.
This edition is in both English and Korean and is available for approximately $12.00 in paperback through Seoul Selection Books. http://seoulselection.com.

Poems for Planting Love: A Collection of Poems and Artwork by Children with Disabilities.

Written by the students of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill and translated by Brother Anthony of Taize. The book includes memorable poetry and illustrations. Available through Seoul Selection. http://www.seoulselection.com

Project Mulberry

By: Park, Linda Sue
Yearling Publishers
This is a highly engaging and worthwhile book for young readers. It is a story of a Korean American fourth grader who becomes involved in a challenging project to win a blue ribbon at the state fair. Grades 4-7.

Seesaw Girl

By: Park, Linda Sue
Impatient with the constraints on her as an aristocratic girl living in the 17th century (Choson Dynasty), 12-year old Jade Blossom determines to see beyond her small world. “Jade Blossom can never go beyond her family’s inner court. All girls from good Korean families must learn to sew, do laundry, and work in the kitchen. This prepares them for their future lives in their husbands’ inner court. Jade has other interests. She longs to take trips to the mountains and the marketplace. If only she could read and paint, but these are things only boys can do. Jade won’t stop thinking about the world beyond the high walls of her home. Then one day she secretly sets off to do what no other girl her age has ever done before. The story is a charming story that is full of lively action and vivid descriptions, enhanced by appealing black-and-white paintings to give a clear sense of the period.”

Still Life with Rice

By: Lee, Helie
The captivating story of the author’s discovery of her own identity and the inspiring story of her Korean grandmother’s life during Japanese occupation and the Korean War years. See review on Social Studies School Service website mentioned above. High School.

The East Asian Story Finder: A Guide to 468 Tales from China, Japan, and Korea, Listing Subjects and Sources

By: Sharon Barcan Elswit
Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Co. (2009)
Summaries of wonderful tales from cultural and ethnic groups from throughout East Asia.

The Kite Fighters

By: Park, Linda Sue.
A story of two brothers during the Choson Dynasty who enter the New Year kite competition. The story includes an exciting account of what happens when the brothers get to know the young king, participate in the kite competition, and includes a considerable amount of information about Korean culture in pre-modern Korean history. Grades 4-6th.
Information for teaching The Kite Fighters is at http://voicethread.com/share/631151/. Information, images, and questions for students on themes, characters, and background of Linda Sue Park's book for 4th-6th grade readers.

The Legend of Hong Kil Dong: The Robin Hood of Korea

By: Anne Sibley O’Brien
“Like the Western world’s Robin Hood, the legendary Hong Kil Dong of 15th century Korea stood as a champion of the poor. Gaining knowledge and power denied to him by class, Hong Kil Dong led an army of peasants against corruption and injustice. The book is beautifully illustrated and presented in cartoon form. Suitable for ages 9 and up.

The Year of Impossible Goodbyes

By: Choi, Sook Nyul
Choi provides the reader with a very moving account of the experiences of individuals during Japanese occupation, their high hopes upon liberation in 1945, their fears as Russian troops took control of North Korea and their dangerous escape to American-controlled South Korea. “Here is the incredible story of one family’s love for each other and their determination to risk everything to find freedom.” Suitable from grades 6-12.

Waxen Wings: The ACTA Koreana Anthology of Short Fiction from Kore

By: Fulton, Bruce
Waxen Wings includes nine short stories that introduce Americans to Korean culture. They are beautifully translated and are without exception the most comprehensive, memorable, and enjoyable Korean stories that I have read. They are also the most accessible selection of stories for Western readers to date. My favorite stories are "Prison of the Heart" (focuses on Post-War Korea), "Waxen Wings" (a memorable fable), "We Teach Shame" (contemporary story with flashbacks to the Korean War), "The Pager (an entertaining contemporary story), and "The Glass Shield" (highly creative and amusing). (high school and college).

When My Name was Keoko

By: Park, Linda Sue
2002
Inspired by her own family’s stories of living in South Korea during the Japanese occupation, Newbery Medal-winning author Linda Sue Park chronicles the compelling story of two siblings, 10 year old Sunhee and 13 year old Taeyul and their battle to maintain their identity and dignity during one of Korea’s most difficult and turbulent times. Her account is carefully researched and will be captivating for children between 5th and 9th grades.

Yello-Oh Girls: Emerging Voices Explore Culture, Identity and Growing Up Asian American

By: Vickie. Editor
NamQuill Publishers, an imprint of Harper Collins publishers, 2001
Yello-Oh Girls: Emerging Voices Explore Culture, Identity and Growing Up Asian American.Nam, Vickie. Editor. Quill Publishers (an imprint of Harper Collins publishers, 2001. An excellent collection of short essays written by Asian American girls. $13.00. Suitable for junior and senior high school students.