The Green Glass Sea by Ellen Klages

Bibliography:

Klages, Ellen. The Green Glass Sea. Unabridged ed. New York: Recorded Books, Inc. 2007. ISBN 9781456128630

Plot Summary:

Dewey Kerrigan is a 10-year-old girl who hasn't had an easy life. Her mother ran away long ago and Dewey lived with her grandmother, until she had a stroke. Without a caregiver, Dewey is sent to live with her father in Los Alamos, New Mexico. She rides a train alone from St. Louis, Missouri to New Mexico. Her father, a former math professor at Harvard, now works on a top-secret project for the government. One benefit of living in Los Alamos is that science geek Dewey is surrounded by some of the world’s best scientists.

Dewey is a different type of kid. She enjoys tinkering with things, messing with building projects and going to the dump for parts. She is quiet, likes to read, and enjoys spending time on her own. These interests make her different from other kids her age, and she doesn't have many friends. Dewey does make friends with a couple of boys who invite her to spend time in their secret tree house and they trust her with their valuable comic book collection while on vacation.

Papa has to attend to business in Washington, so Dewey moves in with the Gordons and their daughter Suze. Suze is a bit of a bully and hasn't been very nice to Dewey. Neither are thrilled with the arrangement....but, both could use a friend. They have lots in common and realize this after a few hits and misses.

Listening Experience:

I listened the unabridged  audio book of The Green Glass Sea through Audible. I listened to it on my iPad and the listening time was 7 hours and 24 minutes. It was narrated by Julie Dretzin. The sound quality was good and there were no background effects. There was no front or backmatter material included. Dretzin uses her voice for all the characters and does an excellent job. I really enjoyed listening to this story and found the narration added to my enjoyment of the story. I think students would enjoy listening to Dewey's story and the audio format will add to their understanding and enjoyment.

I loved this story and it hit close to home for me. I was born at Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico, and my dad was a military man. After he retired from the Air Force, he worked at the high speed race track at White Sands Missile Range. Because of my dad's career, we did talk about things like the atomic bomb and what happened at Los Alamos. It really brought back a lot of memories of growing up as an Air Force brat.

Critical Analysis:

Characters:

I think students will identify with the characters in The Green Glass Sea. Some might see themselves in Dewey, an unusual kid who struggles to make friends and is different from most other kids. “She is small for her age, thin and wiry, with dark unruly hair and big front teeth that she has not quite grown into.” Others might recognize themselves in Suze; Suze also struggles with making friends, but tends to handle it by being a bully. All the characters are very believable, but also likable. I really felt for Dewey and wanted some happiness to come her way. The language, clothing, and attitudes seemed appropriate for the time period (early 1940's), and I could definitely see myself in this story during this time. Listening to the audio version of the story made the characters really come alive for me. It was easy to follow the story and the different characters because of the narration by Julie Dretzin.

Plot:

This story is historically accurate and is presented so that children can understand what is going on during this time. The Green Glass Sea is realistic to the time period and is not overwhelmed with too many details. There are just enough specifics to get the feel of the times without overpowering the narrative. References are made to merchandise, music, and historic figures which add to the plot.

Setting:

The book is set during World War II from 1943 to 1945 in Los Alamos, New Mexico.  Los Alamos is referred to as "The Hill" and it is a deserted military base surrounded by mountains, canyons, and desert. The setting an important part of the story.  Los Alamos is described perfectly...from the garbage dump, to the family's homes and to the boys' tree house. Dewey spends her free time reading, tinkering with her projects, and visiting the dump. The parents spending time together eating, talking, working, or drinking. All these activities contribute to the authenticity of the story.

Theme:

The Green Glass Sea has several themes. A major one is the protection of our country and how far we are willing to go to do this. Suze's mother struggled with the building of the atomic bomb and the actual use of it. This reflects the universal theme of right versus wrong. We can all relate to this. Another theme is of family. We observe different types of families, note that families can change and see they can be made up in different ways. Dewey has a fractured family and Suze has a fairly normal one; Dewey’s family is changing and Suze’s stays the same. One last theme is of friendship. Dewey and Suze were different, but they had many things in common. I am sure neither dreamed they would not only become friends, but family.

Style:

I enjoyed Ellen Klage's style of writing. Her characters are bold, realistic, and sympathetic. Her descriptions of New Mexico are vivid and true to life. She captures the complicated feelings of people who lived during this time. She tells a story about fictional characters within a historical framework and makes it believable and enjoyable.

Authenticity:

Ellen Klages includes a bibliography and author's notes that add to the authenticity of her book. She does a great job balancing the facts with the story so that it is an enjoyable read that is not bogged down with too much information. Additional websites for research can be found in Penguin’s An Educator’s Guide to The Green Glass Sea.

Review Excerpts:

• 2007 Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction Winner
• 2007 Judy Lopez Memorial Award for Children's Literature Winner
• 2007 Quill Awards (Young Adult) Finalist
• 2007 Locus Awards (Best First Novel) Finalist
• Winter 2006-2007 Book Sense #1 Children's Pick
• Starred Review in Publisher's Weekly
• Starred Review in The Horn Book
• A Horn Book Fanfare selection
• A Junior Library Guild selection
• A Scholatic Book Club selection
• From School Library Journal-"...Ellen Klages's impeccably researched novel is set in Los Alamos, New Mexico, between 1943 and 1945. Accomplished actress Julie Dretzin's narration is unhurried, relaxed, and inviting. Discussions of physics, mathematical function, cultural boundaries of gender and race, censorship, and the vulnerable child raised by a single parent make this exceptional story even more fascinating." 
• From Booklist-"The characters are exceptionally well drawn, and the compelling, unusual setting makes a great tie-in for history classes."
• From 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."
• From Publishers Weekly (starred review) "Klages makes an impressive debut with an ambitious, meticulously researched novel set during WWII.  Details about the era-popular music, pastimes and products-add authenticity to the story...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."

Connections:

Read the the second book about Dewey by Ellen Klages:
White Sands, Red Menace ISBN 978014241584

Here are a few web pages to visit to learn more about World War II, the Manhattan Project, the book and the author:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manhattan_Project
http://www.yourlibrary.ws/ya_webpage/ritba/ritba09/greenglasssea.htm
http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/collateral.jsp?id=32045

http://ellenklages.com

Show students book trailer for The Green Glass Sea;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UpdpXe2pKQU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWQLbW7K32E

Have students reread the letters Jimmy Kerrigan writes to Dewey. Show passage where Dewey explains the code to Suze. Have students write letters to a classmate using a code like the one Jimmy used. See if they can break their classmate's code.

Dewey and Suze enjoy reading comic books. Have students create their own comic book hero or heroine. Give characters a name and special powers.