The Green Glass Sea

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Klages, Ellen. 2006. THE GREEN GLASS SEA. New York, NY: Viking published by Penguin Group. ISBN 9780670061341.

PLOT SUMMARY
Eleven year old Dewey Kerrigan lives in Los Alamos, NM with her father, a mathematician who works with scientists on a secret project called "the gadget". Her 1943 daily life of school and home is like many others her age, except for the armed guards and isolation in the camp she lives. With her mechanical mind she doesn't fit in with the girls who tease her by calling her "Screwy Dewey". As the story unfolds, the reader learns about the testing of the first atomic bomb seen through the eyes of a young girl and why the book is so named.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS
The author makes Dewey Kerrigan a sympathetic character as the story begins by painting a tragic home life; no mother, a grandmother who has had a stroke and a father off at war. Because she has nowhere to go, Dewey boards a train and travels alone from St. Louis MO to Los Alamos NM to live with her father, whom she learns is not really away in a war. In 1943 Dewey traveling by herself would have been acceptable - not today! Klages puts the reader at ease on the train by introducing the character of Dick Feynman, who happens to know her father. Dewey has a million questions when she sees her father, as most children would, and not all are answered immediately. During the course of the story, she learns the real reason her father lives in this camp.

Children want to be accepted at any age. Dewey has a physical handicap which makes her different. She is also intelligent, excelling at math and mechanics. Her tinkering with machines sets her apart from other girls of that era. This leads to teasing and name calling. For the most part, Dewey ignores it but her thoughts are revealed to the reader. Even though this story is set in 1943, these events could happen today and the reader can relate. Dewey has a lot of time on her hands. Her father is caring but has little time to be a father as he is part of a group of mathematicians and scientists racing to build the first atomic bomb.

When her father goes away to continue his work, Dewey is left in the care of a neighbor whose daughter dislikes her. The girls learn to coexist with each other, and eventually become friends. This is a good lesson to the reader, to learn to get along with others. Dewey sends letters to her father which are censored. This is a concept that would be foreign to today's reader. Readers would be intrigued with the secrecy of the place she lives.

Klages inserts historical events which validate the story. A neighbor has an ashtray with "Jam your butts on the skunk" and a picture of Adolph Hitler. 1932 was during WWII, when Hitler was in power and widely disliked. When President Roosevelt dies after twelve years in office, Dewey witnesses the guards and people in the camp crying. Klages says that Roosevelt was the only president Dewey ever knew - a concept we can't imagine today because presidential term limits have been imposed.

Some passages in the book read like poetry. When her drunken father is hit by a car, Klages writes, "Dewey begins to cry, a slow steady trickle, as if she is leaking" and "Now Dewey cried with her whole body, letting the music sweep her away." When the atomic bomb is tested, Klages writes it looked like "A fireball gold and purple and blue and red climbing into the sky. Nothing like it ever before. Not on this earth."

This book is not for the younger reader. Not only is the subject matter of Los Alamos for an older reader, but issues such as smoking and drinking are a part of this story. In 1943 everyone smoked and social drinking was popular. Older students can understand this in the context of the story.

PERSONAL OPINION
I loved this book. Ellen Klages writes a engaging story through the eyes of a believable character. I learned more about Los Alamos than I knew, particularly the part of the green glass sea. Her descriptions make the reader imagine they are sitting alongside Dewey as she lives in Los Alamos.

REVIEWS
From School Library Journal
"Grade 5-8–Two girls spend a year in Los Alamos as their parents work on the secret gadget that will end World War II. 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 and her reaction to her father's unexpected death. 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."

From Booklist
"In November 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." She is busy designing a radio when a fellow passenger named Dick Feynman offers to help her. Feynman's presence in this finely wrought first novel is the first clue that Dewey is headed for Los Alamos. 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 novel occasionally gets mired down in detail, but the characters are exceptionally well drawn, and the compelling, unusual setting makes a great tie-in for history classes."

AWARDS
Scott O'Dell Award
Finalist Northern California Book Award - 2007

CONNECTIONS
Students would be interested in seeing what trinitite looks like - the green glass described in the book.

As a class, students could learn more about Robert Oppenheimer, the father of the Atomic Bomb.

After viewing photographs of an atomic bomb being tested, students could draw their depiction of what it looked like, using the colors Ellen Klages describes in the book.

Locate St. Louis MO and Los Alamos NM on a map. Which location is closer to your school? Ellen Klages lives in San Francisco CA. Where is that located?

Students who liked this book might like:

Holm, Jennifer. PENNY FROM HEAVEN. ISBN 9780375836893

Patron, Susan. THE HIGHER POWER OF LUCKY. ISBN 9781416901945

Pfeffer, Susan Beth. LIFE AS WE KNEW IT. ISBN0152058265

Iron Thunder: The Battle of the Monitor and the Merrimac

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Avi. 2007. IRON THUNDER: THE BATTLE OF THE MONITOR AND THE MERRIMAC. Illus. by C.B. Mordan. New York, NY: Hyperion Books For Children. ISBN 9781423104469.

PLOT SUMMARY
A historical fiction account of the building of the iron battle ship the Monitor through the eyes of a thirteen year old boy named Tom. He goes to work in the New York navy shipyard when his father is killed in the war as a way to earn money for his family. Spies are trying to get information on this iron ship, also called "Ericsson's Folly" named after the captain John Ericsson. Some called it the "iron coffin" because no one believes it can float, much less fight the opponent, the Merrimac. Tom walks a fine line between avoiding the spies and wondering if the ship will be built in time to go into battle against the Confederate sea monster, the Merrimac.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Avi spins a believable story about Thomas Carroll and his family. Background information is given as to the reason for his need to be employed. A description of their living conditions and a sick sister lends credence to him finding a full time job to make money for his family. The author uses nine well placed full page newspaper headlines from the actual pages of the New York Times, NY Herald, The Philadelphia Enquirer, and the Tri-Weekly Telegraph to convey what was happening during April 13, 1861 and March 11, 1862. The headlines are effective in their brevity such as "The Surrender of Fort Henry to Union Gunboats". The reader can quickly read the progression of the war and continue on with the story about Tom and the building of the Monitor.

Tom is skeptical of the captain and his ideas for this iron boat. He keeps his opinion to himself and also hides the fact that spies are trying to gain information about him. Avi writes of the angst Tom feels about revealing that spies are after him. He is genuinely afraid and when he secures a permanent place to live in the shipyard while the Monitor is being built there is a sense of relief. Children have fears and being bullied is one of them. Avi uses this part of the story to show how Tom handled the spies and came up with a solution to stay safe. Tom's worries of the boat going into battle turn into pride as he is an eye witness to an historical battle.

Avi uses actual photographs to show the the Monitor officers, the telescope, the turret and a butter dish with gold lettering used by the officers. Old maps enhance the author's description to pinpoint the location for readers who may not be familiar with the area. An explanation of the way the toilets work would delight young readers, especially when Avi writes of a sailor who didn't use the valves correctly and was blown off the seat!

C.B. Mordan's block prints are beautiful in their simplicity. The only color is black and white, which lends credence to the actual old photographs also used in the book.

The book doesn't end with the story. Avi provides a glossary of terms, the author's note, what happened to the Monitor and a bibliography. A quote that made a lasting impression was, "The more who witness a fact - the less certain the fact becomes". Avi was referring to the thousands who watched the battle and told their account. He tells the reader that he had to be a detective doing research for this book. It was also important that he reminds the reader that the facts would be disputed by those who were on the opposing battleship - the Merrimac.

PERSONAL OPINION
This was a fascinating tale to read. This historical event being told through the eyes of a young boy comes to life. I liked the information listed after the story to learn about Avi's research and the rescue efforts to bring up the turret from the ocean floor. Readers of this book will come away with more information about the boat and actual battle than if they read it in a history book.

REVIEW EXCERPTS
From School Library Journal
"Early in 1862, 13-year-old Tom Carroll must go to work when his father is killed in a Maryland battle. He finds a job at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, where he is put to work on "Ericsson's Folly," the ironclad that will become the Monitor. He works closely with Captain Ericsson and becomes fascinated with this odd "raft." The floating battery is scoffed at by many, but the "Copperheads," Northerners who sympathize with the Southern cause, are distinctly interested. Tom is approached by Confederate spies but cleverly escapes them with the help of his friends. To stay clear of these dangerous men, he moves onboard the Monitor and lives there until its completion. Tom is an eyewitness to history as the ship travels to join the Union blockade fleet and enters into its fateful battle with the Merrimac. He takes pride in the vessel, and his part in her construction is evident in his firsthand telling of the story. Factual information and historical terms are woven smoothly into the narrative. Period photographs, engravings, and newspaper headlines are strategically placed throughout the text to further bring history to life. A glossary provides added clarity, and an author's note explains that although Tom Carroll really existed, the boy in this story is a compilation of several people on the ship and the author's imagination. This exciting, fast-paced historical adventure will add a bit of drama to Civil War units. Even reluctant readers will appreciate it."

From Booklist
"Decked out with the appurtenances of nonfiction—maps, a resource list (leaning toward upper-level titles), and a generous array of contemporary prints for illustrations—Avi's historical novel views the construction of the Monitor and the ensuing epochal battle with its Confederate rival through the eyes of an actual but fictionalized crew member. Narrating in a clipped style that speeds the tale along nicely, 13-year-old Tom describes meetings with the Monitor's inventor, John Ericsson, and other historical figures; run-ins with "Copperhead" spies; the dangerous sea voyage from New York to the Union blockade; the exciting climactic fight; and the brief, ill-fated later careers of both ironclads."

CONNECTIONS
Students could choose one of the books listed in the bibliography to do additional research on the battle between the Monitor and the Merrimac.

As a science lesson students could learn how an iron ship weighing several thousands pounds could be made to float. (older grades)

Teacher could lead a group discussion on ways Tom could have handled the spies who were trying to bribe him to reveal information about the Monitor.

Students Who Liked This Book Might Like:

Avi. Crispin: AT THE EDGE OF THE WORLD. ISBN 9780786851522

Avi. THE SEER OF SHADOWS. ISBN 9780060000158

Sappey, Maureen Stack. DREAMS OF SHIPS, DREAMS OF JULIA; AT SEA WITH THE MONITOR AND THE MERRIMAC - VIRGINIA 1862 (Young American Series).
ISBN 9781572491342