Bibliography:
Klages, Ellen. 2006. The Green Glass Sea. New York, N.Y.: Viking. ISBN: 0670061344.
Plot Summary:
In 1943 the world was occupied with war and almost-11 year old Dewey Kerrigan was waiting for her father to pick her up. Instead, Dewey finds herself transported by cars and trains from St. Louis to a city in New Mexico that was so top secret it wasn’t marked on the map. Throughout the next two years, Dewey faces several challenges including her developing interest in engineering, adapting to life on “the hill”, various new friendships, and her reconnecting with her father. Dewey and the other children in Los Alamos are oblivious to the impact that will be made by “the gadget” that is conceived in their backyards. But even when the gadget is brought out for all to see, uncertainty still plagues Dewey and her neighbors.
Critical Analysis:
The Green Glass Sea is primarily about family and courage. The spotlight is on the characters and their lives with the unique setting taking a backseat to the trials and tribulations of the families who live there. Readers first become acquainted with Dewey and realize that she’s quite cool and mature despite the lack of consistency in her life. The little girl seems able to easily deflect taunts from her peers and form friendships with whomever will treat her with respect. Eventually, readers also get to know Suze and her family, who try hard to keep their bonds strong during the long working hours.
Suze and Dewey experience maturation as they forge a friendship based on their unique interests and skills. The girls summon bravery as they face ridicule and teasing from their peers, and realize that courage brings great rewards in the form of a strong friendship. The friendship inspires Dewey to be brave when she finds out the devastating news that she won’t have to wait for her father to return ever again. Dewey also struggles with insecurity when she fears the outcome of her living situation when the war is over.
One very interesting facet of this story is the inclusion of real-life characters such as J. Robert Oppenheimer (“Oppie”), Richard Feynman, and Enrico Fermi. Of course, only readers who have plenty of prior knowledge about the Manhattan project will recognize these characters instantly, but even readers who discover the real history after reading this novel will appreciate the fictional close encounter with the famous men. The Trinitite described at the end of the book is also a fascinating curiosity to research after reading the novel.
Awards:
2007 Scott O’Dell Award for Historical Fiction
Review Excerpts:
School Library Journal: “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.” – Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Booklist: “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. ” – Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved.
Connections:
- Read and compare to another juvenile fiction book on the same subject: The Gadget by Paul Zindel.
- Use the Internet or other resources to find photographs of and quick facts about Trinitite. Also interesting to see post-read are photos and video of the Trinity bomb test.