BIBLIOGRAPHY
PLOT SUMMARY
The year is 1943 and Dewey Kerrigan is on her way to be reunited with her father. Dewey’s father is one of many scientists working on “the gadget,” a top secret military project in Los Alamos, New Mexico. Although Dewey does not know what “the gadget” is she knows that it is supposed to help the Americans win World War II. When Dewey arrives in Los Alamos, she finds herself at home on the military base dubbed “the Hill.” She dedicates most of her free time to working on her radio and other mechanical contraptions. When an unexpected tragedy changes Dewey’s life, she must come to grips with not only how the world is changing, but also her uncertain future.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
The Green Glass Sea is a fascinating story about life on the Los Alamos military base during World War II. Due to the relative currency of the time period contemporary readers will have little trouble following the story. Klages provides a balanced combination of fact and fiction. She references various styles of dress, food, and technology consistent with the 1940s, thus creating an authentic and compelling story.
The story is told in alternating chapters, focusing on the two main characters, Dewey and Suze. Klages characterizations of Dewey and Suze are honest and compelling. Readers come to feel like they really know the two characters. The girls’ experiences in their time on “the Hill” reflect the attitudes and ideas during World War II, particularly in reference to winning the war. Although most readers will not identify with living on a top secret military base, they will relate to the girls’ desire for acceptance and attention.
The Green Glass Sea is arranged in alternating chapters about Dewy and Suze, respectively. Dewey is an independent and savvy young girl, yet she is still fragile. As she puts on a brave front for her father and everyone else around her, Dewey longs for her father’s attention and a normal family life. When her father suddenly dies, Dewey is no longer able to maintain her brave façade. Conversely, Suze is an insecure, tough girl who longs for acceptance from her peers. Suze is reluctant to get to know the girl dubbed “Screwy Dewey,” but she soon learns that she has never had a better friend.
Klages vivid depiction of Los Alamos and “the Hill” provide an authentic representation of life on the military base during World War II. Dewey describes the desolate landscape of New Mexico and Los Alamos during her train ride to the military base. She often points out how there is nothing for miles and miles. “The Hill,” with its legion of guards and top secret buildings, is a critical component of the story. Dewey and Suze rarely leave the base, so the setting is conveyed in great detail, further adding to the story’s authenticity.
As the scientists on “the Hill” work tirelessly to perfect “the gadget” the powerful theme of war ethics emerges. Although the scientists are eager to win the war, the implications of their discoveries are not realized until the very end of the book. The Green Glass Sea provides an opportunity to discuss war, grief, and the ethical use of knowledge/power.
Klages does not provide a list of sources at the end of The Green Glass Sea, but she does acknowledge people and resources that she found helpful in researching the book. She also includes an author’s note and a list of recommended sources.
REVIEW EXCERPTS
VOYA, 2007: “The book is well written, with intelligent characters and understandable descriptions of the place and the work being accomplished. Its well-researched information, including the debate that occurred when the scientists realized what they had created, will appeal to readers of historical fiction.”
LIBRARY MEDIA CONNECTION, 2007: “The description of this part of World War II is interesting and provocative. This well-paced story gives us an insight to a different part of the war and how it affected the people that were involved in the Manhattan Project. Recommended.
BOOKLIST, 2006: “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 Winner, 2007
*Judy Lopez Award Winner, 2007
CONNECTIONS
*Share other books about the Manhattan Project, like:
· The Secret of the Manhattan Project by Doreen Gonzales
· The Ultimate Weapon: The Race to Develop the Atomic Bomb by Edward T. Sullivan
· White Sands, Red Menace by Ellen Klages
*Show students pictures of trinitite and visit the Trinity base website, so that students can see actual photographs of the blast site (http://www.wsmr.army.mil/PAO/Trinity/Pages/default.aspx).
*Divide students into two groups and have a debate about the use of the atomic bomb.
*Ask students to research a scientist that worked on the Manhattan Project and then write a short report about the scientist.
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