Customer Reviews

Project Mulberry

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

As of this moment in time the number of Linda Sue Park books I have read in my life amount to the following: two. This is rather shameful. If you're a children's librarian (as I am) and your job is to read and know all the hip young authors winning medals hither and thither (and thither and yon) then at the VERY least you could bring yourself to read the most recent Newbery winners. Ms. Park won a Newbery for "A Single Shard", and I have not read it yet. What I have read is her remarkable picture book, "The Firekeeper's Son". THAT, my friends, is a great book. So when I was handed a copy of "Project Mulberry", I dove into it with zero hesitation. The result was a bit confusing. What we have here is a clever book by a clever author who seems to be hooking far too many themes together all at the same time. Fortunately, you can appreciate this book without necessarily loving it. At least I could.

Julia and Patrick are best friends. Have been since the moment they met, actually. Together, the two of them have done all sorts of interesting projects for school together. Patrick's the ideas man and Julia's the person who likes to do the labor. In fact, these kids never had a single fight until they decided to do a WGGL project together. WGGL is a kind of 4-H for city kids and Julia and Patrick have chosen to do something with "animal husbandry". Finding the right kind of animal, however, isn't as easy as they'd hoped. When Mrs. Song, Julia's mother, suggests that they do a silkworm project Patrick is thrilled. Julia is not. Both her parents are Korean immigrants and their daughter has always shied away from things that strike her as "too Korean". Now, however, she's stuck with a mighty difficult and complex project. It will take some serious discussions with Patrick, a little reassessment of the soul, and some fights with the author (tastefully done, of course) before Julia comes to terms with something she doesn't want to understand.

This would have been a pretty straightforward tween tale had Park not decided to explain a little bit about the writer's process as directly as possible. "Project Mulberry" alternates chapters that detail Julia's silkworm struggles with 2-3 page sections in which Julia, the character, berates and talks to Linda Sue Park one-on-one. The result will be jarring to some, fascinating to others. It's as if Ms. Park has preempted any and all questions received on her book tours by putting them in the mouth of her main character here. When things go badly for Julia, she makes her opinions on such matters loud and clear towards her creator. For the most part, this conceit works well. It's almost a kind of "Sophie's World" for kids (in that a written character is aware of her state). The problem with it, though, is that the Julia who speaks to Ms. Park doesn't seem to be the same Julia that is working on the silkworm project. The Julia that belittles her creator and complains almost without cease seems to be a kind of bratty counterpart to her living-and-learning self. I did not like the Julia I met between the chapters. I liked the Julia who was trying to sort out her life very much.

A couple things save this novel from being yet another I-did-a-project-and-learned-something-about-myself type book. For one thing, Ms. Park gives Julia a racist mother. For a book in which racism isn't even particularly the focus of the story, this underlying subtext gives the tale a bit of nuance. Mrs. Song isn't a bad person. Julia even speculates (with Patrick's help) that perhaps her mother first met black people in the form of American soldiers back in Korea. This otherwise unassuming feature in Julia's life, however, offers a bit of complexity to an otherwise straightforward family interaction. Plus it makes for good writing. Duh.

By the way, I was utterly baffled by the Author's Note included at the back of the book. Ms. Park apparently makes reference to such classic children's books as, "The Mouse and His Child" and "When Zachary Beaver Came to Town". If any of you can figure out how these books are referenced then a tip of the hat to you all. Personally, I couldn't find so much as a sly reference to these two books. If any of you know where they are, please let me know forthwith.

Personally, I felt that the alternating Julia v. Author sections were more of a distraction than a boon to "Project Mulberry". Just the same, the book is a fun read and a truly fascinating look at the life cycle of a little remarked upon creepy-crawly. If you happen to know any kids that are particular science buffs (natural science, that is) then see if you can't finagle this book onto their reading lists. A great companion to fellow environmentalist title, "Hoot", by Carl Hiassen.

I purchased this book due to the fact that I would be attending a conference at which Ms. Park is speaking (I like to get an idea of the presentors background). I knew that Ms. Park is talented, but never did I expect to enjoy it so very very much. As an author I found the entries between the chapters to be facinating. What a great idea. And the story itself was amazing as well. I can not say enough about the whole package other than READ IT! Can't wait to meet you Ms. Park! Julia (not Julia Song, but still Julia)

Julia and Patrick are best friends in this book set in Plainfield, IL. The two are working together on a silkworm project that they hope will be displayed at the state fair. Unfortunately, Julia, whose parents came to the United States from South Korea, is less then enthusiastic about the project because she feels that silkworms are too "Korean" and so she attempts to sabotage their project. What makes this book unique is not only Julia's voice, but also the discussions between Julia and the author in between chapters. Any aspiring writer would do well to read this book as Park offers excellent insight into the writing process, while those who just enjoy a good story will also be satisfied.

I just loved Single Shard by Park so when I saw this title I picked it right away. I really liked the story because I think it covered a lot of things that young people their age meet up with and don't usually start thinking about until this age like prejudice especially their parents being prejudice. I think young people will be able to relate to these kids and that makes a story more real. I really liked how their friendship grew to a higher level because of the project (excepting each other's fears and talking about them). I have to admit it started out a little slow for me but so did Singled Shard and I wasn't sure I liked the conversations in between the chapters with the author but they grew on me and made me thing about things authors need to work on when developing their characters. I especically loved how they worked out the problem with making the silk in the end. I think young people should see compromise (thinking of others' feelings) in action and they did in this story.

Genie

Do you ever have an argument with your best friend? In Project Mulberry by Linda Sue Parks, Julia Song gets in a fight with her friend Patrick over worms. But these aren't just any worms. They are silkworms. Julia and Patrick are creating a silkworm project for the state fair. Along the way, the run into some problems, like where to find mulberry trees in Plainfield. Since Julia is a take charge kind of girl, she also interupts the story to argue with the book's author about the way the story is going.
Project Mulberry is a fun book about friendship and being Korean in America. Julia also learns about prejudice and finds out that younger brothers don't always act like pests.
Once you read the book, you may be tempted to raise your own silkworms. I know I was.

Julia and Patrick have to do a project for the Wiggle club. Wiggle is the pet name for the WGGL (work grow give live) club, an extra curricular organization similar to 4H. The two kids partner up to do a project that can go to the state fair as both an animal husbandry and domestic arts entry. When Julia's mother suggests raising silkworms, Patrick is excited because such a project was unheard of. Julia is anxious because it is too Korean. Linda Sue Park meets all expectations as an author and writes a wonderfully entertaining story. Park does a great job in staying focused on the life of one girl, yet touching on tangents of other issues. Julia Song is a well-developed character that grows beyond her personal limitations to understand herself, hermother, little brother, and friend. In the character of Julie, readers experience the life of a young girl who learns to reconcile being Korean and American. It is refreshing to read about an experience with a world that in many ways is not Black and White. In less drastic, yet by no means less dramatic ways, one is confronted with the issue of animal husbandry and cruelty. Julie learns that to get the silk, she must kill the pupae, which she has grown to love. Unlike other popular examples of Asian American literature, Project Mulberry is not riddled with flashbacks; it stays in one single narrative that is direct and still charming. Project Mulberry is a good read for third to fifth grade students.

Why I really, really like this book:

1.
Julia, a Korean-American seventh-grader, deals with a lot of issues common to Asians growing up in the United States. I immediately identified with some of her insecurities.

2.
Patrick, Julia's best friend, becomes her friend mainly because he's not put off by the smell of kim chee. I love how a simple thing like this can break through some of Julia's hangups and lead to a real friendship. When you're that age, sometimes little things like that do lead to the best and longest-lasting friendships.

3.
Julia has to deal with the very real possibility that her mother doesn't like Black people until they've proven themselves, on an individual basis, to be trustworthy. She alternately thinks about this possibility and pushes these thoughts from her mind, because who wants to believe such a thing about her own mother? My mom, who is from Japan, had similar issues with members of other ethnicities. It's not an easy thing to face.

4.
Friends sometimes fight. Linda Sue Park handles the fights deftly, in a manner that reminded me of my own disagreements with classmates when I was in intermediate school. The makeups are even better.

5.
The main character's voice is so real and so believable, I found myself liking her instantly. I suspect the author is as fond of this character's voice, and that's probably one reason she indulges herself with the intercalary Q&A segments where she and Julia speak with each other.


Which brings us to that. Just about every reviewer so far has mentioned it; the grownups, overall, clearly do not like these little interviews between author and main character. It's so obviously a bad idea for the narrative, which the author herself acknowledges in the text, that one struggles to think of reasons such a good writer would do it. Here's what I came up with as possibilities.



1.
As I mention above, the author really likes the voice of this character and wants to give the reader an alternate context for experiencing it. I can understand this, but that really recommends a sequel more than it recommends this.

2.
The author, aware of the role writers play in the writing aspirations of young people who probably write to her with the same questions a million times a month, is giving readers a chance to see the writing process at work, a process that probably fascinates her and her adoring fans. This I can understand, too, but as other reviewers have suggested, this really recommends perhaps an author's note at the back of the book, similar to what Piers Anthony does with his Incarnations of Immortality series.

3.
Project Mulberry isn't really a novel about a girl, her friend, and some silkworms, but a novel about writing a novel. In this case, the intercalary segments ARE the book, the real skeleton of this book, while the narrative that surrounds it is the flesh and blood that emerges from this novel-writing process. This is the most intriguing possibility, but there's not enough there to support it.


My conclusion is that the author, aware of how self-indulgent it seems, is trying to connect with her readers in the way that she probably longed to connect with her favorite writers when she was a young, book-loving reader. I can hardly blame her; while I resented the intrusion on the narrative and while I agree with seemingly everyone that it takes away from the story, I found myself connected with the writer in a way that reminded me of what it was like to be twelve years old and in love with books. Grown-up, English-teacher me thinks it's lame. Twelve-year-old bookworm me? I think he likes it.

A look at the author's website and her blog reveals a writer who is much more interested in connecting with her readers than a lot of writers, whose sites are little more than the kind of biographical press-guide stuff bookstores and libraries receive in the mail along with folded-up posters. I find this refreshing, and although I disagree with the method (in this novel), I applaud the intent.

I found myself in tears several times during this novel because I could relate to Julia, not just in her Asian-ness but in her kid-ness. In the same way, I think I related to the author, not just as someone writing a great little story, but as someone who grew up loving the characters of others' books and wanting to connect somehow with the people who created them.

I would like to see a sequel, with or without the interrupting Q&A segments, because Julia is a character I want to spend more time with.

After making the big commitment - buying a book - I turn eagerly to the reviews like a kid whose eyes ask "Have I made the right choice?" Not every book OR can opener will wear a Seal of Approval, nor will each & every review hit the mark. I appreciate reviewers who edit themselves, who are concise, cogent, and have an ear for the sound of words as well as an eye for spell-checker goofs. (I would like to write that way myself!)

Linda Sue Park tells the story of "Project Mulberry" and then inserts a lively conversation between the author and "Jules" running parallel like a service road. In a subtle way, encouragement for hopeful writers is found embroidered into the fabric of this 'parallel' story, and more answers are found in the "Author's Notes" - - a section that appeals to this reviewer.

Although kids may not dwell for long on some of Park's themes, such thoughts do occupy some of the territory in young brains: racism, for instance, and being an outsider. (Perhaps expansion is more of a problem with old brains.) Julia and Patrick are neighbors who team up on school & club projects. Right now they are trying to come up with a sure-fire prize-winner project in "Animal Husbandry." Julia is the daughter of Korean immigrants and her mother suggests raising silkworms, a project that could then be expanded to "Needlework". That idea is a problem for Jules who wants to be seen as a genuine American.

Many adult readers hope for 'just one more' book to make some young adults (who get younger each year) itch to get back to reading - - Parks' book is described by an A.L.A. reviewer as "a great cross-curriculum title." It is also rich with many 'too-true' family episodes, as well as humor & facts that will be remembered with relish. Reviewer mcHAIKU is eager to share "PROJECT MULBERRY" with neighbor YAs during the isolation our next big snow will bring.

This was the first Linda Sue Park book I've read, and it was exceptional! It was so interesting I couldn't put it down, and I really learned a lot while reading this book. I totally understood Julia. She fights with her best friend, she fights with her little brother, she thinks her mom is racist...all the while she is supposed to focus on raising silkworms for this WIGGLE project. How will it all turn out?

Also recommended: The Golden Hour, Magyk, The Nobodies, Dark Hills Divide, Harry Potter, Artemis Fowl, and anything by Meg Cabot.

I read Project Mulberry for summer reading this summer; It was the first book I read all summer and it only took me 1.5 weeks!! I enjoyed it so much; at first when I read the summary I wasn't excited per-se. But once I got reading it really pulled me in; the characters became more developed, the plot enhanced, and it became the kind of book you don't want to put down!! In fact when I read the summary to my Mom she said "I think you should read this one?!" But I really hadn't wanted to but we ordered it anyway! Once it came I starting reading and became drawn towards it, and all the things I thought in the beginning I realized were untrue! In the end I loved it!!! I even recommended it to a friend and when she heard the plot she made a funny face but then ordered it taking my word. We were texting about it one day and she said," The beginning is kind of weird?!" But I told her to just keep reading and it will get good. I am not one who reads by choice and I am not a big reader, but, when I find a good book I love it!!This is one of the best books I ever read and it is definitely a page-turner!!!

P.S. I do not love long books but this one was medium length and I loved every page of it!