Customer Reviews

Seesaw Girl

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
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This is a great book on many different levels. It painted a very clear picture of this era of Korea without reading like a history text or guidebook. Young children could easily follow it. It also used the characters in an organic manner speaking clear language and in simple situations to show the social dilemnas and contradictions Korean women- and many other women- had to live with.

The book is bittersweet because you are left with the impression that while the main character's abilities and awareness were growing, her possibilities would never again be as great. She was truly maturing in the sense that she was aware of how small her universe had to be.

An exquisitely written book. Jade Blossom is feisty enough for modern readers while still remaining true to her own time and culture.

Linda Sue Park does a wonderful job of integrating little bits of 17th century Korea into the story unobtrusively, often using it to show Jade Blossom's personality. For example, there is a very brief section where the women of the household are doing the laundry, taking out seams and hems to be able to more thoroughly clean the cloth and then beating the clothes with round sticks to get out the wrinkles. Jade Blossom observes: "Wearing clean clothes daily was a luxury only the wealthy could afford. Jade's mother and aunts saw to it that the members of the Han family were always clothed in a manner worthy of their place in society. There were times like today, as she bent for hours over the sticks, when Jade thought a lower place in society and a little less laundry would not be such a bad thing."

Jade and her family are likeable and interesting characters. And the beautiful illustrations by Jean and Mou-Sien Tseng add to the enjoyment of the book.

Jade is a very likeable character. The book starts with her and Willow playing a prank on her brother. Through Jade's perceptions we see her narrow world, and cheer as she breaks free, even for a little while, to the outer market. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

A Book Worth Reading! Jade Blossom is a twelve-year old Korean girl living in the seventeenth century. She is from a wealthy family and lives within the inner court walls of the Palace. Females were not allowed to leave the Palace until they got married. Once married, they were not able to leave the walls of their husbands inner court. Jade does not like this and tries to escape inside a basket and visits the market area. When she returns, she is punished. To feel free, Jade builds a seesaw and jumps on it to see the mountains and the outside world. I liked the book because Jade was also twelve like me, and I can imagine how she felt, being so locked in. Also, It was interesting to see what it was like for young girls in the seventeenth century, how strict the rules of life were. I really liked this boodk and would recommend it. Readers from 10 to 13 would enjoy it. So head to the library and pick it up!

A young girl struggles with life in a palace she will never leave. A well bred girl from an important family only leaves her home for a wedding and when she enters the house of her husband's family. The story is not one of rebellion and shrugging off such confinements but one of learning to accommodate to this restrictive lifestyle. The girl escapes her family once to see some Dutchman who are captured after they are shipwrecked. Their fate will be decided by the king. A good short novel about isolationism in Korea.

Well written. Author always has notes at back of her books giving you the
Korean folklore basis for her book.

Jade Blossom lives in a family compound in seventeenth century Korea. Her father is an adviser to the king. Jade and her cousin, Willow, live in the female section of the compound, separately from the men and boys, but the girls take every opportunity to play tricks on Jade's brother. She and Willow are like sisters, and then Willow is married and moves to her own compound, where Jade will probably not be able to see her again.

Jade's brother helps her to obtain paper and charcoal to try her hand at drawing. She longs to see the outside world, but the walls are too high to see over, and she is not allowed to roam outside the area. She really wants to see the mountains, so that she can draw them.

One day, she hides in an empty outgoing market basket, and hops out in the marketplace, undetected. She sees many things, including girls her own age, and begins to realize that not everyone lives in a secluded compound.

Then she sees a group of prisoners being herded toward the palace. They are very different looking with something that looks like yellow and brown sheep's wool on their chins and cheeks. She learns that they were shipwrecked, and will now be put on trial and likely executed, since foreigners are not allowed to enter the country. Jade pleads with her father to intervene on behalf of the prisoners in this exciting historical adventure.

Park manages to convey the times and the setting with a feeling of reality. Black-and-white illustrations give visual insight as the story progresses and as Jade grows psychologically, while leaving you aware of the fact that her forward-thinking will never bring her much closer to her goals. SEESAW GIRL helps to show the dilemmas that many women still live with in other cultures of the world.

Reviewed by: Grandma Bev

With her father an advisor to the King, Jade must behave as a proper young lady according to strict rules of conduct which include remaining hidden behind the high walls of the Inner Court. The spirited Jade creates her own excitement and manages to escape her home on an adventure that teaches her about the outside world, but also that her actions affect others. She must learn to accept her restricted life and "make it enough."

Set in 1600s Korea, Seesaw Girl tells a wistful story of yearning for more freedom that doesn't leave us satisfied, but while Jade may chaff at her controlled life, her very proper parents and her kind older brother provide a sense of warmth and understanding. I do, however, wish there was more interaction with the mother and with other girls in the house - Jade seems very alone. Readers will learn about Korean culture of that time and a little about an unusual historical incident. The Author's Note offers further information. An interesting book with a handful of lovely illustrations. Maybe I'll make one of those seesaws for my daughter.

This book is more than just a story - it interweaves the backdrop of 17th century Korea into the story of a girl trying to grow up. I loved reading about the interesting details of the ancient society as well as the fiesty girl - Jade Blossom - trying to understand the world around her.