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Title: The Clay Marble by Minfong Ho ISBN: 0-374-41229-4 Publisher: Farrar Straus & Giroux Pub. Date: 01 September, 1993 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $5.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.08 (63 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: A book to read!!!
Comment: The book, The Clay Marble, is written by Minfong Ho about the war in Cambodia. Many Cambodians went to the Border for food and shelter. Dara is a twelve year old who as traveled many days with her family, searching for the Border. Once they approach the border, they are welcomed my Nea's family. Both families came from the same home-town so they had a lot in common. Dara's family is very new to the life at the Border so Nea invites them for dinner. Nea is the same age as Dara's older brother, Sarun, so they get a liking into each other. Dara meets Jantu , Nea's sister, the next day. They wait in a long line for breakfast and they talked a lot. They already became great friends. This is just the beginning of Jantu and Dara's relationship. They talk to each other about home and their family. Both families lost some family members through the war. Jantu makes a clay village, with clay both families and animals. She carefully made the faces of everyone and the animals. But it was soon, broken into pieces by the bully, Chnay. Dara bursts into tears but Jantu cheers her up by making a magic marble. This marble was given to Dara because since Jantu had "magic" in her fingers and as she made the marble it had magic too. So Dara believed in the marble, knowing that it will help her in need. But the happiness in the Border doesn't last forever. The shelling and bombing there cause the family to get separated. Jantu uses the strength of the marble to overcome many of the obstacles to find her family once again. She believed strongly that the marble would help her and it did. Finally, the family is joined back together but Jantu is accidentally shot. Before she dies she tells Dara that the magic wasn't inside the marble, but inside her. With her confidence she overcame the obstacles, the marble didn't do anything. Still, Dara didn't understand. Dara's brother wants to stay in the Nong Chan so he could fight and become part of the army. But with all her confidence inside Dara she makes her own marble and convinces her brother to go home. That's when she realizes that the magic is inside her, not in the marble.
The reason I really loved this book is because it taught a lesson. If you put your mind to it and believe in yourself, you could accomplish anything. "You've got to believe in yourself, Dara. Not me. Not magic marbles." Jantu said. She gave the marbles to her in the first place so that she would overcome obstacles but now she says this to show her that the marble didn't do anything. It was the confidence to it that helped her and if she believes in herself, she wouldn't need any marbles.
The second reason I like this book is because Dara has so much faith in the marble. No matter what comes up she knows she can accomplish it. "Frowning, Nea looked at me as if she were seeing me for the first time. "You've changed, too, Dara," she said slowly. "You didn't use to be like this...this..." "Rude?" Dara suggested. Nea smiled. "Either that, or this sure of yourself" she said. This is when Dara believed that they could load all their stuff in the wagon without Sarun, Dara's brother. They did the task and surprised Sarun. Again another believes that she has so much faith. '"King Silor is right," he said. 'You've got spirit. 'Dara smiled and knew it was actually the magic that Jantu put in the marble.'" She has so much confidence in it that anything that comes up she overcomes it. I really enjoyed reading how Dara overcame the tasks.
My favorite part is when Dara sees Jantu the next morning and hardly recognizes her. They have a rough beginning with insults. "Funny, you don't look much like your brother," she said. "He's good-looking, not like you." Then some girls started giggling. I've been insulted many times and I could relate to Dara's situation. Wanting to get back at her. But unlike me Dara gets back at Jantu. "This your brother?" Dara asked her. Jantu nodded, with a tough of pride. "He's cute," Dara said. "Not like you." The same girls giggled. I was laughing hard because this is the worst start of a friendship. But this didn't get in the way. They became great friends and understood each other.
Rating: 5
Summary: Excellent book
Comment: Maybe I'm a bit biased because I studied this book for my secondary 1 english literature class but even after reading other books, I think The Clay Marble is really really good. The writer, Minfong Ho, has managed to make us feel like the main protagonist in the book, Dara, by drawing her own experiences while living in Cambodia. We can imagine the turbulent atmosphere hanging in the air while the people try to escape with their lives and we rejoice and cry and their reconciliations and their mishaps. The characters are very vividly described and the ending is, although predictable, very well done. Throughout the story, we are brought on a journey of self-discovery and go on an emotional rollercoaster ride following the path of Dara and we see the hope she has even under the most trying of circumstances. I would heartily recommend everyone to pick up this book and read it. Trust me, once you begin to read it, you'll probably not be able to put it down until you finish it. And then when you finish this book, maybe you will then consider reading Minfong Ho's 2 other books : "Rice Without Rain" & "Sing to the Dawn". She truly is a very prolific writer.
Rating: 4
Summary: Thumbs Up to Minfong Ho!
Comment: I seem to think that this book is very good,and it teaches a very good story...a girl who's family has been broken up and meets up with another family who is broken up also.While theyre brother and sister keep getting closer so they decide if they get married they can be one whole family yet once again!
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Title: Rice without Rain by Minfong Ho ISBN: 0688063551 Publisher: HarperCollins Pub. Date: 28 May, 1990 List Price(USD): $16.99 |
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Title: Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan ISBN: 043912042X Publisher: Scholastic Pub. Date: 01 June, 2002 List Price(USD): $5.99 |
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Title: Tunes For Bears to Dance To by Robert Cormier ISBN: 0440219035 Publisher: Laure Leaf Pub. Date: 01 April, 1994 List Price(USD): $5.50 |
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Title: Ties That Bind, Ties That Break by Lensey Namioka ISBN: 0440415993 Publisher: Laure Leaf Pub. Date: 14 November, 2000 List Price(USD): $4.99 |
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Title: Year of Impossible Goodbyes by Sook Nyul Choi ISBN: 0440407591 Publisher: Yearling Books Pub. Date: 01 January, 1993 List Price(USD): $5.50 |
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