Module 14 - All the Broken Pieces

Module 14 - All the Broken Pieces

Book Summary -
Matt Pin is now a world away from where he was just a couple of years ago.  He was airlifted out of Vietnam and is now living is a great adoptive home in the United States.  He's broken and haunted by his past.  He continually faces prejudice from those in his town, and he finally forces the secret that he's been keeping from those he loves.  He remembers everything from before he came to the U.S.  He remembers what happened right before he was taken from Vietnam.  He feels responsible for his brother losing both his legs and fingers as he was supposed to be watching his little brother and let him wander away.  His adoptive family assures him that they will always want and love him.  Matt hopes to find his mother and little brother.  He remembers his name.

APA Reference -
Burg, A.E. (2009). All the broken pieces.  New York: Scholastic Press.

My Impressions -
I had never read a novel in verse before.  When I started, I was worried that it wouldn't be easy to follow, or it would be really long-winded.  It isn't.  It is a great read.  This book will definitely stick with me for some time.  I'm not sure if that's a result of the content or the form, but it certainly touched on a subject that very few books do at this level.  I was extremely impressed.

Professional Review -
Gr 6-8--Sensitively read by Tobias Christian Wong, Ann E. Burg's historical fiction in verse (Scholastic, 2009) illuminates a variety of notorious issues of the Vietnam War. Matt, a Vietnamese boy abandoned by his American soldier father, is relinquished by his desperate mother, hoping that he might have a chance for a healthy, happy life in the United States. Matt has experienced the horrors of war and has witnessed the land mine maiming of his three-year-old brother. He is adopted by a compassionate and well-intentioned American physician and his wife. The novel focuses on Matt's experience in seventh grade where he is bullied, ridiculed, and blamed for the death of American soldiers. He becomes the ultimate scapegoat for classmates echoing the feelings of their elders. The boy feels unwanted by everyone, including his loving adoptive parents. Even his talent for baseball pitching can't improve his self-esteem. Jeff, a Vietnam medic veteran who works with Matt's father, becomes a catalyst to help avert a crisis. With the cooperation of the school baseball coach and a disabled veteran, Matt and those scared by the war reach a healing point at the story's satisfying resolution. Wong's voice was well-chosen for Burg's passionate free verse, echoing the pain and caring of the characters. Educators will find this audiobook useful for sparking class discussions.
Ward, J. (2011). All the broken pieces. School Library Journal, 57(2), 59.

Library Uses -
This book would be great to kick off a poetry unit and competition at the library.  It would be a great highlight for non-traditional verse.  I would have this be one of the books that is focused on as a poetry competition is announced.