The Green Glass Sea

The Green Glass Sea

by Ellen Klages 

 

Ellen Klages is a science and historical fiction writer and earned her degree in philosophy. The Green Glass Sea is her first novel. Its sequel White Sands, Red Menace was published in 2008 and her short story Singing on a Star was published in 2010. The Green Glass Sea is the winner of the 2007 Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction, the winner of the 2007 Judy Lopez Memorial Award for Children's Literature and the winner of the 2007 New Mexico State Book Award. 

The Green Glass Sea tells the story of a young girl named Dewey in the early 1940s. When her grandfather dies and she must travel to her father in New Mexico, Dewey is forced to transition to a new place while facing the impacts of WWII and being an 'outsider' at school struggling to fit in.

 
Our text explains that setting is very important when it comes to historical fiction: "time and place should be explicit and vividly described, because this influences everything else" (Vardell pg. 190). Klages's work is a perfect example of this when describing the land around the Hill: "The Hill was a natural fortress, a flat mesa fissured with canyons on three sides. The land didn't slope down, it dropped off abruptly vertically, with sheer cliffs" (pg. 119) and "The land was flat and endless, bounded by craggy mountain canyons on one side and distant dusky blue ridges on the far horizons" (pg. 306). 

One thing that stuck out to me is that the first part of the book, while Dewey is traveling to New Mexico, the text is written in third person present. However, on pg 41 the story turns its focus onto Suze and the text shifts into third person past. Then when Dewey is dealing with the death of her father the texts shifts back to third person present.

Professional Reviews for The Green Glass Sea:

• Voice of Youth Adrravocates: "Poetic and real, this one will keep you reading and leave you thinking."

• School Library Journal: "Discussions of physics, mathematical function, cultural boundaries of gender and race, censorship, and the vulnerable child raised by a single parent make this exceptional story even more fascinating."
• Booklist: "Characters are exceptionally well drawn, and the compelling, unusual setting makes a great tie-in for history classes."

Ellen Klages' Webpage
Read an excerpt  
Download the audiobook

Klages, Ellen. The Green Glass Sea. New York: Viking, 2006. 

ISBN 0-670-06134-4

$8.99 at Barnes & Noble

Work cited: Vardell, Sylvia M. Children's Literature in Action: A Librarian's Guide. Connecticut: Libraries Unlimited, 2008. 

Author photo from http://ellenklages.com/