Bibliography:
Burg, Ann E. 2009. All the Broken Pieces. New York: Scholastic Press. ISBN: 978054508927
Review:
All the Broken Pieces is the story of twelve-year-old Matt Pin. Told in first person, this novel blends historical fiction and poetry to tell how this young boy recovers from the ravages of the Vietnam War. Matt is the son of an American GI and a Vietnamese woman. Matt lived with his mother until he was ten years old. At the end of the war, Matt is airlifted out of Vietnam and adopted by an American family. During the past two years, Matt has been loved and cared for by his adoptive family but still struggles with the loss of his biological mother and brother and the horrific memories of the war. His family has tried to help Matt retain his Vietnamese culture by having him attend classes that taught him about Vietnam. Nevertheless, this was not the Vietnam that he remembers. “I close my eyes./I listen./I try to remember the colors,/but I cannot./I try to form the dragons from dust, /but I cannot./I try again./But I cannot./ My Vietnam/is drenched/in smoke and fog./It has no parks/or playgrounds,/no classrooms/or teachers./It is not on any map/or in any book./ My Vietnam is/only/a pocketful/of broken pieces/I carry/inside me.” (pg.22-23) . Although Matt struggles with his loss, he also integrates with his new culture. His adoptive parents help him develop a love of music and baseball and encourage him in all aspects of his life. He also receives the support from his teachers and coaches when some of his classmates do not accept him because he is Vietnamese. Matt has a LOT to deal with.
Author Ann E. Burg’s use of sparse language gets right to the point. Readers can feel the raw pain and emotion throughout the book that all the characters feel. All of the characters are believable and respond in a way that is to be expected. Young adult readers will learn about how confusing the war was for all people and learn about the tension and misconceptions among the American people of that time about the war. As I read the book, I felt a deep sadness for Matt and the Vietnamese people. By the end of the book, I felt hope that Matt would overcome the terrors of war and finally be happy.
All the Broken Pieces is an excellent novel to share with readers learning about how war affects people. Students in grades 6 and up will enjoy this novel and will gain an understanding of perspectives as they read.
Poem Selection:
As I read this novel. I kept thinking about how people do not always understand each other and often develop prejudices. In the novel, Matt has an enemy, Rob, who hates him and calls him names. Matt does not understand why. The baseball coach realized this and sets up an activity to help the team learn to rely on each other. He teams Matt and Rob together. Matt is willing to try but Rob is not. However, it is through this activity that Matt finally learns why Rob hates him so much.
“I hate you,/he says/My brother died/because of you.” (pg. 188)
After Rob says this, Matt is hit with images of the war, and the voices of the support group that he has attended with his dad and piano teacher. He suddenly remembers his Vietnamese mother singing to him and decides to respond to Rob.
“I lost my brother too,/I say, and/my words surprise me./He isn’t dead,/but he’s gone just the same./And it’s my fault./My mouth is saying stuff/I don’t even know I’m thinking./I’m sorry that your brother died./I’m really sorry./I know how you feel.”(pg. 190-191)
This is a turning point for Matt and Rob. Both boys realize that they have been hurt by the war and Matt finally starts healing. This novel is an excellent way to get students talking about prejudice, and not making judgments about people before they get to know them.
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