The Green Glass Sea

Incredible work of historical fiction. Enjoyable for pre-teens through adults, though in a bookstore, it will likely be found in the YA section.

A middle grade novel that adults will also love, The Green Glass Sea is an endearing tale set on the Los Alamos base during World War II. When ten-year-old Dewey Kerrigan is sent to New Mexico to join her father, a scientist working on the Manhattan Project, she doesn't realize that she is also joining a small community of families whose lives revolve around the development of the top secret "gadget". But Dewey adjusts quickly to her new world. She's thrilled to be near her father again and to be in an environment that provides her with unlimited resources for building her own mechanical projects, her favorite hobby. Brainy and small for her age, Dewey soon finds that she's a misfit even in the world in which she feels she so belongs. Yet she doesn't let this bother her. That is, until her father is sent away on an important mission and Dewey is forced to share a room - and some of her deepest secrets - with her biggest enemy. Readers will fall in love with Dewey's sweet, unassuming nature and with Klages' splendid writing, which captures the innocence, vulnerability, and resilience of childhood. Klages creates a world that is extremely unique yet somehow very familiar, and she perfectly portrays this world through the perspective of a child. Her carefully chosen details are described in a simple, understated manner that expertly blends historical fiction and coming-of-age tale. Though quiet, Klages' story brings to life a setting and cast of characters that will stay with you long after you've finished her book. The Green Glass Sea is a novel for young readers that is actually for a young audience yet will also be loved by adults. I highly recommend it to all readers over the age of nine.

THE GREEN GLASS SEA is a beautifully written novel. I am recommending it to friends that like good writing. In bookstores, this will likely be shelved in the Young Adult section, and may also be associated with the Science Fiction section. I think people who read in those genres will both enjoy this book. Beyond that, I think that anyone who enjoys good writing will find this story of two girls during World War II simply bewitching. One is a budding scientist, the other a budding artist, and neither "fits in" with the popular kids at school. The story of their struggles with these issues is folded in to the place and time where they live, and the impact that World War II is having on them and on everyone they know. I liked this book so, so much. Every single character had a voice that I believed. THE GREEN GLASS SEA made me smile, and it brought tears to my eyes. It was the kind of read I always hope for but do not always find. I liked it so much I read it again after a bit, to see if it was as good as I hoped. It is. Ellen Klages is a treasure, and I hope to read more of her books. I highly, highly recommend THE GREEN GLASS SEA.

Ellen Klages's "The Green Glass Sea" is one part historical novel, one part coming-of-age tale, and one part fish-out-of-water story. As a whole, "The Green Glass Sea" is an intelligent, thought-provoking novel for kids ages 10 to 15. Ten-year-old Dewey Kerrigan's grandmother has had a stroke, and Dewey is sent by train to her father. Her father is a scientist, employed in top-secret work during World War II. Dewey thinks she'll be headed to Chicago, her father's last location as far as she knew, and is surprised when she discovers her train is headed to New Mexico. And, soon, Dewey finds herself living in crummy army housing on the top-secret Los Alamos base. Dewey is instantly happy in Los Alamos. She's the type of girl who likes to build mechanical objects and is thrilled to find a dump with discarded metal pieces of all shapes and sorts. Her school is also good: she's allowed to take high school math, even though she's just 11 years old. She's finally living with her father and enjoys taking care of him after his long days at the lab. In a parallel story, 11-year-old Suze is having a hard time adjusting to the base. Her father also works on the top-secret project and so does her mother, peripherally, as a "stinker" (chemist). She tries to make friends with the other girls on the base, but it's to no avail. They find Suze not girly enough and too large, calling her "Truck" behind her back. Suze and Dewey's lives collide when Dewey's father is summoned near the end of the war to Washington D.C. Dewey's father arranges for Dewey to stay with Suze and her parents (the Gordons) while he'll be away. At first the girls dislike each other actively, but Dewey's at least relieved because she likes Mrs. Gordon, as a female scientist, immediately. I won't give away any more of the plot, but suffice it to say the girls become friends and allies at a time during which all of Los Alamos is worried about a "gadget" and the gadget's success. "The Green Glass Sea" is a fascinating novel about about World War II, scientists and their families in the years leading up to the bomb, and the universal struggle to find your place in a new, highly unique community. Dewey and Suze are great characters, both outsiders in their own way. Give "The Green Glass Sea" to a smart girl-reader today. I'm handing my copy over as soon as the school bus arrives.

I know this is a young adult book, but I'm (a little bit) older than that, and I loved every line. It was just over too quickly. I could have gone on and on reading about these characters, and tasting the flavor of the times at Los Alamos. Don't miss it!

The Green Glass Sea is a coming of age story that focuses on two girls and their experiences growing up at the super secret Los Alamos military camp during WWII. The girls reluctantly become friends as they experience the fears, uncertainties, and losses that come with war. Some fascinating aspects of the story are the relationship between the girls and the camp authorities, the brilliant scientists, and even their parents. It touches on the larger issues associated with nuclear weapons. Karen Woodworth Roman, Reference Librarian