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Project Mulberry: Exploring Korean Heritage through Silkworms
In this contemporary novel, Newbery Medalist Linda Sue Park delivers a funny, lively story that illuminates both the process of writing a novel and the meaning of growing up American.
"A rich work that treats serious issues with warmth, respect, and a good deal of humor" (Kirkus starred review). Perfect for both independent reading and classroom sharing.
Julia Song and her friend Patrick would love to win a blue ribbon, maybe even two, at the state fair. They’ve always done projects together, and they work well as a team. This time, though, they’re having trouble coming up with just the right project. Then Julia’s mother offers a They can raise silkworms, as she did when she was a girl in Korea.
Patrick thinks it’s a great idea. Of course there are obstacles—for example, where will they get mulberry leaves, the only thing silkworms eat?—but nothing they can’t handle.
Julia isn’t so sure. The club where kids do their projects is all about traditional American stuff, and raising silkworms just doesn’t fit in. Moreover, the author, Ms. Park, seems determined to make Julia’s life as complicated as possible, no matter how hard Julia tries to talk her out of it.
"A rich work that treats serious issues with warmth, respect, and a good deal of humor" (Kirkus starred review). Perfect for both independent reading and classroom sharing.
Julia Song and her friend Patrick would love to win a blue ribbon, maybe even two, at the state fair. They’ve always done projects together, and they work well as a team. This time, though, they’re having trouble coming up with just the right project. Then Julia’s mother offers a They can raise silkworms, as she did when she was a girl in Korea.
Patrick thinks it’s a great idea. Of course there are obstacles—for example, where will they get mulberry leaves, the only thing silkworms eat?—but nothing they can’t handle.
Julia isn’t so sure. The club where kids do their projects is all about traditional American stuff, and raising silkworms just doesn’t fit in. Moreover, the author, Ms. Park, seems determined to make Julia’s life as complicated as possible, no matter how hard Julia tries to talk her out of it.
263 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2005
110 people are currently reading
1404 people want to read
About the author
Linda Sue Park
72 books1,186 followersLinda Sue Park is a Korean American author of children's fiction. Park published her first novel, Seesaw Girl, in 1999. To date, she has written six children’s novels and five picture books for younger readers. Park’s work achieved prominence when she received the prestigious 2002 Newbery Medal for her novel A Single Shard.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 399 reviews
July 29, 2009
Why I really, really like this book:
1.
Julia, a Korean-American seventh-grader, deals with a lot of issues common to Asians growing up in the United States. I immediately identified with some of her insecurities.
2.
Patrick, Julia's best friend, becomes her friend mainly because he's not put off by the smell of kim chee. I love how a simple thing like this can break through some of Julia's hangups and lead to a real friendship. When you're that age, sometimes little things like that do lead to the best and longest-lasting friendships.
3.
Julia has to deal with the very real possibility that her mother doesn't like Black people until they've proven themselves, on an individual basis, to be trustworthy. She alternately thinks about this possibility and pushes these thoughts from her mind, because who wants to believe such a thing about her own mother? My mom, who is from Japan, had similar issues with members of other ethnicities. It's not an easy thing to face.
4.
Friends sometimes fight. Linda Sue Park handles the fights deftly, in a manner that reminded me of my own disagreements with classmates when I was in intermediate school. The makeups are even better.
5.
The main character's voice is so real and so believable, I found myself liking her instantly. I suspect the author is as fond of this character's voice, and that's probably one reason she indulges herself with the intercalary Q&A segments where she and Julia speak with each other.
Which brings us to that. Just about every reviewer so far has mentioned it; the grownups, overall, clearly do not like these little interviews between author and main character. It's so obviously a bad idea for the narrative, which the author herself acknowledges in the text, that one struggles to think of reasons such a good writer would do it. Here's what I came up with as possibilities.
1.
As I mention above, the author really likes the voice of this character and wants to give the reader an alternate context for experiencing it. I can understand this, but that really recommends a sequel more than it recommends this.
2.
The author, aware of the role writers play in the writing aspirations of young people who probably write to her with the same questions a million times a month, is giving readers a chance to see the writing process at work, a process that probably fascinates her and her adoring fans. This I can understand, too, but as other reviewers have suggested, this really recommends perhaps an author's note at the back of the book, similar to what Piers Anthony does with his Incarnations of Immortality series.
3.
Project Mulberry isn't really a novel about a girl, her friend, and some silkworms, but a novel about writing a novel. In this case, the intercalary segments ARE the book, the real skeleton of this book, while the narrative that surrounds it is the flesh and blood that emerges from this novel-writing process. This is the most intriguing possibility, but there's not enough there to support it.
My conclusion is that the author, aware of how self-indulgent it seems, is trying to connect with her readers in the way that she probably longed to connect with her favorite writers when she was a young, book-loving reader. I can hardly blame her; while I resented the intrusion on the narrative and while I agree with seemingly everyone that it takes away from the story, I found myself connected with the writer in a way that reminded me of what it was like to be twelve years old and in love with books. Grown-up, English-teacher me thinks it's lame. Twelve-year-old bookworm me? I think he likes it.
A look at the author's website and her blog reveals a writer who is much more interested in connecting with her readers than a lot of writers, whose sites are little more than the kind of biographical press-guide stuff bookstores and libraries receive in the mail along with folded-up posters. I find this refreshing, and although I disagree with the method (in this novel), I applaud the intent.
I found myself in tears several times during this novel because I could relate to Julia, not just in her Asian-ness but in her kid-ness. In the same way, I think I related to the author, not just as someone writing a great little story, but as someone who grew up loving the characters of others' books and wanting to connect somehow with the people who created them.
I would like to see a sequel, with or without the interrupting Q&A segments, because Julia is a character I want to spend more time with.
1.
Julia, a Korean-American seventh-grader, deals with a lot of issues common to Asians growing up in the United States. I immediately identified with some of her insecurities.
2.
Patrick, Julia's best friend, becomes her friend mainly because he's not put off by the smell of kim chee. I love how a simple thing like this can break through some of Julia's hangups and lead to a real friendship. When you're that age, sometimes little things like that do lead to the best and longest-lasting friendships.
3.
Julia has to deal with the very real possibility that her mother doesn't like Black people until they've proven themselves, on an individual basis, to be trustworthy. She alternately thinks about this possibility and pushes these thoughts from her mind, because who wants to believe such a thing about her own mother? My mom, who is from Japan, had similar issues with members of other ethnicities. It's not an easy thing to face.
4.
Friends sometimes fight. Linda Sue Park handles the fights deftly, in a manner that reminded me of my own disagreements with classmates when I was in intermediate school. The makeups are even better.
5.
The main character's voice is so real and so believable, I found myself liking her instantly. I suspect the author is as fond of this character's voice, and that's probably one reason she indulges herself with the intercalary Q&A segments where she and Julia speak with each other.
Which brings us to that. Just about every reviewer so far has mentioned it; the grownups, overall, clearly do not like these little interviews between author and main character. It's so obviously a bad idea for the narrative, which the author herself acknowledges in the text, that one struggles to think of reasons such a good writer would do it. Here's what I came up with as possibilities.
1.
As I mention above, the author really likes the voice of this character and wants to give the reader an alternate context for experiencing it. I can understand this, but that really recommends a sequel more than it recommends this.
2.
The author, aware of the role writers play in the writing aspirations of young people who probably write to her with the same questions a million times a month, is giving readers a chance to see the writing process at work, a process that probably fascinates her and her adoring fans. This I can understand, too, but as other reviewers have suggested, this really recommends perhaps an author's note at the back of the book, similar to what Piers Anthony does with his Incarnations of Immortality series.
3.
Project Mulberry isn't really a novel about a girl, her friend, and some silkworms, but a novel about writing a novel. In this case, the intercalary segments ARE the book, the real skeleton of this book, while the narrative that surrounds it is the flesh and blood that emerges from this novel-writing process. This is the most intriguing possibility, but there's not enough there to support it.
My conclusion is that the author, aware of how self-indulgent it seems, is trying to connect with her readers in the way that she probably longed to connect with her favorite writers when she was a young, book-loving reader. I can hardly blame her; while I resented the intrusion on the narrative and while I agree with seemingly everyone that it takes away from the story, I found myself connected with the writer in a way that reminded me of what it was like to be twelve years old and in love with books. Grown-up, English-teacher me thinks it's lame. Twelve-year-old bookworm me? I think he likes it.
A look at the author's website and her blog reveals a writer who is much more interested in connecting with her readers than a lot of writers, whose sites are little more than the kind of biographical press-guide stuff bookstores and libraries receive in the mail along with folded-up posters. I find this refreshing, and although I disagree with the method (in this novel), I applaud the intent.
I found myself in tears several times during this novel because I could relate to Julia, not just in her Asian-ness but in her kid-ness. In the same way, I think I related to the author, not just as someone writing a great little story, but as someone who grew up loving the characters of others' books and wanting to connect somehow with the people who created them.
I would like to see a sequel, with or without the interrupting Q&A segments, because Julia is a character I want to spend more time with.
June 2, 2019
Read this in elementary school. This was one of my favorite reads at the time. Not only did I learn about Mulberry plants but about Korean culture as well. I'd highly recommend this as it is funny, well written and informative and has stuck with me all these years.
October 24, 2007
There are a lot of themes going on in this book. It feels a little messy, and some of the ideas are never tied up successfully. It also gets a bit preachy at times. It also has sections between the chapters where the author discusses things with the main character; it didn't really work for me.
March 2, 2017
Book covers so much - intimate lifecycle of silkworms, basic embroidery, sustainable farming and ethics of raising farm animals, racism, what it takes to be a good friend. Realistic, fun dialog. Author/main character banter following each chapter shows young writers how a storyline and characters are developed.
December 11, 2012
Linda Sue Park reminds me of Lowis Lowry as a writer. You always get a well-crafted, unique story with characters' that have distinct voices and a tight plot. She's also such a sophisticated writer, I don't think readers always get what she's doing. Take the metafictional narrative that occurs between the author and the protagonist in this story. On the outset, it is a story about a girl and her best friend doing a project about silkworms for a state fair competition. Themes abound regarding friendship, prejudice, conservation, ethnic identity, sibling rivalry, phobias, and more. On the inset, there is a metafictional narrative going on between the author and the protagonist. The literary device called, metafiction, is fiction that self-consciously reflects upon itself. Or in simpler terms it is fiction about fiction. This technique can be found in oodles of books such as It's a Book by Lane Smith, Lulu Walks the Dog by Judith Viorst, The Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket, or Don Quixote, to name a few. I thought Park's use of this technique elevated this book and made it more engaging. However, from the reviews I read it seems that some find it annoying or distracting. You decide.
Julia and Patrick are doing a silkworm project for the state fair through a club at school. Julia thinks the project is "too Korean" and that she already stands out at school as the only Korean-American, but Patrick is so excited that she doesn't say anything to him out loud. Actually they don't really brainstorm other possibilities resulting in friendship problems that they have to resolve as the project progresses.
Julia becomes involved with caring for the silkworms to such a point that she doesn't realize what she must do to extract the silk. When she finds out she gets into an enormous fight with Patrick about how silk is farmed and her feelings are further complicated from a field trip that discussed the ethical treatment of domesticated animals used to feed the population. The topics are heavy but Park doesn't overwhelm the storyline with them. The plot is driven by the character and she adds tension and different themes creating a nice pace.
The senses are engaged in the beginning with the description of the Korean spicy food, kimchee, that one character hates and the other adores. The main character is likable and flawed which makes it easy to identify with her. I did find it hard to believe that she would have problems with the worms and making silk, but I'm not the most sensitive person and I could buy it that another might feel that strongly about what they were doing (can you tell I'm trying to not give away the problem and spoil the fun of discovering it as you read the book). I did like that Patrick emails her the same questions that I wondered about and I could relate more to his feelings than Julia's.
The plot doesn't have loose ends and I found myself admiring how well Park crafts the story. I had questions about the mom's attitude and I liked the unique answer at the end which is appropriate to the fact that the book is in the first person point of view so the reader isn't going to know about the mom's prejudices. I thought it was very real because Julia was so sensitive and it was hard for her to even discuss her feelings about the project with her best friend, much less confront her mother on a complex and serious topic. In the end, the state fair results are given and it was refreshing and realistic what happens to the pair, vesus a perfect-type ending where all the characters' dreams come true.
Julia has a question and answer conversation with the author that is funny and gives the reader a glimpse into what it is like to craft a story. I really enjoyed this technique and thought it elevated the book even more as it tried to do something different than the normal kids-doing-a-school-project story. Like I said earlier, some might find it distracting to the story. I thought it was done sparingly enough to not be a nuisance. I also thought it answered many of the questions I had as I was reading.
If you like Park's novels then I would suggest trying books by the author Kate Messner; both have plots that emphasize science and math, have multiple themes, and strong female characters.
Reading Level 4.8
Fountas & Pinnell: S
Julia and Patrick are doing a silkworm project for the state fair through a club at school. Julia thinks the project is "too Korean" and that she already stands out at school as the only Korean-American, but Patrick is so excited that she doesn't say anything to him out loud. Actually they don't really brainstorm other possibilities resulting in friendship problems that they have to resolve as the project progresses.
Julia becomes involved with caring for the silkworms to such a point that she doesn't realize what she must do to extract the silk. When she finds out she gets into an enormous fight with Patrick about how silk is farmed and her feelings are further complicated from a field trip that discussed the ethical treatment of domesticated animals used to feed the population. The topics are heavy but Park doesn't overwhelm the storyline with them. The plot is driven by the character and she adds tension and different themes creating a nice pace.
The senses are engaged in the beginning with the description of the Korean spicy food, kimchee, that one character hates and the other adores. The main character is likable and flawed which makes it easy to identify with her. I did find it hard to believe that she would have problems with the worms and making silk, but I'm not the most sensitive person and I could buy it that another might feel that strongly about what they were doing (can you tell I'm trying to not give away the problem and spoil the fun of discovering it as you read the book). I did like that Patrick emails her the same questions that I wondered about and I could relate more to his feelings than Julia's.
The plot doesn't have loose ends and I found myself admiring how well Park crafts the story. I had questions about the mom's attitude and I liked the unique answer at the end which is appropriate to the fact that the book is in the first person point of view so the reader isn't going to know about the mom's prejudices. I thought it was very real because Julia was so sensitive and it was hard for her to even discuss her feelings about the project with her best friend, much less confront her mother on a complex and serious topic. In the end, the state fair results are given and it was refreshing and realistic what happens to the pair, vesus a perfect-type ending where all the characters' dreams come true.
Julia has a question and answer conversation with the author that is funny and gives the reader a glimpse into what it is like to craft a story. I really enjoyed this technique and thought it elevated the book even more as it tried to do something different than the normal kids-doing-a-school-project story. Like I said earlier, some might find it distracting to the story. I thought it was done sparingly enough to not be a nuisance. I also thought it answered many of the questions I had as I was reading.
If you like Park's novels then I would suggest trying books by the author Kate Messner; both have plots that emphasize science and math, have multiple themes, and strong female characters.
Reading Level 4.8
Fountas & Pinnell: S
October 16, 2011
Summary: Julia is a typical American child who lives in Plainfield, Illinois. Her family is Korean, and she sometimes has a hard time with that. She wants to blend in and be more “American”. Her best friend Patrick lives across the street. Together they join the Wiggle Club, an environmental club. They need to do an animal husbandry project, but can’t decide on what to do. Julia’s mom suggested raising silk worms like her mother used to do in Korea.
Patrick is thrilled with the idea, but Julia is horrified. She wants to find a less “Korean” project to do. She spends time trying to find ways to get Patrick to change his mind. It soon becomes clear that she is going to have to do the silkworm project, so she tries to find a way to make it more “American”. Will the project be successful? Will Julia accept her heritage?
Opinion: I actually listened to this book on CD, which I think was an excellent choice. Aside from the story, Julia talks to the author Linda Sue Park about how she developed the story. The author actually reads the parts with the character. I can’t help but feel that only reading this wouldn’t be as wonderful as listening to the actual author.
As for the cultural aspect, I really like the problem Julia has. She is trying to accept her culture, while also trying to understand her mother’s feelings towards an African American gentleman. Race, culture, the blending of ideas, and discovering your cultural identity are wonderful themes throughout this book. These are all concepts many kids go through. Finding a balance between your life and what you expect your life to be.
Grade Level: 3+
Background Information: None needed
School Ideas:
- Study of Silk Worms
- Science Fair style projects
- Life Cycles of animals
- Self-Sustaining farms
- Mulberry trees
Patrick is thrilled with the idea, but Julia is horrified. She wants to find a less “Korean” project to do. She spends time trying to find ways to get Patrick to change his mind. It soon becomes clear that she is going to have to do the silkworm project, so she tries to find a way to make it more “American”. Will the project be successful? Will Julia accept her heritage?
Opinion: I actually listened to this book on CD, which I think was an excellent choice. Aside from the story, Julia talks to the author Linda Sue Park about how she developed the story. The author actually reads the parts with the character. I can’t help but feel that only reading this wouldn’t be as wonderful as listening to the actual author.
As for the cultural aspect, I really like the problem Julia has. She is trying to accept her culture, while also trying to understand her mother’s feelings towards an African American gentleman. Race, culture, the blending of ideas, and discovering your cultural identity are wonderful themes throughout this book. These are all concepts many kids go through. Finding a balance between your life and what you expect your life to be.
Grade Level: 3+
Background Information: None needed
School Ideas:
- Study of Silk Worms
- Science Fair style projects
- Life Cycles of animals
- Self-Sustaining farms
- Mulberry trees
May 29, 2016
Like most best friends, seventh-graders Julia Song and Patrick like to do everything together, from homework to collecting state quarters to joining the Work-Grow-Give-Live Club, affectionately known as the Wiggle Club. The club's purpose it to teach kids about farming, and every January, members are supposed to sign up to work on farm-related a project which will then be exhibited at the State Fair in August.
A project is right up Julia and Patrick's alley, but they can't come up with a good one until Mrs. Song suggests they raise silkworms. Raising silkworms was something Julia's grandmother had done back in Korea and which her mother had helped with as a girl. Patrick thinks this is a wonderful idea and with his customary enthusiasm, begins to immediately do research on silkworms. Julia, however, is a lot less happy about this as their project.
Raising silkworms is a little too Korean for Julia. Wasn't it bad enough that her house always smelled so strongly of kimchi, a Korean specialty (it's spicy, pickled Napa cabbage and delicious), a smell that had always put other kids off? Ironically, Kimchi is also something Julia hates, but Patrick absolutely loves. And wasn't it bad enough to be the only Korean family in town, and then be to greeted with kids at the playground yelling "Chinka-chinka-Chinaman at her when they first saw her? But silkworms for the Wiggle project? No way, Julia just wants an all-American project. And she is pretty sure she can sabotage the silkworm project enough to make Patrick give it up.
But when Mr. Maxwell, leader of the Wiggle club, hears the idea for raising silkworms, he is all for it. The one big problem, the one that might just sink the project, is that silkworms only eat mulberry leaves and no one knows anyone with a mulberry tree. Even hanging flyers around town hadn't produced any possibilities. But then Miss Mona at the filling station said she had a customer who told her he had a mulberry tree, but he didn't write down Julia's phone number from the flyer.
Mr. Dixon didn't need to take the phone number - he had memorized it and, sure enough, he calls. So Patrick, Julia and Mrs. Song drive over to his house to meet Mr. Dixon and talk about the project. But when he opens his front door, Julia experiences a serious uh-oh moment - Mr. Dixon is an elderly black man, and Mrs. Song doesn't like African Americans, though Julia doesn't know why.
Julia has a lot to contend with now - the silkworm project is all systems go, and she is finally beginning to get into it; she really enjoys going over to Mr. Dixon's with Patrick and getting the mulberry leaves and even visiting for a while. But when they stay much too long one day, Mrs. Song forbids any visiting, and insists they just get the leaves and come straight home. So not only must Julia also contend with her mother's apparent racist feelings towards African Americans, but she must also deal with her own feeling about her Korean heritage and her identity as a Korean American. And then there's Julia's growing affection for the silkworms as they mature that causes a terrible rift between her and Patrick. Can it all possible work out?
I really enjoyed reading Project Mulberry and I thought Julia as an excellent protagonist, even when she found things to be "bo-o-o-ring," an adolescent attitude I was not unfamiliar, with thanks to my Kiddo. Julia is a realistic seventh grader - sometimes selfish and self-absorbed, other times generous, kind, and thoughtful, and she has a lot to deal with in this coming of age novel. Julia's identity issues are hard enough but dealing with the possibility that her mother might just be racist certainly adds to the difficulty. And yet, it also helps Julia look at her own attitudes about who she really is in a new light.
And then there is the moral dilemma Julia faces when she learns how silk is gotten from the silkworms. A difficult decision must be made by Julia and Patrick, one that could destroy their whole project and even the best of friendships.
Along the way, the reader, along with Julia and Patrick, learns quite a bit about conservation and how a sustainable farm works, something I actually enjoyed reading about in the novel, especially since it was done so naturally and not like it was just tossed in as a plot device. In fact, it inspires Julia and Patrick to try and make their silkworm project sustainable.
OK, I loved Project Mulberry, but themes of identity, friendship, racism, and conservation aside, there is one aspect of the novel that I really did not like. In between chapters is a conversation between the author and Julia about the plot and where things are going in the novel. Maybe it is there to show how a novel is constructed and written, as some people seem to think, but I found it just an annoyance. After reading the first few, I started to just skip them so that I could read the novel with a sense of continuity without interruption.
Project Mulberry is a excellent, thoroughly satisfying novel that covers a lot of themes and, to its credit, doesn't necessarily spare the reader or Julia some harsh realities of life.
This book is recommended for readers age 9+
This book was borrowed from the NYPL
This review was originally posted on Randomly Reading
A project is right up Julia and Patrick's alley, but they can't come up with a good one until Mrs. Song suggests they raise silkworms. Raising silkworms was something Julia's grandmother had done back in Korea and which her mother had helped with as a girl. Patrick thinks this is a wonderful idea and with his customary enthusiasm, begins to immediately do research on silkworms. Julia, however, is a lot less happy about this as their project.
Raising silkworms is a little too Korean for Julia. Wasn't it bad enough that her house always smelled so strongly of kimchi, a Korean specialty (it's spicy, pickled Napa cabbage and delicious), a smell that had always put other kids off? Ironically, Kimchi is also something Julia hates, but Patrick absolutely loves. And wasn't it bad enough to be the only Korean family in town, and then be to greeted with kids at the playground yelling "Chinka-chinka-Chinaman at her when they first saw her? But silkworms for the Wiggle project? No way, Julia just wants an all-American project. And she is pretty sure she can sabotage the silkworm project enough to make Patrick give it up.
But when Mr. Maxwell, leader of the Wiggle club, hears the idea for raising silkworms, he is all for it. The one big problem, the one that might just sink the project, is that silkworms only eat mulberry leaves and no one knows anyone with a mulberry tree. Even hanging flyers around town hadn't produced any possibilities. But then Miss Mona at the filling station said she had a customer who told her he had a mulberry tree, but he didn't write down Julia's phone number from the flyer.
Mr. Dixon didn't need to take the phone number - he had memorized it and, sure enough, he calls. So Patrick, Julia and Mrs. Song drive over to his house to meet Mr. Dixon and talk about the project. But when he opens his front door, Julia experiences a serious uh-oh moment - Mr. Dixon is an elderly black man, and Mrs. Song doesn't like African Americans, though Julia doesn't know why.
Julia has a lot to contend with now - the silkworm project is all systems go, and she is finally beginning to get into it; she really enjoys going over to Mr. Dixon's with Patrick and getting the mulberry leaves and even visiting for a while. But when they stay much too long one day, Mrs. Song forbids any visiting, and insists they just get the leaves and come straight home. So not only must Julia also contend with her mother's apparent racist feelings towards African Americans, but she must also deal with her own feeling about her Korean heritage and her identity as a Korean American. And then there's Julia's growing affection for the silkworms as they mature that causes a terrible rift between her and Patrick. Can it all possible work out?
I really enjoyed reading Project Mulberry and I thought Julia as an excellent protagonist, even when she found things to be "bo-o-o-ring," an adolescent attitude I was not unfamiliar, with thanks to my Kiddo. Julia is a realistic seventh grader - sometimes selfish and self-absorbed, other times generous, kind, and thoughtful, and she has a lot to deal with in this coming of age novel. Julia's identity issues are hard enough but dealing with the possibility that her mother might just be racist certainly adds to the difficulty. And yet, it also helps Julia look at her own attitudes about who she really is in a new light.
And then there is the moral dilemma Julia faces when she learns how silk is gotten from the silkworms. A difficult decision must be made by Julia and Patrick, one that could destroy their whole project and even the best of friendships.
Along the way, the reader, along with Julia and Patrick, learns quite a bit about conservation and how a sustainable farm works, something I actually enjoyed reading about in the novel, especially since it was done so naturally and not like it was just tossed in as a plot device. In fact, it inspires Julia and Patrick to try and make their silkworm project sustainable.
OK, I loved Project Mulberry, but themes of identity, friendship, racism, and conservation aside, there is one aspect of the novel that I really did not like. In between chapters is a conversation between the author and Julia about the plot and where things are going in the novel. Maybe it is there to show how a novel is constructed and written, as some people seem to think, but I found it just an annoyance. After reading the first few, I started to just skip them so that I could read the novel with a sense of continuity without interruption.
Project Mulberry is a excellent, thoroughly satisfying novel that covers a lot of themes and, to its credit, doesn't necessarily spare the reader or Julia some harsh realities of life.
This book is recommended for readers age 9+
This book was borrowed from the NYPL
This review was originally posted on Randomly Reading
February 22, 2015
I personally really liked reading this book for several reasons. In fact, this was one of the books that I enjoyed the most. This book is mainly about a girl named Julia, a seventh grade Korean-American girl in America. Although she had friends before she moved somewhere else, one time when her friends visited her house and smelled Kim Chee (kimchi), they thought it was gross. This made her have sort of a Kimchi trauma because she thought that everybody would be grossed out, just like her friends did, making her embarrassed. However, after she moved, she met a boy named Patrick who became her best friend, just because he loved Kimchi. Then, they decide to participate in this autumn fair where they have to raise a type of animal, and they decide to raise a silk worm.
I could easily relate to this book because I am Korean, too. Similar to her experiences of people having a bad opinion on Kimchi, I could think of when I first went to an international school. I was scared to share my food, or Korean food in general to other people because they might think that I was eating something weird. However, when my classmates really loved eating the Korean food that I brought, I could feel more respected and proud about my culture. This was the same for Julia because she could feel more proud about her self and Korea after Patrick showed his love for Kimchi. I could also relate to her innocence and childish-ness because I could remember my younger "me". Since this book is not just about being Asian or Korean, I could relate with her, fighting over something little, and making up. Julia and Patrick's fights were little, and I could see the innocence inside them when they were fighting and making up because my fights now, and my fights when I was a 4th grader is really different. My past fights were all little, and it could easily be maked-up, whereas now, my fights are bigger. My last point is that this book really expresses the feelings of the characters well, and really builds the characters. I was easily able to have the character in my mind and know Julia. In the book, there are parts where Julia and the author has a conversation, and I can get a really good idea of Julia's feelings and her personality, as well as the people around her.
I would strongly recommend this book to Asian people, or people who like to relate with their culture, and people who would want to think back to their childhood. This book really captures a mind of a 4th grader well.
I could easily relate to this book because I am Korean, too. Similar to her experiences of people having a bad opinion on Kimchi, I could think of when I first went to an international school. I was scared to share my food, or Korean food in general to other people because they might think that I was eating something weird. However, when my classmates really loved eating the Korean food that I brought, I could feel more respected and proud about my culture. This was the same for Julia because she could feel more proud about her self and Korea after Patrick showed his love for Kimchi. I could also relate to her innocence and childish-ness because I could remember my younger "me". Since this book is not just about being Asian or Korean, I could relate with her, fighting over something little, and making up. Julia and Patrick's fights were little, and I could see the innocence inside them when they were fighting and making up because my fights now, and my fights when I was a 4th grader is really different. My past fights were all little, and it could easily be maked-up, whereas now, my fights are bigger. My last point is that this book really expresses the feelings of the characters well, and really builds the characters. I was easily able to have the character in my mind and know Julia. In the book, there are parts where Julia and the author has a conversation, and I can get a really good idea of Julia's feelings and her personality, as well as the people around her.
I would strongly recommend this book to Asian people, or people who like to relate with their culture, and people who would want to think back to their childhood. This book really captures a mind of a 4th grader well.
March 18, 2009
Julia and her best friend Patrick are looking for a project for Wiggle Club (Work-Grow-Give-Live) and they hope to enter it in the state fair. But, after examining multiple possibilities, they’re still at a loss. Finally, Julia’s mother suggests that they try raising silkworms. Patrick thinks this is a great idea, but Julia feels it’s too Korean. She won’t come straight out and tell Patrick that she doesn’t want to do the project, though, so that makes for a lot of tension between them. Eventually, it’s Julia who becomes really attached to raising the silkworms and she’s horrified when she learns that in order to harvest the silk they’re going to have to kill the worms.
There’s so much packed into this short book – Julia’s struggle with her American and Korean identities, information about raising silkworms, sibling relationships, friendships, racism, and the relationships between authors and their characters! There’s a lot going on, but it never feels like it’s overwhelming or too cramped. Julia breaks in every once in awhile to talk to her creator – Linda Sue Park – and argue with her about where/how the story is going. She can be kind of a pain, but she’s an interesting pain and she has a lot of complex thoughts (which I always appreciate in a character). I really liked this book, and I hope it gets a lot of exposure and finds a loving audience. Mina Kim, who reads the audio edition, is a fantastic reader and she does a great job with Julia’s mom’s Korean accent.
There’s so much packed into this short book – Julia’s struggle with her American and Korean identities, information about raising silkworms, sibling relationships, friendships, racism, and the relationships between authors and their characters! There’s a lot going on, but it never feels like it’s overwhelming or too cramped. Julia breaks in every once in awhile to talk to her creator – Linda Sue Park – and argue with her about where/how the story is going. She can be kind of a pain, but she’s an interesting pain and she has a lot of complex thoughts (which I always appreciate in a character). I really liked this book, and I hope it gets a lot of exposure and finds a loving audience. Mina Kim, who reads the audio edition, is a fantastic reader and she does a great job with Julia’s mom’s Korean accent.
December 14, 2012
I’m currently reading the book “Project Mulberry” by Linda Sue Park. Julia and her friend, Patrick are intending to make something absolutely awesome for their partner project... but right now their minds have gone blank. Until the day Julia asked her mom for suggestions, her mom gave the idea of growing silkworms and making some thread. But Julia thought it was FAR to Korean. Still she decides to be loyal and tell Patrick. I like this book because the characters are so interesting, funny, and sometimes selfish. Julia (who is against the whole project) decides not to tell anyone her thoughts and to make herself feel better about the whole situation she pretends to be a secret agent. I also like the book because of the way the author wrote it, she adds in a lot of inner thoughts & feelings but only reveals enough of the story for us to understand. You can tell when Julia is battling herself and when she’s really unsure because the way Patrick reacts is obvious. That makes me feel connected to the characters because I also have friends that are always there for me and can understand my feelings, reaction, and emotion. Plus sometimes when there’s a dilemma or a really hard choice to make, it feels like inside my head a whole war is going on and I’m ripped between both the options. Last but not least I would rate this book a 3 and a ½ stars (even though it’s good, I’m not really into realistic fiction books.)
February 7, 2017
Some background on how I came upon this book. In elementary school we were typically allowed to borrow from the teacher's library full of books for us to read. While it encouraged reading, I have to applaud my teachers' willingness to use their money on us.
Anyway, I had read this book because it had a Korean girl on it and was written by a Korean author. Even when I was younger, I loved to read these kinds of books. That year though, my third grade teacher retired and, along with popiscles, let everyone in the class pick one book of their choosing. And I chose this book.
I read it countless times from that time and it's still someone in my house, seven years later. The style is very distinctive to Park's and it was interesting how she had chapters where the author herself talked to the character (amazing how I still remember that tbh).
Julia, the main character, struggles with identifying herself as Korean and wants to be a true American. She doesn't like eating kimchi and does not want to do the mulberry project. Patrick however, wants to try. A nostalgic book for me, and I recommend this book to all elementary schoolers.
Anyway, I had read this book because it had a Korean girl on it and was written by a Korean author. Even when I was younger, I loved to read these kinds of books. That year though, my third grade teacher retired and, along with popiscles, let everyone in the class pick one book of their choosing. And I chose this book.
I read it countless times from that time and it's still someone in my house, seven years later. The style is very distinctive to Park's and it was interesting how she had chapters where the author herself talked to the character (amazing how I still remember that tbh).
Julia, the main character, struggles with identifying herself as Korean and wants to be a true American. She doesn't like eating kimchi and does not want to do the mulberry project. Patrick however, wants to try. A nostalgic book for me, and I recommend this book to all elementary schoolers.
April 11, 2018
2 stars. Definitely not her best. I usually like reading her books, but this one just wasn't good.
For one, it was super weird, the way she has a conversation with the main character Julia. Weird weird weird weird. This is not a real person, it's a character - stop talking to her irl. That's creepy.
For another, the racist problem never gets solved - it looks like maybe hopefully her mom will stop being racist but she doesn't know for sure. That's inconclusive and kind of unsatisfying.
Third, it didn't seem very normal for someone to care freaking THAT MUCH about dumb caterpillars! Like when she finds out, for one, about how you have to kill them to get the silk - and she's like WAIT WHAAAAAAAAAAAT and Patrick's like girl. I researched this. And I spoon-fed you all the information you needed. And you don't even freaking read it??? That is the BARE MINIMUM. So he's like yeah...you kill them. And she's like
"nawooooooooooo"
I understand I'm not an animal-lover, but I mean...! The way she talks, it literally sounds like her grandmother just died! This...is ridiculous!
And then later she just caaaan't handle it so she tells Patrick to keep unwinding the cocoon and that she's gonna take a breather (because they're getting closer to the caterpillar while they unwind), and goes and sits on her bed, because it's all just TOO. MUCH.
...leaving Patrick to do all the work even though she knows Patrick has a phobia about worms, insects, caterpillars, and that he hates touching them - girl, that's so inconsiderate! Think of someone other than yourself right now! Stop crying about FIVE caterpillars. FIVE. OUT OF THIRTY. That's just not a big deal! Stop feeling so sorry for yourself and your dumb caterpillars - you want to do the project right? So do it.
It's SO DUMB! She's just cryyyying like
Well you know what, life isn't fair. Get used to it.
And when Patrick tells her what's what, and points out the fact that they don't even feel a thing! They don't have a brain - that's why they're a lower species because they don't think or feel. They eat, live, die. End of story.
Go Patrick, for being the only sensible one in this story.
Another thing! Who is this rude to their brother? I understaaaand, brothers can be annoying, TRUST ME I KNOW. But I'm not this flipping rude to him! There's not one point in the book that she ever really appreciates him. There's the part at the end when she tolerates him but she never matures enough to realize his name isn't Snotbrain. His name is Kenny. Stop being annoying.
But I do like the aspect that everyone can be racist in the little things - and it kind of made me more aware of how something could hurt someone, and you don't even know it. That part of the book is worth reading about. And there's good advice, too.
Last, I did appreciate that she and Patrick didn't get first place - in fact, none of them (the ones who got their stuff put in the fair) got first place. Made it much more believable, especially since none of the projects were that great, so it would have felt like they won because they were the main characters.
For one, it was super weird, the way she has a conversation with the main character Julia. Weird weird weird weird. This is not a real person, it's a character - stop talking to her irl. That's creepy.
For another, the racist problem never gets solved - it looks like maybe hopefully her mom will stop being racist but she doesn't know for sure. That's inconclusive and kind of unsatisfying.
Third, it didn't seem very normal for someone to care freaking THAT MUCH about dumb caterpillars! Like when she finds out, for one, about how you have to kill them to get the silk - and she's like WAIT WHAAAAAAAAAAAT and Patrick's like girl. I researched this. And I spoon-fed you all the information you needed. And you don't even freaking read it??? That is the BARE MINIMUM. So he's like yeah...you kill them. And she's like
"nawooooooooooo"
I understand I'm not an animal-lover, but I mean...! The way she talks, it literally sounds like her grandmother just died! This...is ridiculous!
I whispered a final goodbye in my head. Then I put the lid on the pot.
And turned the burner on.
We kept working. I was a little numb, which was a good thing.
And then later she just caaaan't handle it so she tells Patrick to keep unwinding the cocoon and that she's gonna take a breather (because they're getting closer to the caterpillar while they unwind), and goes and sits on her bed, because it's all just TOO. MUCH.
...leaving Patrick to do all the work even though she knows Patrick has a phobia about worms, insects, caterpillars, and that he hates touching them - girl, that's so inconsiderate! Think of someone other than yourself right now! Stop crying about FIVE caterpillars. FIVE. OUT OF THIRTY. That's just not a big deal! Stop feeling so sorry for yourself and your dumb caterpillars - you want to do the project right? So do it.
It's SO DUMB! She's just cryyyying like
Well you know what, life isn't fair. Get used to it.
And when Patrick tells her what's what, and points out the fact that they don't even feel a thing! They don't have a brain - that's why they're a lower species because they don't think or feel. They eat, live, die. End of story.
Go Patrick, for being the only sensible one in this story.
Another thing! Who is this rude to their brother? I understaaaand, brothers can be annoying, TRUST ME I KNOW. But I'm not this flipping rude to him! There's not one point in the book that she ever really appreciates him. There's the part at the end when she tolerates him but she never matures enough to realize his name isn't Snotbrain. His name is Kenny. Stop being annoying.
But I do like the aspect that everyone can be racist in the little things - and it kind of made me more aware of how something could hurt someone, and you don't even know it. That part of the book is worth reading about. And there's good advice, too.
Last, I did appreciate that she and Patrick didn't get first place - in fact, none of them (the ones who got their stuff put in the fair) got first place. Made it much more believable, especially since none of the projects were that great, so it would have felt like they won because they were the main characters.
Read
January 26, 2018Julia Song is a seventh grader along with her best friend Patrick. Julia and Patrick have been best friends for a long time. Both Julia and Patrick want to team up and try for a blue ribbon at their state fair. They had to pick a project that they could manage. At first, they couldn't decide on what project they wanted to do, but Julia's mother gives them an idea. Julia's mother suggests that they do a project on nurturing and raising silkworms. This task seems to sound easy to the pair of friends at first but it proves to be daunting. There are a few problems that the two pair of friends run into. Their project is in jeopardy and they don't know what to do.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 12, 2015
I personally did not enjoy this book that much. I thought the plot of the story was very slow and dragged on. But I did enjoy this book because I am not familiar with the Korean culture, so I was able to learn more about this culture especially with the importance of Silk Worms. I think I didn’t enjoy this book that much because I couldn’t relate with any personal experiences. Julia Song was almost embarrassed of her Korean culture, not wanting to expose her culture to students. She did everything she could to sabotage her project with Patrick so that they would have to create a new project for the state fair. I have never hid my culture to others so I had a hard time questioning why Julia wanted to hid hers.
I think this would be a great book to read aloud in a 3rd grade classroom during a social studies unit. This book is perfect for 3rd graders because it is an easier read but does at times throws in words and events unfamiliar to students including hibiscus, Revolutionary War, and Pleistocene-era. This complex vocabulary will also allow students to learn about events in the world that they might have never been taught. This would be a great book to read during a social studies unit when introducing different races and cultures. Students will specifically be able to learn about the Korean cultures. Through Julia and Patrick’s process of creating a project on silk worms for the state far, students will be able to learn about special traditions and objects important to the Korean culture. Not only will they be learning about the Korean culture, but students will also learn that there are a ton of cultures and races in our world. They will learn the importance of respecting different culture and races that differ from their own. A literary element that could be taught while reading this book would be theme. The theme of the story is to not be afraid to be true to yourself and where you come from. Through this theme, almost all students will be able to relate to it. Some students will even be able to relate to Julia especially, in which they see how she was hesitant to express her Korean culture to others in the state fair. Some students have a hard time coming out of their shell and embracing who they are and where they come from. Through Julia’s story, students will learn that they are not alone and that it is ok to be true to where they come from.
One thing that helped this paper flow was at the end of each chapter; there was a short dialogue between Julia and the author Linda Sue Park. Even though I thought that this book’s plot was very slow, it flowed easily because of these dialogues. These dialogues will help students to check for understanding and keep up with everything that has already happened in the book.
I think this would be a great book to read aloud in a 3rd grade classroom during a social studies unit. This book is perfect for 3rd graders because it is an easier read but does at times throws in words and events unfamiliar to students including hibiscus, Revolutionary War, and Pleistocene-era. This complex vocabulary will also allow students to learn about events in the world that they might have never been taught. This would be a great book to read during a social studies unit when introducing different races and cultures. Students will specifically be able to learn about the Korean cultures. Through Julia and Patrick’s process of creating a project on silk worms for the state far, students will be able to learn about special traditions and objects important to the Korean culture. Not only will they be learning about the Korean culture, but students will also learn that there are a ton of cultures and races in our world. They will learn the importance of respecting different culture and races that differ from their own. A literary element that could be taught while reading this book would be theme. The theme of the story is to not be afraid to be true to yourself and where you come from. Through this theme, almost all students will be able to relate to it. Some students will even be able to relate to Julia especially, in which they see how she was hesitant to express her Korean culture to others in the state fair. Some students have a hard time coming out of their shell and embracing who they are and where they come from. Through Julia’s story, students will learn that they are not alone and that it is ok to be true to where they come from.
One thing that helped this paper flow was at the end of each chapter; there was a short dialogue between Julia and the author Linda Sue Park. Even though I thought that this book’s plot was very slow, it flowed easily because of these dialogues. These dialogues will help students to check for understanding and keep up with everything that has already happened in the book.
November 16, 2016
Project Mulberry
By: Linda Sue Park
This book satisfies my requirement to read a Informational book for RLL-520-0.
Project Mulberry is a book about a friendship between a white boy, Patrick, and Korean-American, Julia, who decide to do a science project together for the state fair. The project is essentially Animal Husbandry of silkworms. Over the course of the story there is a lot of science and environmentalism worked in along with race relations to boot. The kids deal with whole, half and non-truths. Also there are nice snippets of dialogue between chapters where the author talks to her self-object, Julia, and works out for the reader some of the process for writing the story. So the reader gets a behind the scenes type look at the writing process.
I would teach this book to middle school and up. It would be a great book for a science teacher and language arts teacher to team up on. My thinking is that the science teacher would have students partner up and do an actual project together. Ideally the more mixing and matching or students by sex, race and interests that could be done to immolate the lessons of the book would enhance things.
Park is a great writer and this passage here I find very profound.
“I thought again about why I didn’t like people to assume I was Chinese. They thought they knew when they didn’t. And because they thought they knew, they never asked. So in a way, it didn’t mater whether what your were thinking was good or bad. Not knowing. And not knowing-or not caring-that you didn’t know. And not bothering to find out because you didn’t know you didn’t know. That was the problem.” (p.141)
I think this passage is a great example of showing how a seventh grader sees a complicated problem like adult level ignorance and an inability for the adult to deal with that ignorance even when it is glaring them in the face. Julia is clearly frustrated that she is frustrate about being called Chinese when she is Korean by another adult, but does not feel capable of telling the adult this is not okay and have the adult understand that what they have done in pure blissful ignorance is not acceptable. I would think a lot of kids would read this passage and identify with Julia’s feelings here and be very happy to have them expressed in this way so they can now tell someone how they do not like not knowing as being an acceptable reason to be offensive. A potentially wonderful discussion topic for the class about how we talk and deal with race in a classroom environment and out in the every day walks of life.
I think kids will enjoy discussing the topics about friendship, family, history, race, science and siblings that his story presents. Who knows maybe someone in the class will want to duplicate the Mulberry Project.
By: Linda Sue Park
This book satisfies my requirement to read a Informational book for RLL-520-0.
Project Mulberry is a book about a friendship between a white boy, Patrick, and Korean-American, Julia, who decide to do a science project together for the state fair. The project is essentially Animal Husbandry of silkworms. Over the course of the story there is a lot of science and environmentalism worked in along with race relations to boot. The kids deal with whole, half and non-truths. Also there are nice snippets of dialogue between chapters where the author talks to her self-object, Julia, and works out for the reader some of the process for writing the story. So the reader gets a behind the scenes type look at the writing process.
I would teach this book to middle school and up. It would be a great book for a science teacher and language arts teacher to team up on. My thinking is that the science teacher would have students partner up and do an actual project together. Ideally the more mixing and matching or students by sex, race and interests that could be done to immolate the lessons of the book would enhance things.
Park is a great writer and this passage here I find very profound.
“I thought again about why I didn’t like people to assume I was Chinese. They thought they knew when they didn’t. And because they thought they knew, they never asked. So in a way, it didn’t mater whether what your were thinking was good or bad. Not knowing. And not knowing-or not caring-that you didn’t know. And not bothering to find out because you didn’t know you didn’t know. That was the problem.” (p.141)
I think this passage is a great example of showing how a seventh grader sees a complicated problem like adult level ignorance and an inability for the adult to deal with that ignorance even when it is glaring them in the face. Julia is clearly frustrated that she is frustrate about being called Chinese when she is Korean by another adult, but does not feel capable of telling the adult this is not okay and have the adult understand that what they have done in pure blissful ignorance is not acceptable. I would think a lot of kids would read this passage and identify with Julia’s feelings here and be very happy to have them expressed in this way so they can now tell someone how they do not like not knowing as being an acceptable reason to be offensive. A potentially wonderful discussion topic for the class about how we talk and deal with race in a classroom environment and out in the every day walks of life.
I think kids will enjoy discussing the topics about friendship, family, history, race, science and siblings that his story presents. Who knows maybe someone in the class will want to duplicate the Mulberry Project.
February 17, 2013
Project Mulberry is a story about Korean 7th grader Julia Song, her best friend Patrick, and their experiences while trying to complete an "animal husbandry" project for an extracurricular club. Julia and Patrick ask Mrs. Song for help to brainstorm possible projects and she suggests silk worms. After a bit of research, Patrick is convinced that this is the best project for them.
Julia is hesitant to engage in raising silk worms for the project because it's "too Asian," but Patrick insists. Julia goes through a phase where she plays the part of obstructionist, but eventually the duo get the worms and begin to care for them. With the help of Mr. Dixon, a local retired gentlemen, and his mulberry tree the children are able to get the silk worm eggs through their life cycles. Patrick and Julia are faced with the tough choice of whether to obtain the silk in workable form (which requires killing the worms before they emerge as moths) or to let them become moths and continue the circle of life.
I found myself really drawn to the social commentary on racism Linda Sue Park presented in this book. Mrs. Song's words and actions and Julia's reflections presented one stereotype of African Americans - that because of their struggle with freedom that they were not well educated and so Julia's Black teacher may not be as good of a teacher as a White one. Park puts it right out there! What a great way for students to start to explore stereotypes and racism.
For me, this book naturally connects to social studies and science. A student might go through the book or a specific chapter and document all the evidence the author presents to support Julia's concern that her mother is racist. What does she do or say that leads Julia to this conclusion. Then, the teacher can connect to studying the ways in which a particular population of people are or have been persecuted (e.g., special needs, Jews in the Holocaust, Asians in the movement west in the US). With respect to science, there are abundant connections to life cycles throughout the book. The most salient is that of the silk worm, but readers also explore a sustainable farm cycle toward the middle of the book.
The lexile index for this book is 690L and a guided reading level of S. It has a 4-8 interest level. Students at the middle to end of 1st grade should be able to read it independently read it by the end of 4th grade/beginning of 5th grade.
Julia is hesitant to engage in raising silk worms for the project because it's "too Asian," but Patrick insists. Julia goes through a phase where she plays the part of obstructionist, but eventually the duo get the worms and begin to care for them. With the help of Mr. Dixon, a local retired gentlemen, and his mulberry tree the children are able to get the silk worm eggs through their life cycles. Patrick and Julia are faced with the tough choice of whether to obtain the silk in workable form (which requires killing the worms before they emerge as moths) or to let them become moths and continue the circle of life.
I found myself really drawn to the social commentary on racism Linda Sue Park presented in this book. Mrs. Song's words and actions and Julia's reflections presented one stereotype of African Americans - that because of their struggle with freedom that they were not well educated and so Julia's Black teacher may not be as good of a teacher as a White one. Park puts it right out there! What a great way for students to start to explore stereotypes and racism.
For me, this book naturally connects to social studies and science. A student might go through the book or a specific chapter and document all the evidence the author presents to support Julia's concern that her mother is racist. What does she do or say that leads Julia to this conclusion. Then, the teacher can connect to studying the ways in which a particular population of people are or have been persecuted (e.g., special needs, Jews in the Holocaust, Asians in the movement west in the US). With respect to science, there are abundant connections to life cycles throughout the book. The most salient is that of the silk worm, but readers also explore a sustainable farm cycle toward the middle of the book.
The lexile index for this book is 690L and a guided reading level of S. It has a 4-8 interest level. Students at the middle to end of 1st grade should be able to read it independently read it by the end of 4th grade/beginning of 5th grade.
April 6, 2012
Project Mulberry Julia Song has been a best friend with Patrick ever since she moved to town. They do homework together, study for test, and our both in the Wiggle Club. The club is starting to work on projects that they can enter in to the state fair. When Julia’s mom suggests a project on silk worms Julia thinks it is too Korean, but Patrick loves the idea. Julia is against the silk worm idea because her family is the only Korean family in the town and has previous experiences with prejudice and discrimination. Julia cannot talk Patrick out of the idea and agrees to do it with him. She then spends the rest of book trying to find a way to sabotage the project without Patrick knowing. Throughout the book Julia learns to accept her heritage and realizes that she is still American even with a different cultural background. An interesting aspect of the book is that after each chapter the author has a conversation with the Julia, the main character. These insights were added to show details about the story such as how the author came up with the characters and how some situations were based off of her own life.
Julia’s parents are from Korea and show many characteristics of a traditional Korean lifestyle. Julia was born in the United States and has a different view on what it means to be Korean. Readers will also learn how Patrick, whose family has been in America for decades, feels about his and Julia’s cultures. Even though Julia’s culture is Korean it is different than that of her parents. This story does a good job of celebrating the diversity in cultures. The reader sees to levels of Korean culture and how and outsider interacts with the values and customs of that culture. As the book focuses on Julia and her family, the reader will gain a lot of knowledge about the Korean culture. They will see what values are important, food is eaten, and what traditions are participated in. One example of this is how Julia does not want to be seen as too Korean, but is learning how to do embroidery the traditional Korean way. Another example of the cultural detail that is shown is that Julia does not want to have friends over to her house because it smells like kimchee and they used to call her names.
Julia’s parents are from Korea and show many characteristics of a traditional Korean lifestyle. Julia was born in the United States and has a different view on what it means to be Korean. Readers will also learn how Patrick, whose family has been in America for decades, feels about his and Julia’s cultures. Even though Julia’s culture is Korean it is different than that of her parents. This story does a good job of celebrating the diversity in cultures. The reader sees to levels of Korean culture and how and outsider interacts with the values and customs of that culture. As the book focuses on Julia and her family, the reader will gain a lot of knowledge about the Korean culture. They will see what values are important, food is eaten, and what traditions are participated in. One example of this is how Julia does not want to be seen as too Korean, but is learning how to do embroidery the traditional Korean way. Another example of the cultural detail that is shown is that Julia does not want to have friends over to her house because it smells like kimchee and they used to call her names.
Read
March 12, 2014Summary
This book is about a girl named Julia Song. Julia is Korean and her best friend is Patrick. Patrick and her have always been friends and done school work together. When needing their next project idea, they listen to Julia's mom about raising silkworms. Julia is hesitant at first but in the end, ends up really liking them.
Julia battles her emotions throughout the book. She does not know how to react to her mother not wanting her to go to a complete stranger's house to pick leaves off his mulberry tree. She is also very confused toward the end of the book when she realized that she would have to the silkworms that she raised from eggs in order to collect their silk. She ended up getting second place for her project when she used the silkworms' silk to embroider her project.
Response
I gave this book an overall rating of two stars. I did not feel that it deserved anymore because I felt it was slow moving. It was not very interesting and did not hold my attention at times. However, this may be because the book is not for my reading level.
This book made me feel somewhat annoyed at times. I felt that Julia complained about too many things. For instance, after every chapter, Julia complained to the author about what the author wrote about her. She also became upset at her friend for little things. Julia did not seem to be very proud of her heritage. She seemed to sort of despise it like when her mom said how her grandmother had raised silkworms.
Classroom Connections
I believe that this book can be used to show that no matter what, you should be proud of your heritage. Julia tried to avoid the project that involved doing things that her relatives had done. However, in the end, she pulled through. She learned to be proud of the project and not just because she won second place, but because it was an amazing process that her friend and her went through. It was like the circle of life.
CCSS Range
According to lexile.com, this book has an overall 690L. This book would be best fit to read to fourth or fifth graders during in class read-a-louds. Project Mulberry would be perfect for fifth and sixth graders to read independently. It might even inspire them for their next science fair project!
This book is about a girl named Julia Song. Julia is Korean and her best friend is Patrick. Patrick and her have always been friends and done school work together. When needing their next project idea, they listen to Julia's mom about raising silkworms. Julia is hesitant at first but in the end, ends up really liking them.
Julia battles her emotions throughout the book. She does not know how to react to her mother not wanting her to go to a complete stranger's house to pick leaves off his mulberry tree. She is also very confused toward the end of the book when she realized that she would have to the silkworms that she raised from eggs in order to collect their silk. She ended up getting second place for her project when she used the silkworms' silk to embroider her project.
Response
I gave this book an overall rating of two stars. I did not feel that it deserved anymore because I felt it was slow moving. It was not very interesting and did not hold my attention at times. However, this may be because the book is not for my reading level.
This book made me feel somewhat annoyed at times. I felt that Julia complained about too many things. For instance, after every chapter, Julia complained to the author about what the author wrote about her. She also became upset at her friend for little things. Julia did not seem to be very proud of her heritage. She seemed to sort of despise it like when her mom said how her grandmother had raised silkworms.
Classroom Connections
I believe that this book can be used to show that no matter what, you should be proud of your heritage. Julia tried to avoid the project that involved doing things that her relatives had done. However, in the end, she pulled through. She learned to be proud of the project and not just because she won second place, but because it was an amazing process that her friend and her went through. It was like the circle of life.
CCSS Range
According to lexile.com, this book has an overall 690L. This book would be best fit to read to fourth or fifth graders during in class read-a-louds. Project Mulberry would be perfect for fifth and sixth graders to read independently. It might even inspire them for their next science fair project!
April 24, 2012
Project Mulberry, by Linda Park, is a story told from the perspective of the main character named Julia Song, who is Korean-American. Julia is in seventh grade, and through the series of events that take place, she is forced to confront her ethnicity and come to terms with who she is. Julia gets help along the way from her mother, her best friend Patrick, and her annoying brother Kenny. Julia and Patrick want to enter a project in the state fair, through their schools Wiggle Club. Julia wants to do something very, “red-white-and blue” American, but her mother suggests she grow silkworms instead like her grandmother did back in Korea. Due to Patrick’s enthusiasm, Julia reluctantly agrees to do the project; however, she secretly hopes things go wrong. Eventually, Julia and Patrick end up purchasing twenty-five silkworms and the story unfolds. This book provides great insight, as it is authored by Korean-American writer, Linda Sue Park. The main characters feelings are conveyed without stereotypical representations. We are able to understand the turmoil Julia feels by being at odds with her heritage. Also, the story reveals how prejudices are expressed in everyday life. For example, there is the time Julia’s friends came over to play and preferred to stay outdoors because her house smelled like the Korean food kimchee. Then, there is an instance when Julia’s mom is indifferent about her going to Mr. Dixon’s house for the mulberry tree leaves the silkworms need, and Julia wonders if it is due to the fact he is of color. A distinct aspect of the book is the dialogue that takes place at the end of every chapter between the main character Julia, and the author, Ms. Park. These conversations provide the reader a clearer understanding of the author’s writing process. For example, why the character was named Julia, why Kenny is so annoying, and why Ms. Park was unsure about the story’s ending. Reading Project Mulberry, allows readers to gain a better understanding of the Korean culture, relate to what it is like to be different, and have an appreciation for wanting to be accepted for who you are.
November 10, 2011
Project Mulberry by Linda Sue Park is the story of a Korean girl, Julia and her best friend Patrick. The two of them are in the Wiggles Club (similar to 4H) and need a project for competition. Julia’s mother tells the children about how she helped raise silk worms in Korea as a youngster. After much discussion, they decide to raise silk worms, even though Julia feels that she would prefer an American project and not a Korean one. Julia also adds a dimension to the project, by creating an embroidery project that she will stitch with the silk. Along the way, the children need the assistance of Mr. Dixon, because he has the only mulberry tree around and silkworms eat mulberry leaves. Julia’s mother is not happy that Mr. Dixon is an African-American. Although it doesn’t directly say why, Julia is left to wonder about her mother’s prejudices. Throughout the story, the project has many ups and downs, including the shocking realization that in order to use the silk, the worms must die.
This book had a very unique format, that I liked. Between each chapter, the author, Linda Sue Park and Julia have sidebar conversations. They argue about plot points, characters, writing styles and more. It is a unique look at how the book came to be, what was pre-planned, what developed as the story goes along, and how the story has a life of its own. It is something that can easily be transferred to writing lessons with students.
I found the situation with Julia’s mother and Mr. Dixon very realistic. There are prejudices out there that people may not consciously be aware of, or that they are trying to avoid. I liked the fact that the idea is thrown out there, but isn’t wrapped up and happy by the end. The issues still exist, we are aware of them, but they are not solved in 200 pages. This could be a great discussion with students. How are our opinions shaped by those around us?
2006 Rebecca Caudill Award List
This book had a very unique format, that I liked. Between each chapter, the author, Linda Sue Park and Julia have sidebar conversations. They argue about plot points, characters, writing styles and more. It is a unique look at how the book came to be, what was pre-planned, what developed as the story goes along, and how the story has a life of its own. It is something that can easily be transferred to writing lessons with students.
I found the situation with Julia’s mother and Mr. Dixon very realistic. There are prejudices out there that people may not consciously be aware of, or that they are trying to avoid. I liked the fact that the idea is thrown out there, but isn’t wrapped up and happy by the end. The issues still exist, we are aware of them, but they are not solved in 200 pages. This could be a great discussion with students. How are our opinions shaped by those around us?
2006 Rebecca Caudill Award List
February 10, 2010
Julia is a Korean American who wishes she didn’t stand out so much— even her house smells Korean because of the kimchee. Her friend Patrick doesn’t seem to notice this issue, and loves getting a bite of kimchee every time he comes over, so when he suggests they do a silkworm project for the WIGGLE club (like 4-H), he doesn’t see Julia’s secret resistance to something so Korean. Eventually, Julia does get excited (and decides friendship is more important, so she sacrifices her dislike of the project) and is eager to see these worms through to the end. The biggest twist comes when Patrick reveals he’s got a worm phobia, and didn’t really want to do the project, either, but thought it would help overcome the fear. There are a couple of side stories: the two collect state quarters and are having difficulty finding Connecticut, Julia wonders if her mom is a racist when they discover the only person in town with mulberry leaves is a black man and learning about ‘organic’ versus ‘commercial’ products.
Overall it’s not a bad book, and I was a little worried she would end it with the two friends FINALLY finding their quarters (gag—cheesy!), but she ties that storyline up nicely with Julia and her little brother. It is interesting to see the different relationships in the book, and the character development is good—Julia grows the right amount after the lessons she learns.
The other bit about this book is after each chapter is a bit of interview between Julia and Linda Sue Park. I must admit, I only read the first one and then skipped the rest—I found them annoying. It’s a nice idea to know what’s going on inside the author’s head, but this execution interrupts the story a little too much.
Overall it’s not a bad book, and I was a little worried she would end it with the two friends FINALLY finding their quarters (gag—cheesy!), but she ties that storyline up nicely with Julia and her little brother. It is interesting to see the different relationships in the book, and the character development is good—Julia grows the right amount after the lessons she learns.
The other bit about this book is after each chapter is a bit of interview between Julia and Linda Sue Park. I must admit, I only read the first one and then skipped the rest—I found them annoying. It’s a nice idea to know what’s going on inside the author’s head, but this execution interrupts the story a little too much.
June 3, 2010
Many years ago, my sister worked at a drama department at a state university in the southwest. Somehow they ended up on the crew for a Paul McCartney concert in the big arena (in the dressing room, perhaps? I forget that part). Apparently the contract specified that no meat could be sold in the concession stands during the concert, since Linda McCartney was a vegetarian vocal animal rights advocate. My sister wanted to point out that many silkworms had to be boiled in their cocoons to make the silk clothing LC was wearing, but did not.
Why do I bring this up? Because as Project Mulberry progressed, it was obvious to me that Julia didn't realize this fact either. How does it get resolved? You'll have to read (or listen to) the book to find out!
Author Park uses an interesting technique in 'talking' to the main character (Julia) between some chapters. My 9yo son was intrigued by this, and enjoyed the insights into a writer's craft. In the audio version, it was a bit jarring at times because they did not use any kind of cue to inform you that it was shifting from narrative to "chat" (unless Park happened to speak first in that particular dialogue). I suspect this would not be a problem in the print edition.
This book addresses racism, trust in friendship, silkworm husbandry, and (less deep) sibling management. Like a few other books I've read recently, it shows characters that go against stereotype (Julia is the hands-on builder type while Patrick is the bookworm). The silkworm descriptions are a bit dry at times, but I wonder how many kids will be inspired to raise caterpillars of their own after reading this book? We have mulberry trees, we certainly could!
Why do I bring this up? Because as Project Mulberry progressed, it was obvious to me that Julia didn't realize this fact either. How does it get resolved? You'll have to read (or listen to) the book to find out!
Author Park uses an interesting technique in 'talking' to the main character (Julia) between some chapters. My 9yo son was intrigued by this, and enjoyed the insights into a writer's craft. In the audio version, it was a bit jarring at times because they did not use any kind of cue to inform you that it was shifting from narrative to "chat" (unless Park happened to speak first in that particular dialogue). I suspect this would not be a problem in the print edition.
This book addresses racism, trust in friendship, silkworm husbandry, and (less deep) sibling management. Like a few other books I've read recently, it shows characters that go against stereotype (Julia is the hands-on builder type while Patrick is the bookworm). The silkworm descriptions are a bit dry at times, but I wonder how many kids will be inspired to raise caterpillars of their own after reading this book? We have mulberry trees, we certainly could!
April 26, 2014
The book is about a young Korean American girl, Julia Song, who lives in a small predominantly white town and HATES kimchee. Her best friend is the precocious Caucasian boy who lives across the street. Julia and Patrick do everything together, they study together, they walk to school together- Patrick practically lives with the Songs in order to escape his numerous siblings and hectic home. The funny thing is, Patrick LOVES kimchee, everyday after doing homework together Julia’s mother is waiting with a spoonful of rice and kimchee to pop into Patrick’s mouth as he runs out the door headed home. Julia’s father jokes that maybe they should have her DNA tested as a result of her distaste for kimchee, Julia thinks they should have Patrick’s DNA tested. Julia and Patrick belong to a club, which they call the Wiggle Club. The two friends decide to enter the “Animal Husbandry” contest, which is entails raising and caring for an animal- usually pigs, sheep, chickens and other farm animals. The problem is that Julia and Patrick live in apartements and no way could they have those kind of animals, they think they are out of luck when Julia’s mom suggests they raise silk worms like she did when she was a young girl in Korea. Patrick is thrilled, Julia is not, she thinks the project is “too Korean”. Julia hides her reluctance about the project because Patrick is so excited, but she secretly vows to sabotage the project if she can figure out a way. Things are looking up for Julia when Patrick reads that the only thing the worms eat are fresh leaves from a Mulberry tree, and as far as they know, there is not a single Mulberry tree in the entire town of Plainfield. This is where I will leave off, as I don’t want to ruin the ending.
May 1, 2011
This was an interesting YAL book in a number of ways. First, it handles a bunch of social issues: assimilation, bigotry, ecology. Layered into the mix is a hint of teen romance and sibling rivalry. Finally, and the most interesting conceit, is that Ms. Park has an "interview" with her lead character at the end of nearly every chapter about the process of writing. While it's certainly fun and interesting to see the writer's process, I must admit that at times this gimmick stops the flow of action and keeps reminding us that we are reading a work of fiction. In a way, that prevents the reader from caring about the characters as much as they might.
The story of a Korean-American girl who, along with her boy-next-door neighbor, is ill-at-ease with the science project she must work on -- cultivating silkworms -- because it seems too "Korean". The book is an interesting study of her journey to self-acceptance.
My only gripe, and it is a minor gripe, is that Park throws an awful lot of issues into the story. She raises the specter of her mother's possible bigotry against the African-American man who owns the only nearby mulberry tree (mulberry leaves are the only thing silk worms eat). She never answers her own questions, as though asking them were enough. I'm not sure that's true.
Also, in her credits at the end of the book, she mentions that some of the actual silkworms raised as research for the book were raised on artificial silkworm food -- an option that Park conveniently leaves out in order to provide a key plot point.
Other than these issues, the book is a fast and interesting read and definitely will lead to some interesting classroom discussion.
The story of a Korean-American girl who, along with her boy-next-door neighbor, is ill-at-ease with the science project she must work on -- cultivating silkworms -- because it seems too "Korean". The book is an interesting study of her journey to self-acceptance.
My only gripe, and it is a minor gripe, is that Park throws an awful lot of issues into the story. She raises the specter of her mother's possible bigotry against the African-American man who owns the only nearby mulberry tree (mulberry leaves are the only thing silk worms eat). She never answers her own questions, as though asking them were enough. I'm not sure that's true.
Also, in her credits at the end of the book, she mentions that some of the actual silkworms raised as research for the book were raised on artificial silkworm food -- an option that Park conveniently leaves out in order to provide a key plot point.
Other than these issues, the book is a fast and interesting read and definitely will lead to some interesting classroom discussion.
February 6, 2017
Julia Song, a Korean-American girl lives in Plainfield, Illinois. Her best friend is Patrick who loves her family’s unique cuisine and customs. Julia is trying to minimize the fact that she is Korean and wants to do everything the ‘American Way’. They join the Wiggle Club, short for Work-Grow-Give-Love! and decide they must enter a project for the state fair. Their project will involve some aspect of animal husbandry, under the direction of Mr. Maxwell, who has a sustainable farm in the area.
When they cannot come up with an idea for the project, Julia’s mom suggests a silkworm project, where they would harvest silk from the silkworms just as she did when she was a little girl in Korea. Patrick is thrilled with the idea; Julia wants to do something more American.
After considerable debate, it is decided they would go through with the project and come across some obstacles in the process. Silkworms eat only the leaves of the mulberry tree, and the only mulberry tree in Plainfield belongs to Mr. Dixon, a friendly retired black man. One problem: Julia’s mom does not like black people, or so Julia thinks. But, as the project moves forward, Mrs. Song slowly changes her mind about Mr. Dixon, all the while the kids learn a lesson about life and death, renewal and sustainability, and acceptance of all.
When they cannot come up with an idea for the project, Julia’s mom suggests a silkworm project, where they would harvest silk from the silkworms just as she did when she was a little girl in Korea. Patrick is thrilled with the idea; Julia wants to do something more American.
After considerable debate, it is decided they would go through with the project and come across some obstacles in the process. Silkworms eat only the leaves of the mulberry tree, and the only mulberry tree in Plainfield belongs to Mr. Dixon, a friendly retired black man. One problem: Julia’s mom does not like black people, or so Julia thinks. But, as the project moves forward, Mrs. Song slowly changes her mind about Mr. Dixon, all the while the kids learn a lesson about life and death, renewal and sustainability, and acceptance of all.
August 15, 2012
This book is the kind of book adults love to assign kids to read. It covers topics of racism, ecological farming practices, ambitious science/home ec projects, not to mention sibling relationships and working through conflict with friends. As I mentioned in a previous review, the childhood books I prefer are ones that don't tackle tough adult issues but provide a place of wonder and escape. This book features Julia, a 7th grade Korean-American girl who likes to call her brother "snot-brain" and "idiot." Name calling is something I actively work against in my own home and was bothered by the number of times I (and Ben) had to read those words. Julia's interaction with her mother is also a bit mature and I didn't care for her attitude. I don't want Ben modeling her attitudes with me. Plus, a good portion of this book revolves around the raising of silk worms and embroidery - topics more interesting to the librarian who choose this book than the fourth and fifth graders reading it. A more appropriate (and likely intended) audience for themes of racism and the benefits of organic eggs (and this book) would be middle school students.
This review is a bit harsh since I'm reviewing through the lens of my son reading it. Had I read it on my own I would have rated it much higher. The writing is good, the story interesting and I did learn a lot about the production of silk.
This review is a bit harsh since I'm reviewing through the lens of my son reading it. Had I read it on my own I would have rated it much higher. The writing is good, the story interesting and I did learn a lot about the production of silk.
November 23, 2016
This is my first informational book review.
Project Mulberry is the story of two friends who team up together to work on a project for the state fair. They decide to raise silkworms and use the silk produced in a separate sewing project. Throughout the story, Julia grapples with accepting and appreciating her Korean heritage, Patrick battles with his secret phobia, and underlying themes of friendship, family, race, and poverty are present throughout the book. Through it all, the reader also learns an incredible amount of information about the life cycle of silkworms and how to raise them.
One thing that I found incredibly distracting while reading this book is that periodically, the author broke from the story and had "conversations" with the main character, Julia. As a reader, I did not enjoy this. However, as a teacher, I would love to use this book as a mentor text for students during writing workshop as the dialogue provides a lot of insight into writing.
This book could also be used with 3rd-5th graders as part of a science unit on life cycles. For students that are reluctant to read nonfiction books, The Mulberry Project provides them with a realistic fiction story while also providing factual details.
Project Mulberry is the story of two friends who team up together to work on a project for the state fair. They decide to raise silkworms and use the silk produced in a separate sewing project. Throughout the story, Julia grapples with accepting and appreciating her Korean heritage, Patrick battles with his secret phobia, and underlying themes of friendship, family, race, and poverty are present throughout the book. Through it all, the reader also learns an incredible amount of information about the life cycle of silkworms and how to raise them.
One thing that I found incredibly distracting while reading this book is that periodically, the author broke from the story and had "conversations" with the main character, Julia. As a reader, I did not enjoy this. However, as a teacher, I would love to use this book as a mentor text for students during writing workshop as the dialogue provides a lot of insight into writing.
This book could also be used with 3rd-5th graders as part of a science unit on life cycles. For students that are reluctant to read nonfiction books, The Mulberry Project provides them with a realistic fiction story while also providing factual details.
September 30, 2016
So , as you can see I've read the book " Project Mulberry " , by Linda Sue Park. When I first started reading this book I sort of did not find it interesting. My reasons for not finding it interesting would be because it was talking about a project, and for me i thought that would be very boring. For some reason I did continue to read because something caught my attention, but I did not know what. Throughout reading this I came across a lot of conflict between two friends and that's a lot like real life situations . This book did help me understand that even though you might not think the same as some people, you must still find a way to work around the problem and come together to figure it out.
I do suggest that people who like to read about everyday life , or want a quick read to read this book.
I do suggest that people who like to read about everyday life , or want a quick read to read this book.
January 10, 2018
In the book project mulberry it was interesting because two kids had silk worms and raised them in their back yard and they had to use their silk for a science project. It is a good book because a first one of the main characters did not want to do silk worms for their science project but doesn't tell the other character. When they finally decided that they want to do the silk worms for their science project they don't have the food for the silk worms so they have to find it. Read more to find out?
December 26, 2017
Interesting. More a kid's chapter than young adult. I also learned about silkworms!
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