YA+Novel-+All+the+Broken+Pieces

= // **All the Broken Pieces** // =

media type="custom" key="12896506" width="180" height="180" *Book Trailer courtesy of Lugoff-Elgin Middle School (Found on SchoolTube) **All the Broken Pieces ** Ann E. Burg. 2009.

__All the Broken Pieces__, a novel in verse by Anne E. Burg, is a complex, yet deeply moving tale centered on a boy rescued from war-torn Vietnam. Matt Ping, the narrator, takes readers on an emotional journey through some of his experiences in the chaotic times of Vietnam and through his equally chaotic (although substantially less violent) adjustment to his new home in the United States. Matt suffered greatly in Vietnam: his father was an American soldier who left Matt’s Vietnamese mother with two children to care for alone; his brother was mangled by a land mine that exploded on him while he was chasing after Matt; his mother sent him away to an unknown land. These three traumatic episodes in Matt’s life leave him lacking in self-confidence and consumed with guilt. Although Matt’s mother sent him to America with hopes of finding a safe-haven of sorts, he is still faced with troubles once he arrives. Not only is Matt trying to come to terms with the heinous experiences he has dealt with, but he is faced with the troublesome occurrences all young teenagers must overcome. He is faced with school bullies, calling him names like “frog-face”. One of these bullies in particular has a specific hatred toward Matt. Rob, a boy on Matt’s baseball team, blames Matt for the death of his brother who went to Vietnam as a soldier. This blame, coupled with the blame resulting from Matt’s own brother’s accident, leaves Matt torn up inside and susceptible to inner turmoil. Matt also deals with feelings of loneliness and solitude. He often feels isolated from his peers and family. In order to escape from these negative emotions, Matt turns to music and baseball. Matt forms a close bond with his piano teacher and friend of his adopted family, Jeff. Jeff was a medic in Vietnam, so he can relate to Matt better than the others in this aspect. “Jeff’s Vietnam is my Vietnam”, Matt tells readers, giving us a glimpse at Jeff’s relationship with Matt. It may be this close bond with Jeff that causes Matt to associate music with safety. He says, “When I play the piano, I’m sheltered in that safe place where the only thing that matters is music.” Music is Matt’s place of shelter, while baseball is Matt’s connection to the world around him. Matt tackles many of his life’s monsters through baseball. He becomes reconciled with Rob through baseball, which as a result leads to a greater reconciliation within. The story is unfolded in verse, making for a rhythmic and page-turning novel. The simplistic poetic nature of the poem and the ease at which one can zip through the story make it a perfect novel for its target market, the young adult, specifically teens in middle school and junior high. When deciding if this novel is appropriate for the age level of your specific class, it is important to note that some vivid imagery does exist and given the nature of the Vietnam War, should be approached with caution. The images do not appear often, and in most cases are not offensive, but should be considered before presenting the novel to a class. An example of this imagery follows: “//If I close my eyes, I can still smell the stench//, this vet says. //I can still see the children running toward us, explosives strapped on their backs, running toward us and then dropping like scarecrows. I can still hear them scream.//” __All the Broken Pieces__ epitomizes the adolescents’ search for meaning and truth in their life. It is said that achieving an identity is the “task of adolescence” and Matt Ping is an extreme example of a kid trying to find who he really is. He experiences emotions that many young teens will experience themselves: self-doubt, guilt, loneliness… The beauty of the novel lies within Matt’s self-discovery. The reader sees him change from a boy who only wants to forget his past into a boy who wants to remember it because it helped define who he is. Matt reconciles his dissonance and leaves readers with a hopeful feeling that one day their lives will make sense too. Teens will learn through Matt the true meaning of staying true to themselves and appreciating their past, even “all the broken pieces”.

**How is "All the Broken Pieces" related to "To Kill a Mockingbird"?**
The theme of prejudice exists in the story of Matt Ping. The young main character of this novel feels isolated from American society due to his race. He struggles to fit in at school because others know he is different. Also, his reputation is further tarnished when his peers make the connection between the Vietnam War and Matt's homeland. Some fellow classmates blame //him// for the war. Matt's typical adolescent questions of identity and self-worth are magnified by the circumstances he must endure just to fit in. This book is also a historical fiction-- just like "To Kill a Mockingbird." Readers can get glimpses of Vietnam and its war and the war's impact on both American and Vietnamese societies. Teens' understandings of the questions raised in Lee's classic novel will become deeper after studying and reading about the life of Matt Ping. For list of discussion questions for "All the Broken Pieces" click here.