Linda Sue Park
by Calvin Lee
1
Linda Sue Park is an award-winning author of such books as A Single Shard and A Long Walk to Water. A lifelong reader and writer, her books provide a glimpse into Korean history and culture.
2
Park was born in Urbana, Illinois, in 1960 and was raised outside of Chicago in Park Forest, Illinois. Her parents were Korean immigrants, and their home was rich with Korean culture and traditions. Experiences from her childhood influenced much of her writing.
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When Park was just nine years old, she submitted a poem to a magazine called Trailblazers. Her poem was not only accepted and published, but she was paid for it! She received a check for $1, which she then gave to her father as a gift. The check still hangs in his office to this day, having never been cashed.
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Park attended Stanford University, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in English and competed on the gymnastics team. She spent much of her early adult life pursuing higher education. She earned advanced degrees from Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland, and the University of London in London, England. During and after her studies, Park held a wide variety of jobs. This included being an advertising agency writer, a food journalist, a cooking instructor, a teacher for ELL (English language learners), and even a gymnastics coach. In her spare time, Park continued to dedicate her efforts to improving her writing.
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Much of Park’s work is based on the genre of historical fiction. For example, The Kite Fighters is a story revolving around two young boys preparing for the annual kite-fighting competition in their village. Kite fighting, which is popular in Korea, Japan, Thailand, and India, refers to a type of competition that involves two or more kites flying near each other. The objective is to use one kite’s line to cut another kite’s line and force it to the ground. In the story, the older son is required to represent the family according to the village rules. However, the younger son, who is the main character, is hoping everyone will notice his extraordinary kite-fighting skills, even though he is not allowed to win.
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In the novel Project Mulberry, two students are paired together to create a science fair project. Naturally, they are interested in winning a prize. When one of them speaks to her mother about ideas for their project, her mother suggests that they raise silkworms, something she did as a child in Korea. Sericulture, which is the process of breeding silkworms to produce silk, dates back 4,000 years in Korea.
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Tap-Dancing on the Roof highlights sijo poems written by Park. Sijo is a type of Korean verse that is related to Japanese haiku. Like haiku, these verses have a designated number of syllables in each line. The last line often has a twist or surprise. The sijo poems in Tap-Dancing on the Roof are about things in our everyday lives, and each poem has a humorous ending.
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Park has won numerous awards in her writing career. Among them were the 2002 Newbery Medal for A Single Shard and the 2021 Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature for Prairie Lotus. Her website highlights her gratitude to all of her favorite teachers from elementary school through graduate school and displays a photo gallery of her favorite libraries all over the world.
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Park’s passion for reading and writing, as well as her enthusiasm for sharing her Korean culture, has inspired books for young readers all over the world.
Two-Part Question
Multiple Choice Question
This question has two parts. First, answer part A. Then, answer part B.
Part A: Which choice is a central idea developed in "Linda Sue Park"?
A.
Park enjoyed kite fighting with her brother when they were children.
B.
Park's mother taught her the Korean practice of breeding silkworms.
C.
Park's stories have inspired young readers to learn about other cultures.
D.
Park has achieved much success writing stories infused with Korean culture.
Multiple Choice Question
Part B: Which line from the text BEST supports the answer to part A?
A.
Linda Sue Park is an award-winning author of such books as A Single Shard and A Long Walk to Water.
B.
The objective is to use one kite's line to cut another kite's line and force it to the ground.
C.
In the novel Project Mulberry, two students are paired together to create a science fair project.
D.
Among them were the 2002 Newbery Medal for A Single Shard and the 2021 Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature for Prairie Lotus.
Part A: D. Park has achieved much success writing stories infused with Korean culture.
Part B: D. Among them were the 2002 Newbery Medal for A Single Shard and the 2021 Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature for Prairie Lotus.