THE GREEN GRASS SEA

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Klages, Ellen. 2006. THE GREEN GRASS SEA. New York: Viking. ISBN 0670061344

PLOT SUMMARY
Dewey Carrigan is an 11 year old girl who has been raised by her grandmother, since her mother left when she was young and her father spends most of his time away at work. When her grandmother dies she is sent by train to join her father in New Mexico. She finds it lonely to live in a place that does not really exist, according to the government. Dewey finds comfort in her strong relationship with her dad and his support in her quest to build things out of gadgets. She has created her own radio. Dewey finds herself an outsider at school, with few friends. She does enjoy meeting the many scientists that lived at the hill, who were working on the top secret “gadget”. Dewey’s world is shattered when her father dies suddenly and she is left living with a fellow classmate’s family. Through the pain, Dewey finds a place in her classmate’s family. As the gadget is successfully tested and the family learns of its intended use and is distraught to learn of the government’s plans.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS
The story is set in 1943 During World War II, when the American Military was developing a “gadget” to end the war. Dewey’s character felt much pain in her lifetime. She was developed as a girl who did not easily fit in with the other students. Los Alamos became a home to her; she was thrilled to be living with her father again after so many years. The book gives the reader a real impression of what life was like on the hill for the children. Life was not easy for the children, bored and often unsupervised. The children learned quickly that it was a sacrifice for their country, and that the gadget was important. The secrets of Los Alamos are slowly revealed in the book, educating the reader on what life was like for the families and scientists who lived there. Young readers will learn the historical significance of Los Alamos; it is a real place with a real purpose, and that the mystery gadget was the atomic bomb which was used to end World War II.

REVIEW EXCERPTS
Scott O’Dell Award: Historical Fiction 2007
School Library Journal: “Clear prose brings readers right into the unusual atmosphere of the secretive scientific community, seen through the eyes of the kids and their families.”
Booklist: “the characters are exceptionally well drawn, and the compelling, unusual setting makes a great tie-in for history classes.”

CONNECTIONS
*Other books about Los Alamos; invite students to learn more about life on “the hill”.
Broder, Bernice. TALES OF LOS ALAMOS; LIFE ON THE MESA 1943-1945. ISBN 0941232174.
Mason, Katrina. CHILDREN OF LOS ALAMOS: AN ORAL HISTORY OF THE TOWN WHERE THE ATOMIC AGE BEGAN. ISBN 0805791388
*Other books by Ellen Klages;
Klages, Ellen. WHITE SANDS, RED MENACE. ISBN 0670062359
Klages, Ellen. PORTABLE CHILDHOODS. ISBN 0670062359