A quick, engaging read. I did not care for the pictures at all, however, and I'm not sure that it's Newbery worthy.

It is a view of another culture, actually two cultures, which has been a favorite topic among Newbery committee members, and it has the theme of 'what it means to be a man.' But it's also got a conflict between "Indian superstitions" and Catholic mysticism, neither of which make any sense to me because O'Dell didn't write well enough for me to be able to Suspend Disbelief.

Maybe it's more of boys' book, so-called, too.

And apparently (reading others' reviews) it's based on a legend called El Mechudo. As is Steinbeck's novella The Pearl.

Btw, I'd classify this more for teens than MG, and would add it to suggested reading lists only (maybe) for ages 13 up because it's just too nuanced, subtle, for kids, and too dependent on the kinds of life experience only older children can imagine having. Imo.

Objectively, it's probably not a bad book, but the two-star rating means that *I* did not enjoy it. ( )

Very well written. Reminded me of the Pearl by John Steinbeck. Lot of imagery. ( )

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My 5th grad class chose for me to read this book aloud using an anonymous vote. After I finished reading it today, they rated it and provided comments.

"3.3" was actually the average of their votes.
Some comments:

1*: "I didn't understand most of it.", "I think the characters were silly."
2*: "It was boring.", "I wasn't so intrigued by the story."
3*: "It was ok, but I was confused."
4*: " There was so much detail!", "The story was very original, like none I've heard before. the struggles of the boy, you could feel them when read."
5*: "I enjoyed how it wasn't just 'cliche'..oh everyone lived happily ever after. It was semi-realistic as well." ( )

Ramon Salazar works for his father, a pearl fisherman and dealer, but is always working in the shop instead of out fishing for pearls with the men. He longs to be a pearl diver. He heads off on his own one day to fish in a secluded lagoon and finds the ultimate pearl, smoky black, perfectly round, and enormous. The Pearl of Heaven however, seems to come only at a dear price for he who finds it.
Reminiscent of John Steinbeck. ( )