Review of A Sea of Gold by Patricia Polacco

Authors

Nate Borling, Cedarville UniversityFollow

Publisher

Simon and Schuster LLC

City

New York, New York, United States of America

Date of Publication

2024

ISBN

9781665938426

Date of Review

2025

Disciplines

Library and Information Science | Modern Literature

Keywords

Children's literature, reviews, family, traditions, Ukraine

Review

A Sea of Gold

Polacco, Patricia

New York, Simon & Schuster, LLC, 2024

9781665938426. Grades 3-5

A Sea of Gold tells the story of three generations of a Ukrainian family. The reader follows along as the family experiences life in rural Ukraine beginning with Ukraine’s independence from Russia and leading to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. In the wake of the invasion, part of the family is separated and flees to the United States, finding solace with Ukrainian relatives. Patricia Polacco does a good job of incorporating many Ukrainian words and traditions into the story. While context helps the reader interpret the Ukrainian words, Polacco also includes a glossary. The characters in the story are all strong, with a desire to preserve traditions despite being forced to flee their home. The resilience of these characters makes for a compelling story, even when some elements of the story do not have a conclusive ending. This book could be a good tool for parents or teachers to broach the subject of war, but also to teach children about Ukrainian culture.

Highly Recommended, Nate Borling, Centennial Library Intern, Cedarville University

Recommended Citation

Borling, Nate, "Review of A Sea of Gold by Patricia Polacco" (2025). Library Intern Book Reviews. 442.
https://digitalcommons.cedarville.edu/intern_book_reviews/442

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