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Parents' Guide to

The Pearl

By Barbara Schultz, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 12+

Beautiful folk tale explores good and evil in human nature.

Book John Steinbeck Folklore 1993
The Pearl Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this book.

Community Reviews

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age 12+

Based on 6 parent reviews

parentswhocare
parentswhocare Adult
August 25, 2021
age 14+

Great book but not for every audience or teacher

My son had to head this book for 6th grade ELA. He absolutely hated it. It was an awful choice for an 11 year old boy. While I think the book itself is beautiful, I think that as an adult. I think there are so many amazing books for YA audience these days that I really think using this book for 6th graders is a very poor choice on behalf of the teacher. My son loves to read and never hated his teachers' choices until this teacher chose books with great literary value and weight but without paying enough attention to her "audience" (for lack of better word.)
Brandon V.
Brandon V. Adult
March 1, 2017
age 12+

Brandon's Review

A Mexican baby got bit by a scorpion and the mother asked for a doctor, the only strange thing was that she never asked for help. When she came to a doctor and the doctor rejected the baby. So the family when to go search for a pearl. Once they found the pearl the the family found out that the pearl was pure evil. So then they wanted to destroy it but never did it. The pearls evil is the central conflict. Money is not always power. This book is a very good book because you learn a lot about Mexican culture. I would recommend this book to people who like adventures.
See all 6 parent reviews

What's the Story?

A pearl diver named Kino and his wife, Juana, live with their only child, Cayotito, in a brush hut near the sea in Baja, California. Cayotito becomes ill, but Kino and Juana do not have the money to pay for a doctor's care. Kino prays that he will find a pearl large enough to exchange for the money to get Cayotito the help he needs. When he finds the \"pearl of the world,\" however, evil forces threaten him and his precious family.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (6 ):
Kids say (23 ):

Steinbeck's retelling of this Mexican folk tale, The Pearl, is beautiful and lyrical. The author uses evocative language to describe Kino's world and his emotional journey. In this novel, every feeling and every important part of Kino and Juana's world has a "song" that the characters "sing" to each other and hear in their hearts -- the song of evil, the song of family, the song of hope. It's a simple story, told with power and poetry by one of America's all-time greatest novelists.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the moral suggested by The Pearl -- that a man lets evil in by trying to change his life. Was Kino wrong to keep the pearl? Is Kino a good man? What, if anything, should he have done differently?

  • What does the pearl represent in the book?

  • Gender roles in The Pearl are very old fashioned, with Juana baking corncakes and tending Cayotito while Kino dives for pearls. How do you feel about the husband/wife relationship here?

  • Why do you think this book is considered a classic, and why do you think it's required reading for so many students?

Book Details

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