Children of the River

Bibliography: Crew, L. (1989). Children of the River. New York, NY: Delacorte Press.

Brief Annotation: When she was only 13, Sundara fled Cambodia with her aunts family to escape the Khumer Rouge Army. She was forced to leave her parents, her brother and sister, and a man she loved. Four years later she is still struggling at Oregon High school, and she isn't allowed to date, just wait for her marriage to be arranged. Though she misses her old life in Cambodia, Sundara begins to wonder if there are future possibilities for the life she has now.

Genre: Culturally Diverse

Grade Level: 5-8

Readers who will like this: Students who struggle in school and are looking for ways to fit in and have a positive look towards the future.

Response/Rating: I would give this book a 3 because I was able to connect well with the lesson of this story which is that just because you long for and miss your old life somewhere, it doesn't mean that there aren't possiblities for the future. In fact there may even be a better life awaiting in the future than what occured in the past.

Question to ask before a read aloud: How many of you have ever moved from a different state or country and had to start a new life somewhere else? How did you feel? What did you do to make the experience easier for yourself?