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4.11 AVERAGE
4.11 AVERAGE
carolynj_reads's review
4.0
This is a good book to use for memoir with older students (late ES/MS would be good). Although the story relates to the Vietnam War, the struggle of refugees wanting to move to safety still resonates today.
skatew's review
4.0
A moving story of a young Vietnamese boy and his family risking everything to escape the horrors of their home in search of a better life. First they must endure the hardships of the ocean with limited water, a hot blazing sun and a leaking boat with 60 people in it. This refugee story is brilliantly illustrated in a gentle way for its young readers.
kerameia's review
4.0
I love the increasing number of nonfiction picture books that is being published! This particular title is an example of rich storytelling -- told through the perspective of a six-year-old, the reader cannot help but feel the fear and urgency that Tuan experiences as he flees with his family -- supplemented with concise historical notes and photographs.
This book would make an excellent classroom read for Grades 1+ (there are some very tense and somewhat haunting scenes -- such as when they see another boat on fire -- but the description is told with minimal detail so as to capture the emotion without being too overwhelming for younger readers).
This book would make an excellent classroom read for Grades 1+ (there are some very tense and somewhat haunting scenes -- such as when they see another boat on fire -- but the description is told with minimal detail so as to capture the emotion without being too overwhelming for younger readers).
falconerreader's review
5.0
Holy sh*t.
At my elementary school in the 1970s, there were two families of "boat people" as we rather callously called them. My husband worked with a man who remembers being boarded by pirates and robbed of all possessions during his family's ordeal. Another friend's husband isn't clear as to how old he is, and his family was going through such a long journey through various countries' refugee camps during the time he was born and his birth went unrecorded. So it's not like this story was a surprise to me. But--it becomes so visceral, told from the point of view of the child himself.
And obviously, the way it resonates for today--the sheer desperation it would take a family with children to flee their home, risking their life for the chance of survival. And it breaks my heart, the relief they had upon being rescued by the American aircraft carrier, because we are no longer that place of refuge and welcome.
At my elementary school in the 1970s, there were two families of "boat people" as we rather callously called them. My husband worked with a man who remembers being boarded by pirates and robbed of all possessions during his family's ordeal. Another friend's husband isn't clear as to how old he is, and his family was going through such a long journey through various countries' refugee camps during the time he was born and his birth went unrecorded. So it's not like this story was a surprise to me. But--it becomes so visceral, told from the point of view of the child himself.
And obviously, the way it resonates for today--the sheer desperation it would take a family with children to flee their home, risking their life for the chance of survival. And it breaks my heart, the relief they had upon being rescued by the American aircraft carrier, because we are no longer that place of refuge and welcome.
backonthealex's review
5.0
The plight of refugees have been in the news a lot these days because of the war in Syria. As more and more borders are closed to them, it might be a good time to remember another group of refugees who arrived on North America's shores and have contributed so much to their adopted country.
When the Vietnam War ended in 1975, and the communist government took over South Vietnam, daily life became so difficult and unbearable that families were willing to risk escaping their country in rickety boats not made for long sea voyages. But these boats were the only way out, unless you were rich.
In the Ho family, six year-old Tuan's father and older sister Linh were had escaped Vietnam in 1980 and made their way to Canada. Now, in 1981, it is Tuan's time to escape with this mother and two sisters, Lan, 9. and Loan, 10. His youngest sister Van, 4, would have to be left behind for now. She is just too young for the trip. No one, not even the neighbors must know what Tuan and his family are up one dark night as they sneak out of the house.
Their journey to freedom begins after a truck drops them off close to the water's edge. Running for their lives, dodging soldiers and their gun fire, they are picked up in a skiff. Still dodging bullets, the overcrowded skiff takes them to a fishing boats further out in the sea.
It is hot and humid and there isn't much drinking water. When the boat springs a leak, Tuan's mother and aunt help bail out the water as quickly as they can. On the third day, the boat's engine dies and the refugees find themselves adrift on the huge and unpredictable Pacific Ocean. One day six, an American aircraft carrier is spotted and the refugees are welcomed aboard.
The Ho family, we learn, survives they harrowing ordeal, and are reunited with Tuan's father and sister in Canada. And yes, Van and her grandmother both arrive in Canada in 1985, safe and sound.
Adrift at Sea is told from Tuan's point of view, and aimed at readers about the same age as he was when he escaped Vietnam. Such a young narrator may not capture the truly difficult and risky trip in the kind of detail a book for older readers might, but he still very clearly depicts the fear, the hot sun, lack of water, and relief at being rescued at an age appropriate level that any young reader will be able understand.
Skrypuch has included a number photos of the Ho family, both in Vietnam and in Canada. She has also included a brief history of the "boat people" as the refugees came to be called. The refugees faced not only the kinds of problems that the Ho family dealt with, but there were storms, pirates and always the threat of dying of thirst and hunger, and sometimes, they found that they were not welcomed everywhere.
Using a color palette mainly of oranges, yellows and blues, Deines's highly textured oil on canvas illustrations capture all the secrecy, fear, and perils, all wrapped up in the dangerously hazy, hot, and humid weather that these refugees faced in their desire for freedom and a better life.
Adrift at Sea is a powerful historical nonfiction story that can certainly help shed light on events of the past that share a similarity to those that are happening in the world today.
This book is recommended for readers age 6+
This book was sent to me by the publisher, Pajama Press
This review was originally posted at The Children's War
When the Vietnam War ended in 1975, and the communist government took over South Vietnam, daily life became so difficult and unbearable that families were willing to risk escaping their country in rickety boats not made for long sea voyages. But these boats were the only way out, unless you were rich.
In the Ho family, six year-old Tuan's father and older sister Linh were had escaped Vietnam in 1980 and made their way to Canada. Now, in 1981, it is Tuan's time to escape with this mother and two sisters, Lan, 9. and Loan, 10. His youngest sister Van, 4, would have to be left behind for now. She is just too young for the trip. No one, not even the neighbors must know what Tuan and his family are up one dark night as they sneak out of the house.
Their journey to freedom begins after a truck drops them off close to the water's edge. Running for their lives, dodging soldiers and their gun fire, they are picked up in a skiff. Still dodging bullets, the overcrowded skiff takes them to a fishing boats further out in the sea.
It is hot and humid and there isn't much drinking water. When the boat springs a leak, Tuan's mother and aunt help bail out the water as quickly as they can. On the third day, the boat's engine dies and the refugees find themselves adrift on the huge and unpredictable Pacific Ocean. One day six, an American aircraft carrier is spotted and the refugees are welcomed aboard.
The Ho family, we learn, survives they harrowing ordeal, and are reunited with Tuan's father and sister in Canada. And yes, Van and her grandmother both arrive in Canada in 1985, safe and sound.
Adrift at Sea is told from Tuan's point of view, and aimed at readers about the same age as he was when he escaped Vietnam. Such a young narrator may not capture the truly difficult and risky trip in the kind of detail a book for older readers might, but he still very clearly depicts the fear, the hot sun, lack of water, and relief at being rescued at an age appropriate level that any young reader will be able understand.
Skrypuch has included a number photos of the Ho family, both in Vietnam and in Canada. She has also included a brief history of the "boat people" as the refugees came to be called. The refugees faced not only the kinds of problems that the Ho family dealt with, but there were storms, pirates and always the threat of dying of thirst and hunger, and sometimes, they found that they were not welcomed everywhere.
Using a color palette mainly of oranges, yellows and blues, Deines's highly textured oil on canvas illustrations capture all the secrecy, fear, and perils, all wrapped up in the dangerously hazy, hot, and humid weather that these refugees faced in their desire for freedom and a better life.
Adrift at Sea is a powerful historical nonfiction story that can certainly help shed light on events of the past that share a similarity to those that are happening in the world today.
This book is recommended for readers age 6+
This book was sent to me by the publisher, Pajama Press
This review was originally posted at The Children's War
cjeziorski's review
4.0
This is a good book to use for memoir with older students (late ES/MS would be good). Although the story relates to the Vietnam War, the struggle of refugees wanting to move to safety still resonates today.
tonyhotran's review
4.0
It's very refreshing to read a story of the Vietnamese boat people that brims with hope and joy more than despair. Love this along with the post-text detailing Tuan Ho's family's personal journey.
ahpotts's review
4.0
Not quite a memoir, but is a true story. The illustrations add to the urgency of the telling & the pictures of the actual family plus the follow up at the end make this even more compelling. I can imagine using this as an example of an informational text or maybe as a narrative mentor text.
cweichel's review against another edition
4.0
I've been wanting to read this book since I first read about it. I've read other accounts of Vietnamese people's horrific escape from Vietnam, and across my teaching career, I've taught their children and grandchildren.
Brian Deines illustrations are gorgeous. Skrypuch and Ho's story is compelling and frightening. I especially appreciate the photographs and additional information about Ho's family in the backmatter.
Brian Deines illustrations are gorgeous. Skrypuch and Ho's story is compelling and frightening. I especially appreciate the photographs and additional information about Ho's family in the backmatter.