teslar1's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
marlo_c's review against another edition
3.0
My 13 year-old son read this and wanted me to read it as well. It's not a book I'd pick up on my own, but it was a good, quick read that would gently open the eyes of the audience it's intended for.
cooksta's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
casehouse's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars. An good, simply-written real-life type adventure novel for upper elementary or middle school ages.
rjozinga's review against another edition
4.0
This is a story about two young boys in Burma and the intersection of their lives. Chicko is a Burmese boy who became the man of the house when his father was taken away by soldiers. He answers a job posting for teachers, which was just a ruse to force him into the army. When he is a mission his group runs into a land mine which kills the rest of the group and leaves Chicko seriously wounded. The story then switches to Tu Reh's point of view. Tu Reh is a Karenni boy who despises the Burmese soldiers for destroying his village and his way of life. When a group from the refuge camp where he is living runs across the injured Chicko, Tu Reh must decide whether to let him die or risk his own life to save Chicko's. Both boys grow up during this experience and learn to see life from the perspective of others. I enjoyed this book and learned about some current events that I was pretty clueless on before. After the story there is a brief history about the situation in Burma. While this book tackles some serious issues, it does so in a more gentle manner. I would recommend this book to ages 11 and up.
abigailbat's review against another edition
2.0
Fifteen year old Chiko is tricked into joining the Burmese army. Tu Reh is a Karenni boy, trapped between wanting to fight the soldiers that destroyed his home and wanting to promote peace as his religious teachings dictate. In the middle of the Burmese jungle, these two boys will meet and neither will ever be the same.
While I appreciate that this is a book that will help raise the consciousness of readers, it just wasn't my cup of tea. There was a lot of talking and not as much action as I expected a book about child soldiers to have. I also found it hard to keep all the characters straight in the second part of the book (there were a lot of them and they all had similar names). That said, many people I respect have loved this book, so I think it's just a case of it not being the right book for me. :)
While I appreciate that this is a book that will help raise the consciousness of readers, it just wasn't my cup of tea. There was a lot of talking and not as much action as I expected a book about child soldiers to have. I also found it hard to keep all the characters straight in the second part of the book (there were a lot of them and they all had similar names). That said, many people I respect have loved this book, so I think it's just a case of it not being the right book for me. :)
perednia's review against another edition
3.0
One of the strengths in YA fiction is that it can introduce readers of all ages to any number of places, situations and issues. Mitali Perkins provides examples of what it is like to live in the country where, earlier this month, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi was released form house arrest after Burma's junta of generals had kept her hidden for 15 of the past 21 years.
The pro-democracy leader is Burmese in a country where the rulers prefer the name "Myanmar", a name that the United States and few other countries refuse to recognize in protest of the brutal regime that rules the country.
In Perkins's novel, Chiko, a young city boy, lives on little food but lots of love as he and his mother cope with his physician father being arrested by the dictators. He is hopeful, naive, loves learning and has a crush on the neighbor girl. When he finds a newspaper ad seeking applicants for teaching positions, he hopes he can start earning money to help his mother. The wise neighbor woman knows better; he is going to be conscripted into the army.
As an involuntary army recruit, Chiko is beaten and subjected to indignities great and small. He is befriended by a streetwise boy who worries about his sister left behind in the city. Chiko is maneuvered into taking part in a patrol, but it's as demeaning as his training. He's the lead boy sent out to look for landmines in the jungle.
The first-person, present tense narrative changes during Chiko's mission to that of Tu Reh, a teenager who is the government's enemy. He is on his first mission from the refugee camp with his father. When they discover the wounded Chiko, Tu Reh's father tells his angry son that he has choices, that there is more to life than kill or be killed. Ecclesiastes "a time for war, a time for peace" is read to him. Tu Reh helps save Chiko and gets him to the refugee camp.
Once there, not everyone is glad to see them. Chiko's fate, as decided by the camp, forces Tu Reh to manage his feelings about conflicting loyalties, old alliances and doing the right thing.
The novel is a simple story that can easily be extrapolated to discussions about loyalty, gangs and bullying, in addition to a heavily researched portrait of current conditions in Burma. The narrative style and pace are well-suited to the youngest secondary readers, while the story may appeal to reluctant readers who are willing to try fiction set in a different country. The author includes information about current conditions in Burma in an afterword.
The pro-democracy leader is Burmese in a country where the rulers prefer the name "Myanmar", a name that the United States and few other countries refuse to recognize in protest of the brutal regime that rules the country.
In Perkins's novel, Chiko, a young city boy, lives on little food but lots of love as he and his mother cope with his physician father being arrested by the dictators. He is hopeful, naive, loves learning and has a crush on the neighbor girl. When he finds a newspaper ad seeking applicants for teaching positions, he hopes he can start earning money to help his mother. The wise neighbor woman knows better; he is going to be conscripted into the army.
As an involuntary army recruit, Chiko is beaten and subjected to indignities great and small. He is befriended by a streetwise boy who worries about his sister left behind in the city. Chiko is maneuvered into taking part in a patrol, but it's as demeaning as his training. He's the lead boy sent out to look for landmines in the jungle.
The first-person, present tense narrative changes during Chiko's mission to that of Tu Reh, a teenager who is the government's enemy. He is on his first mission from the refugee camp with his father. When they discover the wounded Chiko, Tu Reh's father tells his angry son that he has choices, that there is more to life than kill or be killed. Ecclesiastes "a time for war, a time for peace" is read to him. Tu Reh helps save Chiko and gets him to the refugee camp.
Once there, not everyone is glad to see them. Chiko's fate, as decided by the camp, forces Tu Reh to manage his feelings about conflicting loyalties, old alliances and doing the right thing.
The novel is a simple story that can easily be extrapolated to discussions about loyalty, gangs and bullying, in addition to a heavily researched portrait of current conditions in Burma. The narrative style and pace are well-suited to the youngest secondary readers, while the story may appeal to reluctant readers who are willing to try fiction set in a different country. The author includes information about current conditions in Burma in an afterword.
madelinecullen's review against another edition
3.0
"Bamboo People" by Mitali Perkins is a narrative telling about the lives of two boys on opposing sides of the war in present day Burma. Chiko loves to learn and wants to protect his mother, but isn't able to for fear of being recruited for the army as his father was. Tu Reh is a Karenni living in a refugee camp along the border of Thailand. When the boy's paths cross, they both have to remember what they hold to be the truth.
When this book was first recommended to me, I didn't think too much of it as I began to read. It started off slowly and each chapter was only a couple pages long. But as the plot continued to grow and new characters got involved, the book became more interesting. The first half is Chiko's story, and I could relate to his side more than Tu Reh's because I also value education and wouldn't want to be involved in a war. But Tu Reh's story was captivating as well because I could see what he was thinking and understand why. Overall, this book captures modern-day kids accurately and successfully teaches readers about the importance of both sides in one story.
When this book was first recommended to me, I didn't think too much of it as I began to read. It started off slowly and each chapter was only a couple pages long. But as the plot continued to grow and new characters got involved, the book became more interesting. The first half is Chiko's story, and I could relate to his side more than Tu Reh's because I also value education and wouldn't want to be involved in a war. But Tu Reh's story was captivating as well because I could see what he was thinking and understand why. Overall, this book captures modern-day kids accurately and successfully teaches readers about the importance of both sides in one story.
kew888's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5