kirstenjoan's review against another edition
5.0
What an amazing read of runaway children set in India. Having a family I married into, who speaks Tamil, the language and culture references was comforting. It confirmed how much we are all the same. A must read for anyone who has dealt with loss, and the many complexities of love.
school_librarian60's review against another edition
5.0
Absolutely Amazing of a Book! A must-read for all ages!
ltwardwriter's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
afro8921's review against another edition
5.0
The Bridge Home was a great story of friendship seen through a lens of adversity. Heartbreaking and life affirming at the same time.
alessandra_johnson's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
4.75
The Bridge HomeĀ by Padma Venkatraman (2019) is a story written from the view of an 11 year old girl, Viji who runs away from her abusive household with her sister Rukku who has an intellectual disability. The story is fast paced and highly emotional for a childrens book which is unusual. I would say it could be implemented as a challenging read for 4th and 5th graders. I believe I would implement it in my classroom because though it is dark, it has great lessons about courage and people with disabilities.
gurnoor's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
inspiring
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Child death, Domestic abuse, and Child abuse
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Ableism, Grief, and Physical abuse
Minor: Misogyny
sde's review against another edition
4.0
Great story about a life you don't often see portrayed in adult literature, never mind children's - kids living on the street in India. Obviously, this is a difficult and dangerous life. But what I loved most about the book is that it didn't depict it as one big downer after another. The characters were three-dimensional. They faced hard times just trying to get enough to eat or find a dry place to sleep in monsoon season, but they also played, joked, supported one another, and helped each other grow. They were all real people, and not just some dismal problem that is far removed from our world. A good introduction for middle grade readers to lives that are quite different from theirs.
lilac_rowena's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
min_innu's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25