Children of the River

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Summary: children of the river
Review: Children of the River was an exhilaratin book to read. Sundara, a Cambodian who escaped war in her country, is now a senior at Oregon High School. She is torn between her Aunt Soka's religous restrictions and Jonathan, an American football star that is drawn to her. I like how the author wrote this book based on historical events because you could feel the emotions that the character has and know that this actually happened to many families escaping their terrorized country. It makes me aprreciate my life more because other people has to go through what Sundara went through in other countries and have to start a new life in America. I recomend this book to those who enjoy reading about other's different ways of living.

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Summary: Children of the River
Review: Children of the River turned out to be a good book. Going into the book I thought it was going to be boring, and another book about people coming to America. I liked how there were some conflicts in the book between Sundra and Soka. I liked how Sundra went behind Soka's back to be with Jonathan even thought she wasn't allowed to be with an American boy much less any boy. I also liked how the author told about all of the harsh conditions they were living under on the boat. I didn't like the parts when Sandra saw the arm at the dump because it was kind of weird how a baby was just lying in a dump. Sundra really developed as a teenager, from learning how to cope with not having her parents around and having to leave her country to living in America under hard religion restrictions. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading about a teenagers problems and emotions.

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Summary: Children of The River
Review: This book was so awesome! that i could not put it down and normally i have a hard time keeping myself interested in a book, but not this one. This book was good for me because i think the character Sundara was very easy to relate to with all the issues she had to go though with being in high school. And i think that any teenager that is in high scool or not would really enjoy this book!

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Summary: GREAT!
Review: I thought this book was great. It made me think about many issues that haven't crossed my mind before.It is a very ordinary storyabout love and a new beging. I belive that everyone should give this book a try i am sure you will love it just like me!

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Summary: Human concerns for young readers
Review: In Children of the River, Crew depicts many issues in her novel that could be appreciated and explained toyoung adolescents who read this book. I think that two major human concerns that are talked about often in this book is love and the value of knowing your culture background and the struggles. These concerns are seen throught he personal experiences of the protagonis Sundara, a 16-year-old refugee from Cambodia.
The reason why I think this novel talks a lot about family is because Sundara is forced to leave her family behind in Cambodia while she lives her life here in America. Sundara realizes that it is not easy leaving the ones you love in another country and not knowing anything about them. During the time that the Vietnamese War was going on, there was no way of knowing who had lived and who was dead. By Sundara leaving her family behind, the realized how much it meant to have a family. As the story begins to unroll itself, you begin to learn a lot about the Cambodian culture.
One thing that Crew really points out is how in the Cambodian culture it is essential that a young girl marry the Khmer way. In other words, the father of the girl chooses whom his daughter will marry. Sundara is cuaght between two worlds in this book. She must choose between her family's way of living or the American way. The one characteristic that Crew depicts in her novel is love interest of the opposite sex. Sundara is forbidden to see an American boy whom she falls in love with only because he's white. Sako, Sundara's aunt tells her, "Forget American boys. Do you want to be married and divorced, over and over? You deserve better. Hold yourself above this Niece. You must marry the Khmer way." Now it is important for Sundara to find her place in the culture in which she now lives, but also in the culture she left behind by sacrificing her own happiness. Throughout the book, Crew develops the story to where the reader is hooked and will not put the book down.
I would definitely recommend this book to young reader because it talks a lot about the Cambodian culture, the struggles that they went through during the Vietnam war, and how one can overcome the fear of living in a new country. Overall, the reader gets a small history lesson and most interesting gets to engage in a love story.

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Summary: This Is A Great Book!
Review: In Children of the River by Linda Crew is a really good book for young readers, and also adults will enjoy this story about a Cambodian girl named Sundara that comes to this country with her aunt's family in order to escape war. One of the many universal concerns in this book is the desire to belong. Sundara is caught between two worlds, one to respect the obligations she has to her Khmer family and the expectations of her American classmates. This is difficult for Sundara when she falls in love with Jonathan an American boy, and her family does not approve. For example her aunt tells her, " I don't want to talk so hard, but like I tell you so many times, in my country a girl doesn't go out with a boy". She must obey her family's rules or face exclusion. Her aunt tells her, "Forget American boys". Do you want to be divorced over and over again? You deserve better.A wonderful story that has love, history, and tragedy all in one book. Teenagers can identify themselves with the struggle to maintain balance between family life and life at school.

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Summary: Good book? I think so!!!
Review: Here is my review for the book Children of the River. To me the book was very good. It kept me interesting and wanting to read more. It is about a girl from cambodia who leaves with her aunt and uncle to america. She is 13 and had to leave behind her brothers, sisters and the love love of her life. The book takes place four years after she moved. She now has to deal with a hard choice. Should she continue to live like an america girl who goes out, finds her own husband and starts to date or should she follow cambodian ways and have her aunt and uncle arrange a marrige for her like and good cambodian girl should. These are all tough chices that she has to make. She is just trying to fit in with her peers and make it in an american world yet still deal with her cambodian background. This book is not only a good one but you will find yourself relating to it.

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Summary: Overcoming Obstacles
Review: Imagine having to leave your family and move to a new country that is on the opposite side of the world. That is what happens to a young girl, Sundara, in Children of the River. The author, Linda Crew, writes about Sundara's life in America, after she escapes the war in Cambodia.
In America, Sundara must learn the customs and expectations of the people in her environment. She live in Willamette Grove with her Aunt Soka, Uncle Naro, Grandmother and her two younger cousins, Ravy and Pon. Her family picks tomatoes in the afternoon and Sundara works at the Saturday market selling crops. She attends high school in Willamette Grove and meets Jonathan, an American football player. Through her time in school, Sundara becomes fond of Jonathan. She explain to him things about Cambodia and her belief that "life is like a river." The two fall in love and Sundara goes against her families customs and beliefs to be with Jonathan. Sundara gets confused and disappointed in herself when she thinks about Chamreoun, the boy she is to marry back in Cambodia. Later in the story, Sundara gets some bad news and she seeks out Jonathan to comfort her. Together they overcome judgments and grief brought on by others.
An exciting part of the book is when Jonathan invites Sundara to go on a boat trip with him and his family. Soka and Naro are not at home. Sundara takes advantage of this and says yes. Eventually Soka finds out and Sundara gets grounded.
I liked the book and I think it shows how people can overcome some of the greatest obstacles in their lives. I did not like the ending because it leaves you hanging and you don't know hat happens to the family of Sundara or Sundara.

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Summary: THE MOST HORRIBLE BOOK EVER!!!!!
Review: I can't believe all of these people thought this book was good. This was the worst book I've ever read. It is boring, she falls for a dumb "White Trash" boy and talks about her dead boyfriend, Chamroeun to her live one, Jonathan. I hope no one has to suffer through this utter nightmare or ends up buying it.

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Summary: A Sense of Place in Linda Crew's, Children of the River
Review: In Children of the River, Linda Crew offers adolescent readers a familiar sentiment, the desire to belong. This longing is experienced through Sundara, a 16-year-old refugee from Cambodia. Caught between obligations to her Khmer family and expectations of her American peers, Sundara finds herself torn between two worlds. Although Sundara's circumstances are derived from war, all teenagers can identify with her struggle to maintain the balance between family life and life at school. Because of this identity, Children of the River is highly recommended.
Many characteristics of adolescent life are depicted in Crew's heart-wrenching novel. For instance, every teenager, whatever their ethnicity or gender, have had a love interest of whom their family did not approve: "I don't want to talk so hard, but like I tell you so many time, in my country a girl doesn't go out with a boy. That the reason I'm in so much trouble." Sundara must please her family by sacrificing her love for the American boy, Jonathan. She must abide by her family's rules or face exclusion: "Forget American boys. Do you want to be married and divorced, over and over? You deserve better. Hold yourself above this, Niece. You must marry the Khmer way." Sundara's aunt has put her foot down. It is now up to Sundara to find her place not only in the culture with which she now lives, but also in the culture she left behind, with the smallest sacrifice to her own happiness. Although Children of the River explicitly describes violent instances of war, these images are necessary to fully understand Sundara's struggle. Because of this violent imagery, children under 13 may be advised.