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Nancy Keane's | Booktalks -- Quick and Simple | |
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Venkatraman, Padma. THE BRIDGE HOME New York : Random House USA Inc, 2019 IL 6-8 ISBN 9781524738112 4 booktalks |
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Booktalk #1 In India, 11-year-old Viji and her 12-year-old sister, Rukku, run away to Chennai after their violent father strikes out at them. On the city streets, the sisters find shelter by a bridge, adopt a stray dog, and meet brothers Mathu and Arul, who quickly become a kind of family to them.They all soon form a family of sorts, sharing food and supplies and laughing together about the absurdities of life. Rukku’s intellectual disability has made her dependent on Viji, who gradually learns that her sister is more capable than she had thought. Despite their determination, hunger and sickness eventually take their toll on the children. Viji must lean on her new family to learn to cope with grief and move on (Sunshine State Young Readers Award Books 2020-2021) Booktalk #2 Runaway sisters Viji and Rukku find shelter on an abandoned bridge as they try to survive on the streets of Chennai, India. When illness strikes, Viji must decide whether to risk seeking help from strangers or keep holding on to their freedom. Realistic Fiction. (Rhode Island Middle School Book Award 2021) Booktalk #3 Homeless on the streets of India because they needed to escape violence at home, Viji and Rukku discover that the family you choose can be kinder and more loyal than the family into which you were born. After befriending two equally desperate brothers, they scour the trash pits and streets to find food and money. Their situation is dire, but their love for each other gives them grit and hope...and maybe the chance to survive. (Vermont Middle Grade Book Award, 2021) Booktalk #4
Viji has always looked out for her sister Rukku. That’s why she decides that they need to run away from their abusive home before things get worse. The two of them end up living on the streets of the city where they befriend two young boys, Muthi and Arul, who live under a bridge. The four of them quickly create a new family and soon add Kutti, a dog that comes to live with them. Life is harsh on the streets though, and they are often hungry, exhausted and frightened. When a new threat chases them from their home under the bridge it forces them to live out in the open during the rainy season. It isn’t long before both Rukku and Muthu get sick. The children are forced to make a decision. They can either hope things will get better or see if they can find a trustworthy adult who can help. A tragic yet hopeful story that will stay with you long after you have read it.
(Mary Beth Kurspahić, Risdon Middle School Evergreen Teen Book Award, 2022) |
| SUBJECTS: Street children -- India -- Chennai -- Juvenile
fiction. Homeless persons -- Juvenile fiction. Chennai (India) -- Juvenile fiction. Children's stories. |
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