The House of Sixty Fathers [Paperback]

Meindert DeJong (Author), Maurice Sendak (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 8 and up | Grade Level: 3 and up

THE HOUSE OF SIXTY FATHERSTien Pao is all alone in enemy territoy. Only a few days before, his family had escaped from the Japanese army, fleeing downriver by boat. Then came the terrible rainstorm. Tien Pao was fast asleep in the little sampan when the boat broke loose from its moorings and drifted right back to the Japanese soldiers. With only his lucky pig for company, Tien Pao must begin a long and dangerous journey in search of his home and family.

‘A vividly realistic story of China during the early days of the Japanese invasion [which tells of young Tien Pao’s journey to find his family].’ —C.‘Valuable as enrichment literature for elementary students involved in Chinese studies.’ —Scholastic Teacher.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Not only a tense adventure story but also a moving picture of one samll boy's tenacious courage." -- --The New York Times

About the Author

Meindert DeJong is the award-winning author of many classic books for children, including the Newbery Medal-winning The Wheel On The Schooland the Newbery Honor-winning Along Came A Dog, Shadrach,and The House Of Sixty Fathers, all available in Harper Trophy editions and illustrated by Maurice Sendak. Among Mr. Sendak's other popular books is his Caldecott Medal-winning Where The Wild Things Are.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins (August 28, 1987)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0064402002
• ISBN-13: 978-0064402002
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #274,628 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #19 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Authors & Illustrators, A-Z > ( S ) > Sendak, Maurice
  • #94 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > History & Historical Fiction > Fiction > Military & Wars

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What an adventure!, September 19, 2004

By 

Mary E. Kooistra "Book loving mama" (Kirkland, WA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The House of Sixty Fathers (Paperback)

I read this book as a child and, in turn, read it to my children. It has a permanent place in our hearts. It is the well written story of a young Chinese boy and his beloved pig, "Glory of the Republic", who get separated from his family and caught behind Japanese lines when Japan invaded China in the late 1930's. It has some very scary moments. It also has tragedy. I think your child should be about 5th or 6th grade to be able to fully appreciate it. But the book will open your eyes as to what it might be like as a child to be caught in a war. The boy does get reunited with his family, but have your kleenex handy. As a parent you will definitely need it at the end.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My 3rd grade son loved this book!, October 22, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: The House of Sixty Fathers (Paperback)

Boys can be picky readers, so I always take notes if they actually love a book. My 8 year old carried this book everywhere and told be about it every night for a week. Besides Redwall or Harry Potter, this is the first book he has raved about.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful experience, should be read by children everywhere., May 17, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: House of Sixty Fathers (Turtleback)

My teacher read this book to our class when I was about 8 and I remember it was the only book where the whole class was silent and listened to every word! I have been trying to track this book down for the last few years as I could not remember the exact title (I thought it was 50 fathers!). Now I have found it at last I will look forward to reading it to my own children. Thanks to Mrs Mason, my class teacher at Christchurch Infants' School, Christchurch, Dorset for introducing it to me. It is a wonderful book, the story of which has stuck in my mind for many years since!