Leaving Vietnam: The Journey of Tuan Ngo, a Boat Boy (Ready to Read) [Library Binding]

Sarah S. Kilborne (Author), Melissa Sweet (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1999 | Age Level: 6 and up | Grade Level: 1 and up | Series: Ready to Read

This is the story of Tuan and his father, who endure danger and difficulties when they escape by boat from Vietnam, spend days at sea, and then months in refugee camps before making their way to the United States.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Gripping real-life adventures, told in a childlike first-person voice, will keep beginning readers interested in this Ready-to-Read chapter book. Leaving his mother and brothers in their village in South Vietnam, Tuan Ngo joins his father and a group of others fleeing the Viet Cong regime. As they make their way through dark woods Tuan articulates his fears: "If we're caught, we'll be put in a labor camp for five years. My father was in labor camp for six years, and he says that all he ate there were rotten potatoes. I don't want to eat rotten potatoes." Crowded onto a small fishing boat, the refugees are adrift on the South China Sea when the boat breaks down. They are raided by pirates, who steal their few valuables but save their lives by fixing the boat's engine and giving them fuel and water. They spy a German oil tanker, and when the crew ignores them, the desperate escapees put a hole in their own fishing boat so that it starts to sink and the Germans are forced to help. Kilborne (Peach and Blue) also chronicles the seemingly endless waiting: Tuan and his father spend more than a year moving from camp to camp before they are approved for immigration to the U.S. Sweet's (the Pinky and Rex books) abundant watercolors are tender and inviting even when depicting the tensest scenes. Emphasizing Tuan's bond with his father, they project an aura of security that balances the frequently harrowing account. Ages 6-9.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

Grade 1-4This story of young Tuan Ngos escape from war-torn Vietnam and his journey to freedom will intrigue readers while giving them a glimpse of recent history. The seven chapters are complemented by watercolor illustrations and a simple map of the country. However, the lack of a map orientating readers to the geographic relationship of Vietnam to events and other places in the bookan attack by pirates, the refugee camp islands, and the distance to Americais unfortunate and potentially confusing. Still, the drama of the boys leaving home in the dead of night, his days on a crowded boat, and a number of other incidents will capture the attention of readers. An afterword provides background information on Vietnam and brings Tuan Ngos story up-to-date. This title would work well as a companion to Eve Buntings How Many Days to America (Clarion, 1988) and deserves shelf space.Gale W. Sherman, Pocatello Public Library, ID
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 6 and up
  
• Library Binding
• Publisher: Econo-Clad Books (February 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0613117662
• ISBN-13: 978-0613117661
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 5.6 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #10,242,702 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars leaving vietnam, June 4, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Leaving Vietnam: The Journey Of Tuan Ngo (Ready to Read) (Paperback)

this book remind me of how i left my country.it is a sad book and remind me of many things.how i got here in the usa nad y i am here today. i am here beacuse of the freedom usa have and the places like the grand canyon and entertanment places.

5.0 out of 5 stars Refugee story., December 27, 2001

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Leaving Vietnam: The Journey Of Tuan Ngo (Ready to Read) (Paperback)

I am excited to read this to my Vietnamese students and my other refugee students. I hope that they can form a common bond. Many of my Vietnamese students have entered the United States in less dangerous times as immigrants. Parents and relatives experienced the terror of Communist Vietnam and of the war. Several of my other students experienced terrible times in their countries. We can use the book as a discussion tool.