Little Brother [Paperback]

Alan Baillie (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 1994

"Fleeing from the Khmer Rouge soldiers, Vithy becomes separated from his older brother, Mang, as they escape from Cambodia into Thailand. . . . As Vithy makes the dangerous journey, he comes to rely on his own wits and instincts. Historical novel, adventure, and character study, this book takes readers to another place and time."--Booklist. American Bookseller Pick of the Lists; NCSS-CBC Notable Children's Trade Book in the Field of Social Studies; Bank Street Child Study Children's Book Assn. Children's Book of the Year.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

PW found this tale of a Cambodian orphan's journey to the Thailand border "haunting and provocative." Ages 8-12.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 5-8-- Brothers Mang and Vithy, having escaped the Khmer Rouge, are being pursued through the Cambodian jungle. When the younger boy sprains his ankle, Mang leads their recent captors away from him. A single shot rings out and he does not return. Vithy, about 11, now sets out to accomplish the brothers' original plan of escaping to the Thai border, hoping to be reunited with Mang. The story is set at the beginning of the Vietnamese invasion, so there is danger of being caught in the crossfire, but also room for kindness from strangers as the Vietnamese have liberated much of the countryside from the vise of the Khmer Rouge. There are also well-integrated vignettes of earlier, happier times as Vithy recalls his life with his parents and little sister, all since murdered. The highly believable plot leads the boy to his goal and a refugee hospital, where an Australian doctor befriends him and engineers his resettlement with her in Sydney. The novel is well written and realistically developed, Vithy being so nicely drawn in varying emotions that one suspects that he is based on a real person. No heavy-handed theme dominates the text, yet it conveys a chilling glimpse of what many Cambodian children have had to endure. A dozen or so line drawings of negligible quality add nothing to the text. This excellent tale of courage and survival lends real life flesh to textbook facts and will be welcomed in most collections. It should be mandatory reading for anyone working with Southeast Asian youth. --John Philbrook, San Francisco Public Library
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Puffin (April 1, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0140368620
• ISBN-13: 978-0140368628
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,279,104 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1.0 out of 5 stars Not as good as we hoped, August 7, 2005

By 

Tona J. Hangen "hist prof" (Massachusetts) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Little Brother (Paperback)

We bought three books in preparation for a trip to Cambodia with our kids ages 10 and 12. My kids didn't like Little Brother, thought the writing was poor. I would recommend instead, Mingfong Ho's Stone Goddess for a much better quality book and a more believable plot, especially if you are trying to read a YA fiction book to help you get ready for travelling to Cambodia.

1.0 out of 5 stars Little Bro, December 4, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Little Brother (Hardcover)

I did not like this book much.
I think it started with a good enough idea then it slowly got worse as the book progressed.

4.0 out of 5 stars VERY GOOD READ, April 6, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Little Brother (Paperback)

Allan Baille does more than tell a good story in this grippingnovel about a young Kampuchean boy who gets seperated from his brotherMang during the Pol Pot Regime in Cambodia. It shows human kindness at its full potential. Baille introduces a number of characters simply for the purpose of the scene Vithy (the young boy) is in. If you are looking for an incredibly descriptive read then i suggest you look else where. This book is best read by the younger generation.