Peacebound Trains [Hardcover]

Haemi Balgassi (Author), Chris K. Soentpiet (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 16, 1996 | Age Level: 8 and up | Grade Level: 4 and up

As Sumi waits for the train that will bring her mother back after a long absence, Grandmother tells how her family escaped on a train from Seoul, Korea, at the last moment before the Korean War began.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 3. While her mother serves a stint in the army, Korean-American Sumi, whose father is dead, lives with her harmuny (grandmother). The child longs for her mother's return, particularly as her birthday nears. Harmuny sits beside Sumi as she watches for a train and tells her the story of the "peacebound" train that saved her life and the lives of her two children (including Sumi's mother) during the communist invasion of Seoul in 1950. Harmuny also tells of her husband, Sumi's grandfather, who remained behind as a soldier and was never heard from again. Harmuny then hugs the girl and tells her that soon they will meet the train bringing her mother home "safe and sound." (Paradoxically, the illustration facing this final page of text portrays only Sumi's grandfather who did not return safe and sound.) The text, divided into short chapters, is gracefully written and told with great emotion. The richly colored illustrations are splashed with light, and convey the unfolding drama. Facial expressions are particularly effective. A brief glossary of Korean terms and an author's note about the history are appended. Readers will come away from this book with the understanding that the struggle for peace is universal and timeless, and that sometimes sacrifices must be made to achieve it.?Cynthia K. Richey, Mt. Lebanon Public Library, Pittsburgh, PA
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Gr. 3^-5. A historical period little known to American children is made real in this story within a story inspired by the experience of Balgassi's own grandmother. Missing her mother, who is away training to be a U.S. soldier, Sumi finds some comfort in watching trains come and go, knowing that one day her mother will return. One particularly sad afternoon, she is joined by her grandmother, who tells Sumi the circumstances surrounding a train ride she and Sumi's mother and siblings took to escape Communist soldiers during the Korean War. Through sharing, Sumi and her grandmother comfort each other. The characters are wonderfully individualized, with Sumi in sneakers and jeans, looking very much the contemporary kid, and the telling is graceful and poignant. The link between the past and the present is flimsy, however, even given the fictional framework. Children will surely wonder, for example, how Sumi's mother and grandmother finally ended up in the U.S. Not even the endnote, containing facts about the war and Balgassi's grandfather, who was lost in the conflict, fills in the blank. Stephanie Zvirin

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Hardcover: 48 pages
• Publisher: Clarion Books (August 16, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0395720931
• ISBN-13: 978-0395720936
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 7.9 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,881,042 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book!, December 12, 2002

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Peacebound Trains (Hardcover)

Sumi is a Korean-American girl who lives with her grandmother, whom she calls Harmony (which means grandmother in Korean), on East Blossom Hill. Her mother is in the army and Sumi is homesick for her. Sumi watches the trains in the valley below hoping that someday her mother will be on one. The train whistle reminds Sumi's grandmother of when the Korean War took place. She and her family escaped from Seoul, Korea just before the war came. This marked a very sorrowful time in Harmony's life because she had to leave her husband behind in Seoul to travel to Pusan, which was safe. Though her husband loved her, he insisted that he needed to take part in the war by being a soldier.
I like this book because it has great description. You can read it when you want to read a good book but you don't have too much time to read. It is a mixture between a chapter book and a picture book. The illustrations are amazing. The writer involoves you in the story so you can imagine everything that is happening as if it was happening to you. It was very easy for me to put myself in the place of the characters in the book so I could "be in the story".
This is an excellent book. It is the best picture or short story I've ever read. The pictures illustrate the writing well and add something to the book. I would recommend it to anyone over the age of 9. It is a very emotional book and the author clearly describes the sad events in the characters' lives.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A though provoking history lesson for readers of all ages., March 25, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Peacebound Trains (Hardcover)

This is a magnificent book for readers of all ages to enjoy and explore. Younger children may enjoy it on it's simplest level of a child missing a mother. Older readers will enjoy learning about the effects of war on family and friends. Everyone will savor the gracious art of the illustrator and will feel the story through his heartfelt interpretation of the author's words. Haemi Balgassi has truly written this story from her heart and tears and we are more than fortunate to be able share her family's history. Every classroom should own a copy of this wonderful history lesson

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent choice for classroom discussions., September 20, 1996

By A Customer

This review is from: Peacebound Trains (Hardcover)

I teach 3rd and 4th grade accelerated reading programs, and recommend this book heartily. Very moving and powerful, and the art is beautiful, too.