4 of 5 copies available
4 of 5 copies available
Four determined homeless children make a life for themselves in Padma Venkatraman's stirring middle-grade debut.
Life is harsh in Chennai's teeming streets, so when runaway sisters Viji and Rukku arrive, their prospects look grim. Very quickly, eleven-year-old Viji discovers how vulnerable they are in this uncaring, dangerous world. Fortunately, the girls find shelter—and friendship—on an abandoned bridge. With two homeless boys, Muthi and Arul, the group forms a family of sorts. And while making a living scavenging the city's trash heaps is the pits, the kids find plenty to laugh about and take pride in too. After all, they are now the bosses of themselves and no longer dependent on untrustworthy adults. But when illness strikes, Viji must decide whether to risk seeking help from strangers or to keep holding on to their fragile, hard-fought freedom.
-
Creators
-
Publisher
-
Awards
-
Release date
February 5, 2019 -
Formats
-
OverDrive Listen audiobook
- ISBN: 9781984845108
- File size: 131411 KB
- Duration: 04:33:46
-
-
Languages
- English
-
Levels
- Lexile® Measure: 680
- Text Difficulty: 3
-
Reviews
-
AudioFile Magazine
Author Padma Venkatraman narrates her own work, displaying the depth of feeling and caring between 11-year-old Viji and her 12-year-old intellectually disabled sister, Rukku. They flee an abusive home only to face new vulnerability in the city of Chennai when their money is stolen and they must live on the streets. Venkatraman describes the developing bonds as the sisters form a new family with two homeless boys while all of them desperately search a garbage dump to find salable scrap. In particular, Venkatraman portrays how Viji's controlling relationship with her sister turns to tenderness and respect as Rukku's necklace making supports them. Venkatraman's Indian accent adds to the tone and setting, but it's the range and believability of emotions that will draw listeners into Viji's journey from despair to hope. A great family listen to launch important conversations. S.W. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine
-
Formats
- OverDrive Listen audiobook
subjects
Languages
- English
Levels
- Lexile® Measure:680
- Text Difficulty:3
Loading
Why is availability limited?
×Availability can change throughout the month based on the library's budget. You can still place a hold on the title, and your hold will be automatically filled as soon as the title is available again.
The Kindle Book format for this title is not supported on:
×Read-along ebook
×The OverDrive Read format of this ebook has professional narration that plays while you read in your browser. Learn more here.