[W4J]≡ Libro Gratis The Bridge Home Padma Venkatraman 9781524738112 Books

The Bridge Home Padma Venkatraman 9781524738112 Books

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The Bridge Home Padma Venkatraman 9781524738112 Books

I began "The Bridge Home' at bedtime the day I received it and could not put it down. I had to know how it ended. So I started reading backwards!! Padma is an incredible storyteller. The story reminded me of the Boxcar Children series. I do hope there is a sequel. I want to know what happens to Rukku, Arul, and Muthu.


Tags : The Bridge Home [Padma Venkatraman] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. <b><b> Readers will be captivated by this beautifully written novel about young people who must use their instincts and grit to survive. Padma shares with us an unflinching peek into the reality millions of homeless children live every day but also infuses her story with hope and bravery that will inspire readers and stay with them long after turning the final page. --Aisha Saeed,Padma Venkatraman,The Bridge Home,Nancy Paulsen Books,1524738115,Chennai (India),Chennai (India);Fiction.,Homeless persons,Homeless persons;Fiction.,India,JUVENILE FICTION Social Issues Runaways,Runaways,Runaways;Fiction.,CHILDREN'S FICTION COMING OF AGE,Fiction-Coming of Age,JUVENILE,JUVENILE FICTION Family Siblings,JUVENILE FICTION People & Places Asia,JUVENILE FICTION Social Themes Runaways,Juvenile Fiction,Juvenile FictionPeople & Places - Asia,Juvenile FictionSocial Themes - Runaways,Juvenile Grades 4-6 Ages 9-11,United States,we need diverse books;diverse fiction;india;survival story;books about sisters;runaways;diverse childrens books;diverse kids books;books for 14 year olds;books for 13 year olds;books for 12 year olds;books for 11 year olds;books for 10 year olds;middle grade fiction;middle grade books;8th grade books;7th grade books;6th grade books;5th grade books;homelessness;diversity;books for kids age 9 12;chapter books for kids age 9-12;family;kids books ages 9-12;books for 11 year old girls,we need diverse books; diverse fiction; india; survival story; books about sisters; runaways; diverse childrens books; diverse kids books; books for 14 year olds; books for 13 year olds; books for 12 year olds; books for 11 year olds; books for 10 year olds; middle grade fiction; middle grade books; 8th grade books; 7th grade books; 6th grade books; 5th grade books; homelessness; diversity; books for kids age 9 12; chapter books for kids age 9-12; family; kids books ages 9-12; books for 11 year old girls

The Bridge Home Padma Venkatraman 9781524738112 Books Reviews

"The Bridge Home" by Padma Venkatraman is a children's novel with a very adult message. It is an "easy read" in the "chapter book" genre, where each chapter is short. It is presented as a "letter" from Viji to her sister Rukku, which gives us the warning that they have been separated by death. We immediately learn that Viji is eleven years old (indeed the story begins on her 11th birthday) and younger than Rukku by a year, but Rukku is developmentally handicapped, and Viji feels protective. Their father is alcoholic and abusive, their mother submissive, and Viji decides the two girls must run away to the city for protection. There they meet the two boys Arul and Muthu, who introduce them to the "job" of trash-heap mining, and acquire the stray pup Kutti as a companion and defender. The girls join the boys in camping on an abandoned bridge until they have to run away to avoid capture from unscrupulous men.

The narrative moves fast, and although the descriptions of the life on the "Himalayas of Garbage" are nauseating, the author manages to weave in lovely, lyrical moments none-the-less. Rukku is adept at stringing beads, and at one point after having been given beads by a compassionate "aunty", sale of the necklaces she creates tides the children over a crisis. The circumstances of the story are completely authentic. Indeed, as the author says, she has drawn her vignettes from real life tales told to her and her mother. The book is in no way heavy handed, but gives a deeply moving glimpse into the lives of unattached, homeless children and emphasizes their plight world-wide, not just in India.
When Viji's mother does nothing to protect herself from the abusive behavior of Viji's father, the desperate girl decides to take her sister Ruuku and run away to the city. Ruuku is developmentally disabled, but Viji feels that anything has to be better than their home situation. They make it to the city and are lucky to find some friendly help, including a woman whose husband runs a restaurant who gives them a little work, food, and beads for Ruuku. They also meet fellow street children, Arul and Muthi, who show them the ropes and make a home with them on a bridge, using tarps and mats. The boys show them how to make money by going through the garbage and selling metal and glass, and generally help them survive in their new reality. Arul is a Christian, and his entire family was lost in tsunami type accident, and Muthu has his own sad back story that makes him wary of people. Even after the rag man destroys their bridge home, they gather their forces and live in a cemetery. Eventually, however, the rainy season brings mosquitoes that cause fever in the children, and Viji is forced to accept help from a local children's charity. She is reunited with her father, but chooses to stay in the children's home, where she has been able to put together a life that includes more education than she would have gotten otherwise.

I am always happy to see books about how children live in other countries, and Venkatraman has based this on her own mother's work with disadvantaged children in India, as well as on many interviews. The details of what is needed to survive are tremendously appealing to young readers. Think of The Box Car Children or A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, which I read for the details like washing the dishes in the creek with sand or going to the store for just one potato. This is a great book to hand to readers who love Cruz's Everlasting Nora or Yang's Front Desk. While I loved this author's A Time to Dance and Climbing the Stairs, novels in verse and historical fiction don't do all that well in my library-- this hits the popular features of problem novels just right and will circulate a lot.
After her father hits their mom (and them) once too often, eleven-year-old Viji and her slightly older, "slow" sister, Ruku decide to run away from home, believing that seeking refuge on the streets of Chennai, India is preferable to remaining in such a volatile environment. Luckily, they meet up with the co-owner of a teashop soon after disembarking from their bus who gives them a temporary job, advice and a bag of fancy beads for Ruku, who eventually turns them into much needed funds. They also acquire an abandoned puppy, who proves a welcome companion, as well as befriend two boys their age who have been living on the streets for some time and know their way about. The children quickly form a close-knit family, pooling their skills and resources to earn money for food and shelter supplies. Despite the unpleasant work of scavenging reusable trash and the occasional run-in with bullies, the four youths successfully use their wits, compassion, religious faith and sense of humor to survive - until a problem occurs that requires adult intervention. But while they have a chance to seek help from a seemingly kind benefactor, they may also risk being exploited. Will Viji be able to overcome her mistrust and be able to find the aid she and her friends need?

Thoughts This book's subject sounds like it might be depressing (I certainly thought that when I chose it), but over all, it's uplifting. It will likely make you choke up at least a few times while reading, though. The overall optimism and good humor of the four children, even in the grimmest circumstances, is inspiring without being saccharine, and the portrayal of the special needs character is anything but patronizing. The book is both heartwarming and heart-breaking, and its depiction of these characters (based on the author's experience with street children), is realistic and poignant.
I began "The Bridge Home' at bedtime the day I received it and could not put it down. I had to know how it ended. So I started reading backwards!! Padma is an incredible storyteller. The story reminded me of the Boxcar Children series. I do hope there is a sequel. I want to know what happens to Rukku, Arul, and Muthu.