Never Fall Down: A Boy Soldier's Story of Survival

by Patricia McCormick Narrated by Ramon de Ocampo

Overview

This National Book Award nominee from two-time finalist Patricia McCormick is the unforgettable story of Arn Chorn-Pond, who defied the odds to survive the Cambodian genocide of 1975-1979 and the labor camps of the Khmer Rouge.

Based on the true story of Cambodian advocate Arn Chorn-Pond, and authentically told from his point of view as a young boy, this is an achingly raw and powerful historical novel about a child of war who becomes a man of peace. It includes an author's note and acknowledgments from Arn Chorn-Pond himself.

When soldiers arrive in his hometown, Arn is just a normal little boy. But after the soldiers march the entire population into the countryside, his life is changed forever.

Arn is separated from his family and assigned to a labor camp: working in the rice paddies under a blazing sun, he sees the other children dying before his eyes. One day, the soldiers ask if any of the kids can play an instrument. Arn's never played a note in his life, but he volunteers.

This decision will save his life, but it will pull him into the very center of what we know today as the Killing Fields. And just as the country is about to be liberated, Arn is handed a gun and forced to become a soldier.

Supports the Common Core State Standards.

Editorial Reviews

JUNE 2012 - AudioFile

Few books have been written about the horrors of the killing fields of 1970s Cambodia. Patricia McCormick has changed that with her moving YA novel, based on the real-life story of Arn Chorn-Pond. Narrator Ramon de Ocampo splendidly captures Arn's broken English and mischievous personality, along with his dawning realization that he and his fellow prisoners are NOT going to be returning home in three days’ time. As atrocities mount, de Ocampo vividly portrays the characters’ reactions. Despite the pain of reliving his history, Arn projects hope and optimism. He believes the world is better for learning what countrymen are able to inflict on each other, a lesson that, alas, remains relevant. S.G.B. © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine

JUNE 2012 - AudioFile

Few books have been written about the horrors of the killing fields of 1970s Cambodia. Patricia McCormick has changed that with her moving YA novel, based on the real-life story of Arn Chorn-Pond. Narrator Ramon de Ocampo splendidly captures Arn's broken English and mischievous personality, along with his dawning realization that he and his fellow prisoners are NOT going to be returning home in three days’ time. As atrocities mount, de Ocampo vividly portrays the characters’ reactions. Despite the pain of reliving his history, Arn projects hope and optimism. He believes the world is better for learning what countrymen are able to inflict on each other, a lesson that, alas, remains relevant. S.G.B. © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine

Product Details

BN ID:	2940173724175
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	05/08/2012
Edition description:	Unabridged
Age Range:	10 - 13 Years

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