A Song for Cambodia

By Michelle Lord, Shino Arihara
Paperback: $11.95

The true story of Arn Chorn-Pond, Cambodian American musician and human rights activist, who as a young boy survived Khmer Rouge work camps by learning to play a musical instrument.

Description

When Arn was a young boy in Cambodia, his days were filled with love, laughter, and the sweet sounds of music. That all changed suddenly in 1975 when Arn’s village was invaded by Khmer Rouge soldiers and his family was torn apart.

Nine-year-old Arn was taken to a children’s work camp, where he labored long hours in the rice fields under the glaring eyes of threatening soldiers. Overworked, underfed, and in constant fear for his life, Arn had to find a way to survive. When guards asked for volunteers to play music one day, Arn bravely raised his hand-taking a chance that would change the course of his life.

A Song for Cambodia is the inspirational true story of Arn Chorn-Pond. His heartfelt music created beauty in a time of darkness and turned tragedy into healing.

About the Creators

Michelle Lord

Michelle Lord fell in love with the culture of Cambodia when she traveled there to adopt her youngest daughter. She was inspired to write Little Sap and Monsieur Rodin after discovering the story behind Auguste Rodin's Cambodian Dancer sketches. Lord lives in New Braunfels, Texas, with her husband and their three children.

Shino Arihara

Shino Arihara is a full-time illustrator who was born in the United States and grew up in Japan. She felt an immediate connection to Arn Chorn-Pond’s story because a close friend, and fellow artist, went through a similar experience when he lived in Cambodia. "I wanted to do this book for him," says Arihara. She lives with her husband, a musician, in Redwood City, California.

Reviews

  • "A sensitive reconstruction . . . [A Song for Cambodia] effectively captures the terror and tension of life under the Pol Pot regime. Arihara crafts somber scenes in broad brushstrokes to illustrate this important story of devastation and rebuilding in Southeast Asia."

    - Kirkus Reviews
  • "[A Song for Cambodia] offers an age-appropriate view of a subject rarely visited in children's books."

    - Publishers Weekly
  • "Amazing and inspiring, this biography is an excellent choice for multicultural studies."

    - Booklist
  • "A Song for Cambodia is a children's picture book about serious matters - war, human cruelty, and the power of music to kindle hope in one's darkest hour. . . . Though A Song for Cambodia covers somber subject matter, it does so in a tasteful and respectful fashion; the result is a high-quality picture book strongly recommended especially for public library children's collections."

    - Midwest Book Review

Paperback

  • ISBN 9781620142288
  • Price $11.95
  • Publication Date Mar 01, 2008
  • Trim Size 10.75 × 8.75 in
  • Weight 0.375 lbs
  • Page Count 32
  • Word Count 2079
  • Hardcover

  • ISBN 9781600601392
  • Price $16.95
  • Publication Date Mar 01, 2008
  • Trim Size 10.5 × 8.5 in
  • Weight 0.9375 lbs
  • Page Count 32
  • Word Count 1439
  • Interests

  • Imprint Lee & Low Books
  • Audience Children
  • BISAC Category 1 JNF / Biography & Autobiography / Cultural, Ethnic & Regional
  • BISAC Category 2 JNF / Biography & Autobiography / Music
  • BISAC Category 3 JNF / People & Places / Asia
  • Themes Adoption, Asian / Asian American / AAPI, Biography / Memoir, Coping with Death, Discrimination, Informational / Expository Nonfiction, Music, Nonfiction, Overcoming Obstacles, Persistence / Grit, Poverty, War
  • Reading Levels

  • Age Range Ages 6 - 11
  • Grade Range Grades 1 - 6
  • Guided Reading X
  • ATOS Book Level 5.4
  • DRA 60
  • Interest Level Grades 1 - 6
  • Lexile Code AD
  • Lexile Level 840
  • Reading Level Grades 4 - College
  • SRC 5.5
  • Bebop Reading Fluent
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