Bamboo People

Bamboo People by Mitali Perkins

I apologize as I slowly plod through yet another review of a Rebecca Caudill 2013 nominee that I finished two months ago before my life got busy with preparing for summer events. I assure you that it didn’t take me this long to get around to writing because the book was bad. On the contrary, I truly enjoyed this novel despite the fact that it is contemporary realistic fiction… not normally a fan.

I enjoyed this book tremendously because I learned something new. Rather, I learned about a culture that I was not familiar with – Burma/Myanmar. I confess that I was nearly, completely unaware of the oppression in that far away country. Children’s fiction has been somewhat obsessed with the Middle East in recent years. I have read about Iraq, Afghanistan and India, but not yet Burma. In fact, I needed to do a quick Google search so that I could picture where I was and what I looked like. (The Karenni are an ethnic group within Burma. Karenni women are the ones that traditionally put copper rings about their necks to elongate them.)

This novel is a book about two boys on opposing sides. It is unique because the first half is written from the perspective of Chiko, the son of a Burmese Doctor. The second half is written from Tu Reh’s perspective. Tu Reh is a Karenni refugee living across the border in Thailand. The Epilogue of the book returns to Chiko as is most fitting. He is the protagonist who gains the readers’ hearts.

Before the story begins, Chiko’s father has been imprisoned for resisting the government. Chiko has been in hiding within the walls of his family’s home lest the Burmese soldiers force him into the military. Chiko’s dream is not to follow in his father’s footsteps although that is what he was being groomed to do. No, Chiko wishes to be a teacher. And when the call comes for people to interview for teaching positions, Chiko is willing to leave his home to take the chance at the opportunity of a lifetime.

Unfortunately, the interviews are a lie. They are a trap to capture boys to grow the Burmese army. Chiko is not military material. He is fortunate to meet a streetwise boy named Tai who has learned to survive on the streets. Tai teaches Chiko how to fake his way through a beating without injury. In exchange, Chiko teaches Tai how to read. In this way, they protect and eventually save each other.

Tu Reh is a Christian Karenni who is faced with the words of Ecclesiastes 3:3, “a time to kill and a time to heal,” when he finds a wounded Burmese soldier on his first patrol. His instinct is to kill his chosen enemy. Tu Reh’s father wisely advises him to reconsider. The soldier? Chiko. When Tu Reh returns to the refugee camp with Chiko, he must face his elders and explain why he brought a wounded enemy soldier back with him. By this time, Tu Reh is inclined to save a life. It is harder to kill an individual person than a nameless… faceless enemy.

This is an intriguing book about boy soldiers, but there is so much more within the covers. Education and street smarts are shown to both be advantageous. Healers and dictators both play important roles. Good as well as bad people are on both sides of the conflict. In addition, there are strong female characters, including quite a bit of romance. Recommending to 5^th through 8^th graders who enjoy learning about the lives of children in foreign countries.