Read It Now
The Cricket War
- 2023 Freeman Book Award for Children’s and Young Adult’s Literature on East and Southeast Asia
- 2024 Jean Little First-Novel Award
- 2024 Geoffrey Bilson Award for Historical Fiction for Young People
- 2024 Malka Penn Award for Human Rights in Children's Literature
- 2025 Red Maple Honour Award
- ISBN-13: 978-1-5253-0655-6
A gripping story of a boy’s escape from Communist Vietnam by boat, based on the author’s own experience.
It’s 1980, and 12-year-old Thọ Phạm lives with his family in South Vietnam. He spends his afternoons playing soccer and cricket fighting with his friends, but life is slowly changing under the Communists. His parents are worried, and Thọ knows the Communist army will soon knock on their door to make his brother, and then him, join them. Still, it shocks him when his father says that arrangements have been made for him to leave Vietnam by boat, immediately. Thọ tries to be brave as he sets out on a harrowing journey toward the unknown.
Co-authors Thọ Phạm and Sandra McTavish, childhood friends, have loosely based this historical fiction novel on Thọ’s real-life experience as one of the Vietnamese Boat People, and have included many factual details from his journey on the South China Sea and in a Philippine refugee camp. Depictions of pirate attacks, hunger and loneliness make for a riveting survival story, sure to elicit empathy for refugees. Eventually adopted by a Canadian elementary school teacher, Thọ’s story is ultimately one of hope, courage and resilience. It’s a valuable resource for social studies lessons on Asian culture and history, and on immigration.
- Themes of immigration, resilience, lived experience, historical fiction
- Lexile Level: 930
Reviews and Kind Words
The Cricket Wars is an absolutely astounding book. While much of the story is based on the author’s own experiences, it skillfully weaves together the lives and struggles of many other Vietnamese individuals he knew. This lends the novel a powerful depth and a collective voice that feels both intimate and universal.
Stephanie via GoodReads
Congratulations to the author for putting this difficult story together in such a way that gives the reader an inside look at the bravery of many, through the main character’s tumultuous journey to a better life. I loved hearing of the heroes along the way who took brave risks of their own to aid the Vietnamese people throughout the conflict. To brave Tho and family, thank you for sharing your story. I am so glad you found your way to Canada. This would be a valuable story to be taught and discussed in classrooms.
Jennifer via Amazon
This is a powerful and harrowing story about a young boy escaping communist Vietnam. It’s perfectly pitched for middle grade readers and based on true events. I appreciate that that storytelling is very straightforward. I am also totally fascinated by the way the boats traveled through the South China Sea so haphazardly — I know this is happening now in other parts of the world, and I hope there are rescue boats trying to save lives now as well. It’s horrific that people should need to risk so much to find safety. And worse that so many do not.
Jennybeast via GoodReads
I read this aloud to my 7 and 9 year old boys whose grandmother was among the boat people and escaped from Vietnam when she was 8. They loved it and as soon as I finished it, my 9 year old picked it up to read it again.
Aapv via Amazon