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
  • 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
  • Publication Date Mar 01, 2008
  • Trim Size 10.5 × 8.5 in
  • Weight 0.9375 lbs
  • Page Count 32
  • Word Count 2079
  • Interests

  • 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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      Surfer of the Century

      The true story of Hawaiian Duke Kahanamoku, six-time Olympic swimming champion and legendary surfer who popularized surfing around the world.

      The Wakame Gatherers

      A touching and timely story about a biracial girl who is excited to spend time with her American grandmother and her Japanese grandmother.

      The Closet Ghosts

      When a young girl named Anu has trouble adjusting to her new home and school, she calls upon Hanuman, the Hindu monkey god, for help vanquishing the ghosts in her closet.

      Be Water, My Friend

      The true story of the formative years of Bruce Lee's early life growing up in Hong Kong in the 1940s and 1950s, before he became an international film star.

      Shining Star

      The true story of Chinese American film star Anna May Wong, whose trail-blazing career in Hollywood in the 1930s and 1940s broke new ground for future generations of Asian American actors.

      Sixteen Years in Sixteen Seconds

      The inspirational true story of Sammy Lee, a Korean American who overcame discrimination to realize both his father's desire that he become a doctor and his own dream of becoming an Olympic champion diver.

      Baseball Saved Us: 25th Anniversary Edition

      Twenty-five years ago, Baseball Saved Us changed the picture-book landscape with its honest story of a Japanese American boy in an internment camp during World War II. This anniversary edition will introduce new readers to this modern-day classic.

      Heroes

      A Japanese American boy learns about heroism from his father and uncle who served in the U.S. Army.

      Journey Home

      A biracial girl gains a new sense of identity when she travels to Vietnam with her mother.

      Shanghai Messenger

      A story in verse of a biracial Chinese American girl's journey to self-discovery and love of family as she visits her extended family in Shanghai, China. For middle grade readers.

      Only One Year

      Three Chinese American children learn to trust and love one another again after the youngest child returns from a year living in China with extended family.

      The East-West House

      A biography of biracial sculptor/designer/landscape architect Isamu Noguchi, focusing on his childhood in Japan and the building of an "east-west" house that gave shape to his lifelong creative approach.

      The Have a Good Day Café

      Early each morning Mike and his family drive to the city with their food cart.

      Hiromi's Hands

      The true story of Hiromi Suzuki, a Japanese American girl who defied tradition to train at her family's restaurant, and who became one of the first female sushi chefs in New York.

      Summoning the Phoenix

      A collection of original poems about children learning to play traditional Chinese instruments in preparation for a performance, accompanied by factual information about each instrument.

      A Place Where Sunflowers Grow

      Bilingual English/Japanese. A young girl finds things to be joyful about in the Topaz Internment Camp.

      Grandfather's Story Cloth

      Chersheng feels sad and helpless when he learns that Grandfather has Alzheimer's Disease, but then Chersheng's mother presents him with a story cloth stitched by Grandfather himself, embroidered in the Hmong tradition.

      Chachaji's Cup

      Neel loves listening to Chachaji's many stories over steaming cups of tea.

      Cooper's Lesson

      A tender look at a biracial child's frustration, anger, and, finally, acceptance about being "half and half."

      Going Home, Coming Home

      Bilingual English/Vietnamese. This summer, Ami Chi is taking a trip to far off Vietnam, where the streets are crowded with zipping scooters and fruit is shaped like dragons and stars.

      Two Mrs. Gibsons

      Two Mrs. Gibsons is author Toyomi Igus's tender and touching tribute to the two most important women in her life--her Japanese mother and her African American grandmother.

      A Song for Cambodia

      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.

      1370 in stock

    • 46
      Trauma-Informed Collection
      Collection of 46 books: $639.75

      Alicia Afterimage

      A story of remembrance as well as an exploration of teen grief and healing, recounting the life and death of the author's sixteen-year-old daughter, as told through her parents' and friends' recollections, thoughts, feelings, and memories. For YA and adults.

      Singing with Momma Lou

      A young African American girl helps her grandmother, who suffers from Alzheimer's disease, regain some of her memories.

      Rent Party Jazz

      An African American boy living in New Orleans in the 1930s raises money to pay the rent with the help of a popular jazz musician.

      The Upside Down Boy / El niño de cabeza

      Bilingual English/Spanish. The Upside Down Boy is award-winning poet Juan Felipe Herrera's engaging memoir of the year his migrant family settled down so that he could go to school for the first time.

      Rise!

      In celebration of the 50th anniversary of the publication of I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, this beautiful biography of Maya Angelou describes how she rose above a childhood of trauma and emotional pain to become one of the most inspiring voices of our lifetime.

      When the Horses Ride By

      Through these graceful and eloquent poems, written from the child's perspective, readers will experience this resilience, this optimism, and understand that it is possible to get through difficult and unsettling times while holding onto one's hopes and dreams for a better, more peaceful future. 

      Selvakumar Knew Better

      This true story of a courageous and clever dog who saved a boy's life during the devastating tsunami of 2004 is sure to touch the hearts of readers of all ages.

      The Road to Santiago

      A fictional story about a boy and his family in Havana who overcome obstacles to reach their relatives in Santiago to celebrate Christmas during the Cuban revolution in the 1950s.

      Ahimsa

      In this historical middle-grade novel, Gandhi asks for one member of each family to join the fight for independence from the British, and when Anjali's mother is jailed for doing so, Anjali must step out of her comfort zone to take over her mother's work.

      Rattlesnake Mesa

      A true account of a spirited Native American girl's experiences growing up on a reservation and attending Phoenix Indian School in the 1920s, written in an engaging, unconventional style and accompanied by 38 dramatic photographs.

      All the Stars Denied

      In a companion novel to her critically acclaimed Shame the Stars, Pura Belpré Award Winner Guadalupe García McCall tackles the hidden history of the United States and its first mass deportation that swept up hundreds of thousands of Mexican American citizens during the Great Depression.

      Audiobook Edition

      Summer of the Mariposas

      In this young adult retelling of The Odyssey, Odilia and her four sisters journey to Mexico to return a dead man to his family and encounter magical creatures along the way.

      My Diary from Here to There / Mi diario de aqui hasta allá

      Bilingual English/Spanish. One night, young Amada overhears her parents whisper of moving from Mexico to the other side of the border- to Los Angeles, where greater opportunity awaits.

      Under the Mesquite

      Lupita, a budding actor and poet in a close-knit Mexican American immigrant family, comes of age as she struggles with adult responsibilities during her mother's long illness.

      Audiobook Edition

      Chess Rumble

      A story in free verse about a troubled boy who learns to use his mind instead of his fists through the guidance of an unconventional mentor and the game of chess.

      Yummy

      A graphic novel based on the life and death of Robert "Yummy" Sandifer, an eleven-year-old gang member from Chicago's Southside who was killed by his own gang members.

      I Am Alfonso Jones

      The Hate U Give meets The Lovely Bones in this unflinching graphic novel about the afterlife of a young man killed by an off-duty police officer, co-illustrated by New York Times bestselling artist John Jennings.

      Indian No More

      When Regina's Umpqua tribe is legally terminated and her family must relocate from Oregon to Los Angeles, she goes on a quest to understand her identity as an Indian despite being so far from home.

      Audiobook Edition

      Brothers in Hope

      Based on heartbreaking yet inspirational true events in the lives of the Lost Boys of Sudan, Brothers in Hope is a story of remarkable courage, and an amazing testament to the unyielding power of the human spirit.

      A House by the River

      A young girl learns her rickety, old house by the river is stronger than the fiercest storm because it is fortified by love and family.

      The Three Lucys

      After a young Lebanese boy loses one of his beloved cats when his village comes under attack, he must learn to cope with loss and hope for a peaceful future.

      Calling the Water Drum

      A moving story about a family's attempt to flee Haiti in a boat, and a young boy who bravely learns to navigate a new world through playing his drum.

      The Wishing Tree

      When Ming and his grandmother visit the wishing tree on the Lunar New Year, his wishes always seem to come true. But one year the tree does not help, and Ming alone must make peace with the loss of his grandmother and the spirit of the tree.

      Juna's Jar

      After Juna's best friend moves away, Juna, an imaginative Korean American girl, goes on magical adventures by way of her special kimchi jar.

      A Shelter in Our Car

      Zettie and her Mama left their warm and comfortable home in Jamaica for an uncertain life in the United Sates, and they are forced to live in Mama's car.

      First Day in Grapes

      The powerful story of a migrant boy who grows in self-confidence when he uses his math prowess to stand up to the school bullies.

      Amelia's Road

      A girl from a migrant worker family overcomes the hardship of moving by creating a special place for herself.

      Gettin' Through Thursday

      A young African American boy experiences the love and support of his family as they try to make ends meet each week.

      Antonio's Card / La tarjeta de Antonio

      Bilingual English/Spanish. A tender story about a boy struggling to express his love for his mother and her partner in a nontraditional family.

      Grandfather's Story Cloth

      Chersheng feels sad and helpless when he learns that Grandfather has Alzheimer's Disease, but then Chersheng's mother presents him with a story cloth stitched by Grandfather himself, embroidered in the Hmong tradition.

      Grandma's Purple Flowers

      An African American girl who cherishes her frequent visits to her favorite Grandma finds a way to remember her grandmother with hope and joy after she passes away.

      Janna and the Kings

      Saturdays are special for Janna. That's when she and Granddaddy spend the whole day together.

      Soledad Sigh-Sighs / Soledad suspiros

      Bilingual English/Spanish. A picture book about eight-year-old Soledad, a latchkey child whose friends come up with an imaginative solution to make Soledad feel less lonely when she gets home from school.

      Joshua's Masai Mask

      A magical Masai mask takes an African American boy on a series of adventures, and he discovers the joy of being himself.

      Sparkle Boy

      Young Casey loves sparkly things, just like his older sister, who does not approve until an encounter with teasing bullies helps her learn to accept and respect Casey for who he is.

      DeShawn Days

      In this uplifting story told in verse, a young boy living in the inner city projects tells about his hopes, fears, and dreams.

      The Blue Roses

      A modern-day Native American girl learns to understand the cycle of life after her grandfather dies.

      Prietita and the Ghost Woman / Prietita y la llorona

      Bilingual English/Spanish. Gloria Anzaldúa uniquely reinterprets the famous Mexican legend of la Llorona.

      Raymond's Perfect Present

      When he tries to surprise his sick mother with flowers that he grew, a Chinese American boy receives a nice surprise of his own.

      A Song for Cambodia

      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.

      From North to South / Del Norte al Sur

      Bilingual English/Spanish. This nuanced picture book tackles the difficult and timely subject of family separation and deportation.

      Bird

      In this gentle, award-winning picture book, an African American boy nicknamed Bird uses drawing as a creative outlet as he struggles to make sense of his grandfather's death and his brother's drug addiction.

      Home to Medicine Mountain

      Two young Maidu Indian brothers sent to live at a government-run Indian residential school in California in the 1930s find a way to escape and return home for the summer.

      It Doesn't Have To Be This Way / No tiene que ser así

      Bilingual English/Spanish. Monchi likes to write poems, hang out with his cousin Dreamer, and tell stories to his uncle, Tío Rogelio, until one day, a member of the local gang tells him it's time to join up.

      Friends from the Other Side / Amigos del otro lado

      Having crossed the Rio Grande into Texas with his mother in search of a new life, Joaquín receives help and friendship from Prietita a brave young Mexican American girl.

      Malala Yousafzai

      The inspiring true story of Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani girl who has become an international activist for universal education, with beautiful collage illustrations by award-winning artist Susan L. Roth.

      713 in stock

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