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Never Fall Down
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Never Fall Down Hardback - 2012

by Patricia McCormick

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From National Book Award finalist McCormick ("Sold") comes a raw, powerful novel based on the true story of Arn Chorn Pond, a boy who survived the Killing Fields of the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia to become a human rights activist.

Reader reviews for Never Fall Down

From the publisher

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.

From the rear cover

When soldiers arrive at his hometown in Cambodia, Arn is just a kid, dancing to rock 'n' roll, hustling for spare change, and selling ice cream with his brother. 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, weak from hunger, malaria, or sheer exhaustion, dying before his eyes. He sees prisoners marched to a nearby mango grove, never to return. And he learns to be invisible to the sadistic Khmer Rouge, who can give or take away life on a whim.

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. In order to survive, he must quickly master the strange revolutionary songs the soldiers demand--and steal food to keep the other kids alive. 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 from the Khmer Rouge, Arn is handed a gun and forced to become a soldier. He lives by the simple credo: Over and over I tell myself one thing: never fall down.

Based on the true story of Arn Chorn-Pond, this is an achingly raw and powerful novel about a child of war who becomes a man of peace, from National Book Award finalist Patricia McCormick.

Details

  • Title Never Fall Down
  • Author Patricia McCormick
  • Binding Hardback
  • Edition Advance Review C
  • Pages 224
  • Volumes 1
  • Language ENG
  • Publisher HarperCollins, New York
  • Publication date 2012-05
  • Features Dust Cover
  • ISBN 9780061730931 / 0061730939
  • Weight 0.7 lbs (0.32 kg)
  • Dimensions 8.2 x 5.8 x 1.1 in (20.83 x 14.73 x 2.79 cm)
  • Age range 14 to UP years
  • Grade levels 9 - UP
  • Reading level 710
  • Themes
    • Chronological Period: 1970's
    • Cultural Region: Asian - General
    • Cultural Region: Southeast Asian
    • Ethnic Orientation: Asian - General
    • Topical: Family
  • Category Young Adult Fiction
  • Library of Congress subjects Soldiers, Cambodia - History - 1975-1979
  • Library of Congress Catalogue Number 2011052211
  • Dewey Decimal Code FIC

Media reviews

Citations

  • Booklist, 03/01/2012, Page 77
  • Booklist Ed Choice Youth, 01/01/2013, Page 12
  • Bulletin of Ctr for Child Bks, 09/01/2012, Page 0
  • Horn Book Magazine, 05/01/2012, Page 93
  • Hornbook Guide to Children, 07/01/2012, Page 105
  • Kirkus Reviews, 04/15/2012, Page 0
  • NY Times Notable Bks of Year, 12/02/2012, Page 33
  • Publishers Weekly, 03/26/2012, Page 83
  • School Library Journal, 05/01/2012, Page 112
  • Shelf Awareness, 06/12/2012, Page 0
  • SLJ's Best Books, 12/01/2012, Page 32
  • Voice of Youth Advocates, 02/01/2012, Page 596

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Never Fall Down
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Never Fall Down

by McCormick, Patricia

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ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780061730931 / 0061730939
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Never Fall Down
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Never Fall Down

by McCormick, Patricia

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Balzer + Bray, 2012-05-08. Hardcover. Acceptable. 0.8000 in x 8.4000 in x 5.7000 in. Contains water or spine damage. May contain highlighting/underlining/notes/etc. May have used stickers on cover. Overall, still a fine copy for classroom use! Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed to be included with used books.
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Never Fall Down
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Never Fall Down

by McCormick, Patricia

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Never Fall Down
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Never Fall Down

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Never Fall Down
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Never Fall Down

by McCormick, Patricia

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Never Fall Down
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Never Fall Down

by McCormick, Patricia

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Never Fall Down : A Novel

Never Fall Down : A Novel

by Patricia McCormick

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HarperCollins Publishers, 2012. Hardcover. Very Good. May have limited writing in cover pages. Pages are unmarked. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less.Dust jacket quality is not guaranteed.
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Never Fall Down : A Novel

Never Fall Down : A Novel

by Patricia McCormick

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  • Hardback
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Hardcover
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780061730931 / 0061730939
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Never Fall Down : A Novel
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Never Fall Down : A Novel

by McCormick, Patricia

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ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780061730931 / 0061730939
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HarperCollins Publishers. Used - Good. Pages intact with minimal writing/highlighting. The binding may be loose and creased. Dust jackets/supplements are not included. Stock photo provided. Product includes identifying sticker. Better World Books: Buy Books. Do Good.
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Never Fall Down : A Novel
Stock photo: cover may vary

Never Fall Down : A Novel

by McCormick, Patricia

  • Used
Condition
Used
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780061730931 / 0061730939
Quantity available
1
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Description:
HarperCollins Publishers. Used - Good. Former library copy. Pages intact with minimal writing/highlighting. The binding may be loose and creased. Dust jackets/supplements are not included. Includes library markings. Stock photo provided. Product includes identifying sticker. Better World Books: Buy Books. Do Good.
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