chike and the river

Still, he hoped.Eleven-year-old Chike longs to cross the Niger River to the city of Asaba, but he doesn’t have the sixpence he needs to pay for the ferry ride. I think kids anywhere would like it. He paid a boat fare to cross the big River Niger. The 2011 illustrated edition, from Anchor Books, is quite lovely, and worth tracking down. My husband is Nigerian and based on the stories about school he's told me, this seems pretty accurate! I read this book, and had it autographed, as a child. Access-restricted-item true Addeddate 2014-06-16 … It looks like it’s swollen then. Originally published in South Africa in 1966, Chinua Achebe’s children’s book Chike and the River finally makes its debut here in the United States. But where would he get the money? But where would he get the money? ( Log Out / by Cambridge University Press. His mother had told him to stay away from the Niger river. Chike's desire is rooted partly in the innocent ambition to explore and in his desire to fit in with other kids who have made the trek. Personally, I'm going to pick up a copy to add my library. Though it has obvious references to Things Fall Apart this isn't really a worthy successor. Reading about a boy who grew up so very different from myself and most if not all people around me was fascinating. The tone of the book is rather juvenile, even for a children's story, and the ending ties up all loose ends rather too neatly for my likings. Chike, a child from a small village is sent to live with his uncle, experiencing in the process numerous adventures. There’s a river in my town that does a similar thing during spring with the melting snow. 8 in stock. The more Chike saw the ferry-boats the more he wanted to make the trip to Asaba. Change ), You are commenting using your Twitter account. A good book for two reasons: kids will enjoy the (authentic) look at Nigeria, and understand what the tale says about trying to fit in. Chinua Achebe was born in Nigeria in 1930. While this does not feel the caliber of Things Fall Apart, it is good story. The “white man” comes and “civilizes” yet the result is an innocent boy that must evolve if to survive in a world redefined by the colonizer. The writing is child-like and innocent in the best ways possible. Chike, his mother and his sister lived out in the country side and then Chike has moved into the city to live with his uncle. ( Log Out / Chike and the River is a magical tale of boundaries, bravery, and growth, by Chinua Achebe, one of the world's most beloved and admired storytellers. Oh yeah, I did it, I picked a book without magic, monsters and great villains :D Miracles do happen :) But I'll get back to my monsters, I promise :) No need to worry :). He is best known for his first novel, Things Fall Apart (1958), which is the most widely read book in modern African literature. Kitchens Guide 2018. Chike and the River This edition was published in 2011 by Anchor. His story, told honestly and well, is enough. Thus, there is a form of hyper-masculinity evident throughout the work, as well as an emphasis in the importance of being a man (“big boy”) and what males do and do not do. Chike and the River quantity. Chike grew up in Umuofia with his mother and sisters. Chike is a young boy from the small village of Umuofia in West Africa. When he became tired of whistling he began to think of Lagos. Chike is a model to children to not give up and keep going, no matter the circumstances. With the help of his friend S.M.O.G., he embarks on a series of adventures to help him get there. Reviews "Beyond the Book" articles; Free books to read and review (US only) Find books by time period, setting & theme; Read-alike suggestions by book and author; Book club discussions; and much more! Chike and the River does not seem to have been crafted to address a universal children audience, although it can interpreted to address broad concepts targeting human nature as a whole. As a child, I firmly held on to the belief of a white baby being prized. Achebe ( Things Fall Apart ) published Chike and the River in 1966, to correct what he, then a new father, saw as a dearth of literature reflecting the lives of black African children. In Indian context, this belief might slightly be different from the belief fed to a child, say, in Nigeria, but in its essence, there are similarities between them. With the help of his friend S.M.O.G., he embarks on a series of adventures to help. It was all very strange.”. Achebe gifts us with a short tale about Chike, a pre-teen, who is fixated on his desire to cross the river on a ferry boat. The reading and the way it is written is very straight forward. Classifications Library of Congress PZ7.A174Ch 2011, PZ7.A174 Ch 2011 ID Numbers Open Library OL24604484M Internet Archive chikeriver00ache_0 ISBN 13 9780307473868 LC Control Number 2010050595. Reviews (0) Reviews There are no reviews yet. I am not a parent but I had once been a child who grew up to be an adult, an adult who has to make her way through the intricacies of the world with the help of written words. Membership Advantages. The world is complex and because of its complexities which is analogous to the complexities of human brain, one has to learn and un-learn at every step of their lives. Chinua Achebe’s Chike and the River tells a coming of age story, much in a similar fashion as the many works that fit the category of bildungsroman. Start by marking “Chike and the River” as Want to Read: Error rating book. He did not know. Before he left for Onitsha, his mother warned him never to go to the big River Niger. Chike was also pretty good at football and very soon his friends gave him a nickname too. Everyone at his school had done it and he was feeling left out, everyone had also described it as a great place which didn't help Chike at all. He did not like to see Chike playing with other children. This was a quick read as I am really falling behind in my reading challenge for this year. Eleven-year-old Chike longs to cross the Niger River to the city of Asaba, but he doesn’t have the sixpence he needs to pay for the ferry ride. The air smelt clean and fresh. Though there are some good images of Africa overall it dumbs down Chike and his town and friends. Once he finally makes it across the river, Chike realizes that life on the other side is far different from his expectations, and he must find the courage within him to make it home. It’s a handsome paperback edition “for all ages” with woodcut illustrations by Edel Rodriguez, but Achebe’s reputation and a blurb from. Once he finally makes it across the river, Chike realizes that life on the other side is far different from his expectations, and he must find the courage within him to make it home. Chike and the River is a sixty-page chapter book intended for middle readers with illustrations by Prue Theobalds. Add to wishlist Categories: Books, Nigerian Storybooks Tag: Chinua Achebe. As a child, I firmly held on to the belief of a white baby being prized. Chike and the River is a magical tale of boundaries, bravery, and growth, by Chinua Achebe, one of the world’s most beloved and admired storytellers. had to go to the General Hospital to see his sick mother. Still, he hoped.Eleven-year-old Chike longs to cross the Niger River to the city of Asaba, but he doesn’t have the sixpence he needs to pay for the ferry ride. Chike’s almost obsessive attraction with the river Niger gives the story a hazy frame of folktale, as the river stands as an element of nature, which Chike must explore and cross in order to grow. Share this: Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window) Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window) I enjoyed some of the short stories in this book, but at times it felt very scattered and slow. Chike needs a shilling to get across the Niger river. The signboard outside read: PROFFESSOR CHANDUS FAMOUS MARGICIAN, AND HERBALISTS A TRIAL WILL CONVINSE YOU He … Chike stuck out his chest as though he owned the river, and drew a deep breath. The more Chike saw the ferry-boats the more he wanted to make the trip to Asaba. His first novel, Things Falls Apart, became a classic of international literature and required reading for students worldwide. Juvenile Fiction Juvenile Literature. This book is definitely geared towards a younger crowd (9-13yrs) but enjoyable for older folks who are aware that it's on the lighter side of Achebe's writing. Chike and the River is a sixty-page chapter book intended for middle readers with illustrations by Prue Theobalds. His mother had told him to stay away from the Niger river. The more Chike saw the ferry-boats the more he wanted to make the trip to Asaba. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of, Published My boy after reading this book started going contrary to the rules I gave him with an intention that he will become a heroe. The story moves from innocence to coming to grips with the ways of the world, and how an individual undergoes the required metamorphosis. In Achebe’s tale it can be argued that the river takes up all of these meanings. A few years after he published his great novel “Things Fall Apart,” the Nigerian writer Chinua Achebe composed this children’s story called "Chike and the River,” but it wasn’t released in the US until 2011. Achebe waved his magic wand and made me feel 8 years old again while reading this charming children’s story. Just a moment while we sign you in to your Goodreads account. Interesting story that had that told around the campfire feel. Once he finally makes it across the river, Chike realizes that life on the other side is far different from his expectations, and he must find the courage within him to make it home. Rather than getting that visceral sense of such a distant place (from where I am right now), it felt a bit trivial, with some foreign vocab thrown in for show. what relevance does the book has in relation to children? Chike and the River (1966) is one of Achebe’s books for children published by Heinemann Educational Books, Nigeria, in 1966. The story only has three female characters, all nameless. Basically a long-ish children's book, 'Chike and the River' unfolds with all the simplicity and wide-eyed wonder of a parable or a fable, gently moralizing along the way. Chike, a Nigerian boy. Originally published on the continent in 1966, it has never enjoyed a release in the States until now. RESOLVED from Lisa; Children's books from Krista Elaine Hartman; ebooks most under 250 … Chike, his mother and his sister lived out in the country side and then Chike has moved into the city to live with his uncle. 556 likes. Chike and the River. With the help of his friend S.M.O.G., he embarks on a series of adventures to help him get there. Raising a child, I feel, is the most cumbersome and thankless task. Yet it appears that the story was tailored for Nigerian children in particular. The poignant magic comes with the child's revelations once he crosses. It does meander a bit like a young child's mind/life tends to (or like a river which makes part of the title) so there isn't a driving plot per se, but still overall a sweet story. Chike and the river. Along the … Though there are some good images of Africa overall it dumbs down Chike and his town and friends. But Chike dreams of going even further: to take a ferry to the town across the river, though the cost—one whole shilling—is more money than he has seen in his life. I have to read more of Achebe's stuff. ( Log Out / Chike and the River is a magical tale of boundaries, bravery, and growth, by Chinua Achebe, one of the world’s most beloved and admired storytellers. Language: English; ISBN: 9780521146982; Publisher: Cambridge University Press; Binding: Paperback ; Pages: 64; Published: … It's one of the short stories that use disobedient boys to teach a lesson. In Indian conte, Raising a child, I feel, is the most cumbersome and thankless task. Still, he hoped.Eleven-year-old Chike longs to cross the Niger River to the city of Asaba, but he doesn’t have the sixpence he needs to pay for the ferry ride. Chike, a Nigerian boy. “In Chike and the River, young readers get an intimate look at African life, learn about the Niger River, and connect with Chike as if he is their. If this is to be a post-colonial work, then such contrast touches upon the aftermath of colonization in those who experience it; enduring a process of identity redefinition. This children's novella seems to have been recently reissued with a bright, attractive cover. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Still, he hoped. Show more. During the monsoon season, the river is more full. Charming and short childhood story. I think that this should be an elementary school book. This passage explores the effects of “civilization” on the connection between humans. 1966 Chike and the River is a magical tale of boundaries, bravery, and growth, by Chinua Achebe, one of the world’s most beloved and admired storytellers. Change ), You are commenting using your Google account. But where would he get the money? Everyone at his school had done it and he was feeling left out, everyone had also described it as a great place which didn't help Chike at all. Light quick read, good for reading lists. This story of a boy who does what he isn't meant to but it all ends for the best doesn't do it for me. Chike, a child from a small village is sent to live with his uncle, experiencing in the process numerous adventures. Wishlist Categories: books, is enough his uncle, who refused back.... His mother had told him to stay away from the Niger River and back to children a boat to. Was the great River Niger Edel, ill also pretty good at and! 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