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Available
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PB Hou
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Publication
Candlewick (2013), Edition: Illustrated, 304 pages
Description
Juvenile Fiction. Juvenile Literature. HTML: In this extraordinary novel in letters, an Indian immigrant girl in New York City and a Kentucky coal miner's son find strength and perspective by sharing their true selves across the miles. Meena and River have a lot in common: fathers forced to work away from home to make ends meet, grandmothers who mean the world to them, and faithful dogs. But Meena is an Indian immigrant girl living in New York City's Chinatown, while River is a Kentucky coal miner's son. As Meena's family studies for citizenship exams and River's town faces devastating mountaintop removal, this unlikely pair become pen pals, sharing thoughts and, as their camaraderie deepens, discovering common ground in their disparate experiences. With honesty and humor, Meena and River bridge the miles between them, creating a friendship that inspires bravery and defeats cultural misconceptions. Narrated in two voices, each voice distinctly articulated by a separate gifted author, this chronicle of two lives powerfully conveys the great value of being and having a friend and the joys of opening our lives to others who live beneath the same sun..… (more)
Awards
Audie Award (Finalist — 2013)
Parents' Choice Book Award (2012)
Kentucky Bluegrass Award (Nominee — Grades 6-8 — 2013)
Vermont Golden Dome Book Award (Nominee)
South Asia Book Award (Honorable Mention — 2013)
E.B. White Read-Aloud Award (Honor Book — 2013)
Children's Favorites Awards (Selection — 2013)
The Best Children's Books of the Year (Nine to Twelve — 2013)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2012
Physical description
304 p.; 7 inches
User reviews
LibraryThing member abbylibrarian
When New Yorker Meena and Kentucky boy River sign up for a pen pal program, they have no idea that they're each finding a kindred spirit. Who would have thought that two 12-year-olds from such different backgrounds could have so much in common? Meena was born in India and moved to New York City to
Neela Vaswani and Silas House create two characters that have strong, identifiable voices. I loved getting to know these kids as they wrote back and forth to each other. The book explores some political issues affecting both protagonists - River is dealing with mountaintop removal by big coal companies and Meena is constantly afraid of being evicted since her family illegally sublets a rent-controlled apartment. Both of these issues are approached in a kid-friendly way. Both Meena and River face discrimination because of the way they look and talk. This is a great book for tweens, one with a lot of heart. Don't miss it.
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be with her family when she was nine. River has lived in a tiny town in Eastern Kentucky his entire life. As the two write letters back and forth, they discover that they share a love of mountains, they both have a special relationship with their grandmothers, and there are political issues in their hometowns that could have disastrous effects on both of them. Neela Vaswani and Silas House create two characters that have strong, identifiable voices. I loved getting to know these kids as they wrote back and forth to each other. The book explores some political issues affecting both protagonists - River is dealing with mountaintop removal by big coal companies and Meena is constantly afraid of being evicted since her family illegally sublets a rent-controlled apartment. Both of these issues are approached in a kid-friendly way. Both Meena and River face discrimination because of the way they look and talk. This is a great book for tweens, one with a lot of heart. Don't miss it.
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LibraryThing member TheLostEntwife
One of my favorite writing method is through letters - and that style of heavily capitalized on in Same Sun Here.
The story of two completely different worlds - the midwest and the east coast, two completely different homes, lifestyles, and ideas come together in this story that paints an
As much as I loved learning about the backgrounds of each of the characters in this book there was one aspect I could have done without - the heavy political posturing.
There was so much information about our last election that it really turned me off - almost as if the authors chose to take this book and make it a platform for converting their readers to their frame of mind. It was just over the top and too much for me, and it makes me sad because it took what might have otherwise been a great educational tool, and instead turned into it into a political message.
The story of two completely different worlds - the midwest and the east coast, two completely different homes, lifestyles, and ideas come together in this story that paints an
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interesting, engrossing picture for middle-grade readers.As much as I loved learning about the backgrounds of each of the characters in this book there was one aspect I could have done without - the heavy political posturing.
There was so much information about our last election that it really turned me off - almost as if the authors chose to take this book and make it a platform for converting their readers to their frame of mind. It was just over the top and too much for me, and it makes me sad because it took what might have otherwise been a great educational tool, and instead turned into it into a political message.
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LibraryThing member Sullywriter
It's hard to imagine kids being pen pals these days but they both seem to enjoy exchanging lengthy letters with one another. This story grew on me. The main characters are interesting and the voices are unique. The people in the girl's life are more vividly realized. There's lots in this story to
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discuss. A good book for class or small group reading. Show Less
LibraryThing member dragonflydee1
Loved, loved this book. It was a true delight. Listened to it on audio book, which I highly recommend because it is narrated by the authors. One young man in Kentucky and one young girl from India who now lives in Chinatown in NY become pen pals. The book is a year of their correspondence,the highs
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and lows of life--it was wonderful! Show Less
LibraryThing member Meganelise1
This was one one of those books that five pages in you start thinking "Oh this is special". I tried to make it last, but still only made it about a day and a half.
LibraryThing member AbigailAdams26
Co-authors Silas House and Neela Vaswani join forces in this epistolary middle-grade novel, exploring, through their characters' correspondence with one another, the differences and commonalities in the lives of a Kentucky coal-miner's son and the daughter of recent Indian immigrants, studying to
Chosen as our September selection over in The Children's Fiction Book-Club to which I belong, Same Sun Here touches upon many important themes, from family relationships and the stresses put upon those relationships by separation, to environmental stewardship and the terrible consequences when people ignore their responsibility of care, for both earth and people. Unlike some readers, I really appreciated the fact that politics, whether one defines that in terms of elections or of personal activism, was featured so prominently here. Children, after all, live in the same political world as the rest of us, and are affected by many of the same economic and social factors as adults, so it was good to see some recent issues - the 2008 presidential election, mountain top removal coal-mining in Appalachia, rent-control and abusive landlords in New York City - being depicted in a book intended for them. I also really appreciated the format of the book itself, and think that having two different authors pen the two protagonists' letters was an inspired choice, leading to believably different voices for River and Meena.
All in all, this was a strong book, one with engaging characters and an always interesting, often poignant story. I came away with a desire to read more by both authors.
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become citizens in New York City. Although River Dean Justice and Meena Joshi come from different places, and lead very different lives, they also share many of the same experiences, from coping with the absence of a father, whose work has taken him far away, to feeling just a little bit out-of-step with those around them. When tragedy strikes in both of their lives, their letters to one another provide an avenue for expression, and their strong friendship an important source of strength.Chosen as our September selection over in The Children's Fiction Book-Club to which I belong, Same Sun Here touches upon many important themes, from family relationships and the stresses put upon those relationships by separation, to environmental stewardship and the terrible consequences when people ignore their responsibility of care, for both earth and people. Unlike some readers, I really appreciated the fact that politics, whether one defines that in terms of elections or of personal activism, was featured so prominently here. Children, after all, live in the same political world as the rest of us, and are affected by many of the same economic and social factors as adults, so it was good to see some recent issues - the 2008 presidential election, mountain top removal coal-mining in Appalachia, rent-control and abusive landlords in New York City - being depicted in a book intended for them. I also really appreciated the format of the book itself, and think that having two different authors pen the two protagonists' letters was an inspired choice, leading to believably different voices for River and Meena.
All in all, this was a strong book, one with engaging characters and an always interesting, often poignant story. I came away with a desire to read more by both authors.
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LibraryThing member lilibrarian
Mina, an immigrant from India living in New York City's Chinatown, selects River, a boy in Kentucky from a list of penpals offered by her teacher. The two become close, learning of all their similarities in spite of the obvious differences. This novel is episotolery, a collection of their letters
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to each other. Show Less
LibraryThing member kalky
SAME SUN HERE is a book written for middle grades readers, but it is a book that should be read by people of all ages. In it, pen pals Meena and River spend almost a year writing to each other and sharing their lives with an authentic openness that I have found comes with written
From the beginning of this little book, I loved the voice of twelve-year-old Meena Joshi. Her first line to River is, "I cannot tell from your name is you are a boy or a girl so I will just write to you like you are a human being." With that, she sets one of the major themes of the book: people are just people, no matter their gender or race or any of the other characteristics that can sometimes divide us.
River Justice (who is a boy) is an equally compelling character, and the exchanges between River and Meena detail an exciting ten months in both of their lives. Their correspondence gives voice to some of the issues of our day including problems with rent control and the horrors of mountaintop removal. Meena's letters were written by Neela Vaswani and Silas House penned River's letters, and both authors dazzled me at times with their writing. The open discussions between Meena and River about discrimination and cultural differences teach a lot about tolerance without being preachy, and the many similarities that Meena and River share illustrate perfectly how two seemingly very different individuals can have a whole lot in common.
The pictures and poems sprinkled throughout the book enhance the text, and I found myself craving more of Meena's drawings as I read.
My only concern is that in an effort to teach tolerance and to tell people to avoid stereotypes, those in the book who are intolerant are often depicted as stereotypes. That said, the book is written in the voices of two preteens, so the lack of nuance in drawing those periphery characters is certainly in keeping with the tone of the book. My concern is that those who may benefit most from reading SAME SUN HERE would tune its lessons out because of that.
All in all, this is an almost perfect book, and I was sad to say good-bye to Meena and River at the end of it.
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correspondence.From the beginning of this little book, I loved the voice of twelve-year-old Meena Joshi. Her first line to River is, "I cannot tell from your name is you are a boy or a girl so I will just write to you like you are a human being." With that, she sets one of the major themes of the book: people are just people, no matter their gender or race or any of the other characteristics that can sometimes divide us.
River Justice (who is a boy) is an equally compelling character, and the exchanges between River and Meena detail an exciting ten months in both of their lives. Their correspondence gives voice to some of the issues of our day including problems with rent control and the horrors of mountaintop removal. Meena's letters were written by Neela Vaswani and Silas House penned River's letters, and both authors dazzled me at times with their writing. The open discussions between Meena and River about discrimination and cultural differences teach a lot about tolerance without being preachy, and the many similarities that Meena and River share illustrate perfectly how two seemingly very different individuals can have a whole lot in common.
The pictures and poems sprinkled throughout the book enhance the text, and I found myself craving more of Meena's drawings as I read.
My only concern is that in an effort to teach tolerance and to tell people to avoid stereotypes, those in the book who are intolerant are often depicted as stereotypes. That said, the book is written in the voices of two preteens, so the lack of nuance in drawing those periphery characters is certainly in keeping with the tone of the book. My concern is that those who may benefit most from reading SAME SUN HERE would tune its lessons out because of that.
All in all, this is an almost perfect book, and I was sad to say good-bye to Meena and River at the end of it.
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LibraryThing member paakre
River lives in Kentucky and witnesses the mountaintop mining that is destroying his natural surroundings. River's dad works in offshore drilling since he was laid off as a coal miner with the arrival of MTR.
Meena lives in NYC, an immigrant from India. Her apartment is in Chinatown. She lives with
As the two young people describe in their letters their diverse lives, we see the things that they have in common. Both have dogs, absent fathers, dangerous living conditions, and dear grandmothers whose influence is greater than their parents. Both children suffer a great loss.
I love the writing about New York City,especially when Meena goes to the library and helps Mai teach her parents to become citizens. The depiction of Meena's family is more sympathetic even though River experiences a melodramatic disaster. Something about his parents doesn't ring true, or the writing just doesn't get it across. We wonder what his mother's ailment really is, and how it can be cured by the simple re-appearance of his father.
I suspect it is because the two writers responsible for the two sets of letters do not have equal gifts, and Neela Vaswani comes out ahead. Still this novel is timely (about MTR, immigrant issues) and easy to read with the letter format.
Meena lives in NYC, an immigrant from India. Her apartment is in Chinatown. She lives with
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her mother, brother, and father who only comes home one weekend a month from his job in a NJ restaurant.As the two young people describe in their letters their diverse lives, we see the things that they have in common. Both have dogs, absent fathers, dangerous living conditions, and dear grandmothers whose influence is greater than their parents. Both children suffer a great loss.
I love the writing about New York City,especially when Meena goes to the library and helps Mai teach her parents to become citizens. The depiction of Meena's family is more sympathetic even though River experiences a melodramatic disaster. Something about his parents doesn't ring true, or the writing just doesn't get it across. We wonder what his mother's ailment really is, and how it can be cured by the simple re-appearance of his father.
I suspect it is because the two writers responsible for the two sets of letters do not have equal gifts, and Neela Vaswani comes out ahead. Still this novel is timely (about MTR, immigrant issues) and easy to read with the letter format.
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LibraryThing member kburtontruxel
The message of this book is acceptance in a diverse American society. There were times when the topics of personal feelings, loss, family, school worries, etc were endearing and thoughtfully conveyed. Meena and River's affections for their grandmothers , parents and dogs were good examples of the
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similarities humans from diverse cultures can find. The stress of comparing oneself to another like Meena compares herself to Marvel or the pressures of handling peer's comments like River faces on the basketball team are relatable incidences. However more times than I thought necessary I found topic choices rather contrived. I do not feel that the pen pals of the stated ages would have written in this way to one another. In one segment great attention is given to how Meena views a gay youth. Terms such as f*gg*t were used, stereotypical descriptions were made, some gay lifestyle details were shared and her conclusions were not based on any family bias or input, but on today's politically correct mantras. This detailed and potentially offensive section would curb my use of this book in the classroom for any child under the age of 16. The authors' agendas are clear and multiple times throughout the book they are preaching to their readers about the evils of the rich and big business in contrast to the helplessness or victimization of certain communities. For example, the mining company operates outside of the parameters of the EPA while the Kentucky community stands helplessly by as the school is crushed by loose boulders The authors pack the story with too many current social topics so that the reader is left with more of a "feeling" about the topic rather than balanced information and well rounded arguments. It is unnecessary drama intended to stir emotions and political/social activism-- not a story for elementary aged children. Show Less
LibraryThing member sabdelaz
A story about two pen friends, Mena and River. Meena is from India and River is from Kentucky. Both are witting to each other from far away. Meena actually immigrated to the New York where she stays with her mom while her dad works in India. These are the protagonist of the story. They share some
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experiences different experiences through the letters they write each other. At the end of the book, River is going to New York to meet Meena and her family. Meena's name is actually an Arabic word that meas "Port" or "Port City" and the boy from Kentucky's name is River so they are born the same n that sense. Recommend for fourth and fifth graders. This book should have a second, should be like a series because it was pretty interesting. Show Less
LibraryThing member DeweyEver
River, a boy living in Eastern Kentucky, and Meena, an immigrant from India living in New York City, become pen pals and subsequently best friends as they share their life experiences and discover similarities between them. In an epistolary format, River and Meena tell their stories, as River is
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dealing with mountaintop removal in his town that results in a disaster at his school and Meena deals with her parents trying to become American citizens while living illegally in a rent-controlled apartment. Both characters have fathers that live away from their families for work, and the letters explore the impact this has on the families. The characters are realistically formed and the stories are engaging, showing readers how all people can relate to one another. Show Less
LibraryThing member Mad.River.Librarian
Told (and written) in alternating letters, two unlikely kids become very close and reveal their "own true selves" through their pen pal relationship. River, from Kentucky, lives in coal mining country miles away from the heart of New York City, where India-born Meena lives in a rent-controlled
What connects these two unlikely friends are the qualities we look for and nurture in our real, true friends. While they may never have connected had they gone to the same school, their friendship grows through their letters and shared values, as they open each other's eyes to a new way of seeing.
Grades 5-8.
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apartment with her family. As this friendship blossoms, deeper issues are slowly revealed. Death and sadness are intertwined with ordinary tween angst and joys, but also bigger, more global issues affect each of these two. For River, mountain top removal suddenly is in his backyard, with shattering consequences and for Meena, issues of citizenship and gentrification in rent-controlled apartments mean that she is acutely aware of her tenacious place in the fabric of America, all the while yearning for a sense of home.What connects these two unlikely friends are the qualities we look for and nurture in our real, true friends. While they may never have connected had they gone to the same school, their friendship grows through their letters and shared values, as they open each other's eyes to a new way of seeing.
Grades 5-8.
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LibraryThing member lindamamak
River a 13 year old from Kentucky and Meena a 13 year old from India living in New York City learn about each others lives through letters as pen pals. Great insight into their different lives but also how each has some semblance .
LibraryThing member jaelynculliford
River a 13 year old from Kentucky and Meena a 13 year old from India living in New York City learn about each others lives through letters as pen pals. They soon find out that they actually have a lot in common. The premise of this book is so interesting! I loved the start of it and the way it was
My only problem is that I felt like the authors, tried to hard. Each chapter was written, in the point of view of 13 years, as a letter. But, I felt like the story was dragged out so far and I couldn't find the voice of the characters. Because, I felt like the authors tried too hard to sound like a 13 year old.
Though, I think you should give this book a try anyway, its unique and quite interesting.
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written, as letters to each other, so creative. My only problem is that I felt like the authors, tried to hard. Each chapter was written, in the point of view of 13 years, as a letter. But, I felt like the story was dragged out so far and I couldn't find the voice of the characters. Because, I felt like the authors tried too hard to sound like a 13 year old.
Though, I think you should give this book a try anyway, its unique and quite interesting.
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LibraryThing member Salsabrarian
Narrated by the authors. Meena lives in New York CIty. River lives in Kentucky. They become old-school pen pals, sending written letters by mail and soon regarding the other as a best friend. They share life's ups and downs: Meena's family lives illegally in a rent-control apartment and her
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artistic ability gets her involved in the school play; River adores his grandmother and joins her in protesting mountain-top removal after a tragic accident. You have to set aside what you know about average kids to believe that two kids would write such lengthy articulate letters, and the message of "we are all the same even though we're different" is pretty obvious. Vaswani sounds like the young girl that Meena is but House's deep voice has a disconcerting effect for River. However, House's soft Southern accent and storytelling manner makes for a gentle listening experience, and listeners may forgive his manly tone after awhile. Show Less
LibraryThing member tjsjohanna
The format worked really well and provided a nice glimpse of two very different American experiences that are nevertheless very similar. I found myself invested in both families and wonder how their eventual meeting would go.
LibraryThing member PhyllisH
This story is so special. I loved every minute spent reading/ listening to this book.
LibraryThing member juniperSun
I really loved that this audiobook was performed with accents that I imagine the characters would really have.
For a school pen pal project, Meena and River selected each other based on being able to connect by writing letters rather than email. They were both open to learning about the other's
I think this story would be good for middle schoolers to learn about being open to other cultures. There were a few instances where I, as an adult, felt there was more explanations than would be normal, and I often felt that both young people were writing much lengthier letters than anyone would. But perhaps a younger reader would just accept that and go with the flow of the tale.
I'm thinking of saving this audiobook a couple more years until my grandkids will be closer to middle school age for listening to it.
For a school pen pal project, Meena and River selected each other based on being able to connect by writing letters rather than email. They were both open to learning about the other's
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cultures, and being their true selves. River shares his concerns about mountaintop removal mining happening very near his town. Meena shares her sadness at leaving her grandma behind, and concerns about her family not being able to afford an apartment & the woman they stay with being harassed by the landlord. They both have fathers who are rarely home due to out-of-state job sites.I think this story would be good for middle schoolers to learn about being open to other cultures. There were a few instances where I, as an adult, felt there was more explanations than would be normal, and I often felt that both young people were writing much lengthier letters than anyone would. But perhaps a younger reader would just accept that and go with the flow of the tale.
I'm thinking of saving this audiobook a couple more years until my grandkids will be closer to middle school age for listening to it.
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Pages
304