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Chanda's Secrets (2004)

Chanda's Secrets (2004)

Book Info

Series
Rating
3.84 of 5 Votes: 5
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ISBN
1550378341 (ISBN13: 9781550378344)
Language
English
Publisher
annick press

About book Chanda's Secrets (2004)

In this book we meet at young lady named Chanda. Chanda is about sixteen. And throughout the story she notices something strange about her mother. Even though he knows there's something wrong she doesn't want to say anything to her mother. But Chanda has to other people she cares deeply about. And they are her little sister and best friend Ester. Ester and Chanda are like sisters because Ester lost her parents from AID's. Ester has brothers and sisters but she can find them because they are spread all other the globe since the passing of their mother. Chanda is very smart, determine and brave. Chanda has to act older because her mom isn't always around. But also Chanda's little sister dies at one and a half years old. After her sister dies her brothers and father dies in a mining accident. But after these deaths she finds out that her mother is from raids and isn't sure yet if she has it or not.This book was really good. So since the book was so good there's really not alot to dislike like about it. I liked that the author can connect to people's life. Also since the author connects with people he can tell them how to over come their problem. He tells about real things that could happen to people. I like that the author keep people guessing and keeps people wanting to keep reading. The only thing I really didn't like is that there's isn't a second or book to add on to this one. I also think that their should be another person whose caught up with Chandas family problems. I think she need somebody the stay with her throughout her whole entire journey. I like that the author provides a little of extra drama to help the story go by faster. I also dislike that the story went by very fast and felt like everything happened in like three days.I would recommend this book to people who likes pain. This is a sad book and the main character goes through alot of pain. Also if you like story related to families. Chanda loses lot of close people to her. I would also recommend it to people that hates hearing about a family and wants to help. Chandas step father was sexually active with Chanda and some of Chandas sisters. I would also recommend this to a very me-chore person. A me-chore person because their is alot of imagery. And some people might not be me-chore enough to handle the images in their head. But basically if you can handle problems, see imagery and think a little then this is the book for you.

Stratton, A. (2004). Chanda's secret. Toronto: Annick.Genre: MulticulturalAwards: Michael L. Printz Honor Award 2005Independent Publisher Book Awards Winner( IPPYs ) 2005ForeWord Magazine Book of the Year Awards Winner 2004CLA Young Adult Book Award Nominee 2005Nominated to several state book award lists in 2007Format: Print -paperbackSelection Process: YALSA Teen Book Finder, Bowker Books in PrintReview:Chanda's Secrets is a gripping tale of 16 year old Chanda, who must deal with more secrets than she can handle -her secrets, her family's secrets, her culture's secrets. Until she can overcome the fear of secrets, Chanda knows that her family and people of her village will not protect themselves and heal. A deadly disease too scary to talk about is killing people and the mere mention of it has people shunned and abandoned while others are either too fearful or ignorant to admit the truth. Chanda and everyone close to her could be next. Stratton does a superb job of mixing the cultures of an imaginary sub-saharan Africa, where he let's Chandashow us the complexities of dealing with how people of her culture perceive the medical profession and the educational system that are out to save them but embedded beliefs make it difficult to come to grips with their wrongs. Readers will share this village with Chanda and her family and friends as she experiences little joys and huge sorrows as she stands up for her family and friends to show that an educated society can save its people. Highly Recommended.

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From School Library Journal[return]Grade 8 Up?Chanda, 16, remembers the good times, when she lived with both parents on a cattle post in sub-Saharan Africa and even later on when her family moved to Bonang. Her family's troubles began after her father was killed in the diamond mines. Her first stepfather abused her; the second died of a stroke; the third is a drunken philanderer. Although Chanda lives in a world in which illness and death have become commonplace, it is not one in which AIDS can be mentioned. The horror and desperation of families facing this disease is brought home when her latest stepfather's sister dumps the dying man in front of their shantytown house. Before Chanda can get help from the hospital caseworker, he disappears and the wagon that brought him is burned. Her mother leaves to visit her family on the cattle post and Chanda is forced to give up her dream of further education to care for her younger sister and brother. Slowly she comes to realize that her mother has AIDS, and that she might be infected herself. But Chanda's education serves her well as she faces the disease head-on. In a sad but satisfying ending, she rescues her mother so that she can die at home and she and her siblings get themselves tested. Smart and determined, Chanda is a character whom readers come to care for and believe in, in spite of her almost impossible situation. The details of sub-Saharan African life are convincing and smoothly woven into this moving story of poverty and courage, but the real insight for readers will be the appalling treatment of the AIDS victims. Strong language and frank description are appropriate to the subject matter.?Kathleen Isaacs, Edmund Burke School, Washington, DC[return]Copyright ? Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
—Ken

Hi,I'm Allan Stratton, the author of CHANDA'S SECRETS. I love meeting readers and would be happy to answer any questions you might have. Just write me c/o this site, or, if you want to see all the foreign edition covers, at my website www.allanstratton.com Also the movie trailer!It was made into the movie LIFE, ABOVE ALL (a very close adaptation) that premiered at Cannes, spring 2010, and opens in North America through Sony Pictures Classics, July 2011. CHANDA'S SECRETS is about a young woman who realizes very early on that there is something seriously wrong with her mother. But she's afraid to face what that might mean, since she loves her mama more than anything and can't bear losing her and having to raise her siblings alone. Chanda also has a best friend, Esther, who lost her parents to AIDS, and who has turned to prostitution to earn the money to win back her brothers and sisters who've been scattered around the countryside after their parent's death.CHANDA'S SECRETS is more than about AIDS, though. At heart, it's about the secrets we all have, about our fears of shame and stigma and losing the love and respect of the people we love. It's about the pain of bereavement. And above all, the courage of living with truth.I love Chanda and her family very much. I hope you will too.
—Allan Stratton

This book is about a girl, Chanda, who is forced to face the many trials of Africa. She sees the horror of death all around her. The cause of many of these deaths are AIDS. This book delves deep into the ugly truths of Africa that many people don't know about. Her family is extremely poor and they live in a very poor neighborhood. The closest phone is a ways away in one of their richer friends house. This book is extremely sad and very graphic. The author doesn't hold back any part of the details. I personally don't like unhappy books like this one but I do like to have knowledge of things going on in the world. It was well written and was a very unusual read. Because of that I would have to give it three stars out of five stars.
—Wilson Stoddard

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