The Cricket War

Ages 9 to 12, Grades 4 to 7

The gripping story of a boy's escape by boat from Communist Vietnam in 1980. Eleven-year-old Thọ Phạm lives with his family in South Vietnam. He spends his afternoons playing soccer and cricket fighting, but life is slowly changing under the Communists. His parents are worried, and Thọ knows the Communist army will soon knock on their door to make his brother, and them him, join them. Still, it shocks him when his father says he's arranged for Thọ to leave, immediately. Thọ tries to be brave as he sets out on a harrowing journey toward the unknown. A survival story drawn from real-life experiences enrich this riveting refugee story.

A gripping story of a boy’s escape from Communist Vietnam by boat, based on the author’s own experience.It’s 1980, and 11-year-old Thọ Phạm lives with his family in South Vietnam. He spends his afternoons playing soccer and cricket fighting with his friends, but life is slowly changing under the Communists. His parents are worried, and Thọ knows the Communist army will soon knock on their door to make his brother, and then him, join them. Still, it shocks him when his father says that arrangements have been made for him to leave Vietnam by boat, immediately. Thọ tries to be brave as he sets out on a harrowing journey toward the unknown.Co-authors Thọ Phạm and Sandra McTavish, childhood friends, have loosely based this historical fiction novel on Thọ’s real-life experience as one of the Vietnamese Boat People, and includes many factual details from his journey on the South China Sea and in a Philippine refugee camp. Depictions of pirate attacks, hunger, and loneliness make for a riveting survival story, sure to elicit empathy for refugees. Eventually adopted by a Canadian elementary school teacher, Thọ’s story is ultimately one of hope, courage, and resilience. It’s a valuable resource for social studies lessons on Asian culture and history and on immigration.

About the Author

Tho Pham left Vietnam alone at the age of 11, joining tens of thousands of refugees on boats and ships. After a two-month-long journey at sea and landing at a refugee camp in Palawan, Philippines, he was eventually adopted by a Canadian elementary school teacher. Tho lives in Ottawa with his family.

Sandra McTavish is a former high school English teacher and now works in educational publishing. She and her partner, Doug, divide their time between Toronto and his family farm in Ontario, where they have a few “pet” cows and barn cats.