Running on the Roof of the World

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Buy from our bookstore and 25% of the cover price will be given to a school of your choice to buy more books. *15% of eBooks. Home > Book Genre: Adventure, Childrens, Fiction, Historical, Historical Fiction, Middle Grade, Realistic Fiction Tash and her friend Sam embark on an adventure that whisks the reader through the harsh terrain of the Himalayas as they make their way to India and the Dalai Lama. This is an adventure that’ll have you falling in love with Yaks. An adventure that you’ll often be reading with your heart in your mouth. There’s so much about this book that, on the surface, calls out to me and screams my name. A middle-grade novel about a tough-as-nails female protagonist. A Tibetan setting. Asian characters with a unique (to middle-grade books) Buddhist perspective.

A richly atmospheric story of survival and hope set in Tibet and India, filled with friendship, love and courage. This young girl's thrilling journey to save her parents is an ideal read for fans of Katherine Rundell, Lauren St John or Polly Ho-Yen. PT: RATW: Tibet*, children’s books (???), ice/mountains/COLD, human journeys, cultural heritage storiesLe Sueur, Alec (2003-01-01). The Hotel on the Roof of the World: from Miss Tibet to Shangri-La. Oakland, Calif: RDR Books. ISBN 1571431012. OCLC 845721671. The characters are Tibetan, but their names are abbreviated to Tash and Sam. Which...it just made me slightly uncomfortable that their names were abbreviated to something that seemed Western. You know? As much as I love China and continue to travel there for both business and pleasure, it’s not a utopia. Far from it. I liked what the story was trying to be but something just wasn't there for me. the chapters were very short (sometimes a good thing) and they felt bare, like most of the detail about character emotion or setting or something wasn't written. Running on the Roof of the World is set in the Himalayas, in a small country called Tibet. It’s about a girl called Tash, who runs away to find the Dalai Lama, hoping he can help her with her problem. She has some friends to help her along the way: Sam and two yaks. On the way they bump into some strangers and we are not sure if they are there to help or to hinder their journey. Will they make it to find the Dalai Lama?

EVEEEEEEEEEEEE. My heart. Oh Eve, Eve, Eve. What a gentle soul. What a wonderful companion. A savior and an angel in the body of a large yak. A blessing. (Appa vibes?) After their parents are taken away by Chinese forces, two children find themselves on a mad dash, with their two yaks, across the mountains to try to save their parents and figure out a mysterious code that needs to be delivered to the rebellion. Oh, and what is environmentally key about Tibet right now? It is the source of fresh water for much of Asia, so expect continued and increased oppression there: With the awakening of public interest in Tibet, the Pamirs, "since 1875 ... probably the best explored region in High Asia", [4] went out of the limelight and the description "Roof of the World" has been increasingly applied to Tibet [9] [10] and the Tibetan plateau, and occasionally, especially in French ( "Toit du monde"), even to Mt. Everest, [11] but the traditional use is still alive. [12] Where the world's tallest mountain ranges meet Panorama of the Pamirs, the Original Roof of the World

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We're so small. Can we really make a difference?” Tash wonders but, at its heart, this novel tells the tale of her tenacity, and ability to do just that. It’s a thrilling fable about hope, and the importance of holding onto what matters, no matter what. With its derring-do charm, and vivid sense of place, this follows in the tradition of classic adventure stories, and comes thoroughly recommended for fans of Eva Ibbotson, Lauren St John and Katherine Rundell. ~ Joanne Owen I had no idea what this book was about, but as I am in a group of English teachers who are reading for teaching about the environment, the group suggested we read this children’s book (ages 9-12) and since I saw it only took 3 or so hours to listen to, I did it. It’s no fault of the book that I discovered it is not so much an environmental book, it's mainly an adventure book, where two Tibetan kids, Tash and Sam, escape to India to try and get the Dalai Lama to free her parents. Children crossing the frigid Himalayas with two yaks and no adults. This thrilling adventure story is about kindness, hope, friendship and the power of one person to make a difference. All of which seem to me to be pretty good messages to send to the many young people who will undoubtedly be reading this book. Note to Parents: The inciting incident comes when a Buddhist sets himself on fire, known as self-immolation. Students in 8th grade and beyond may have already been exposed to this form of protest, as it was used by Buddhist monks to protest the war in Vietnam, as well, and may be mentioned in the 8th grade Vietnam War curriculum. If your student has not studied this in school, however, or been exposed to it in any other way, this is an excellent teaching moment, and probably warrants a dual-read -- mom or dad on the couch with your kiddo -- to explain and explore while or immediately after reading.

I’ll fully admit that my own experiences might present me with certain biases in this case. I lived in China for several years, have immediate and extended Chinese family, and have traveled throughout Tibet. Set in the swamps of Louisiana this exciting adventure story combines with a hopeful message about fighting climate change and caring for the earth and its animals. More like 3.5 stars although I think I would have rated this 4 stars if I'd been in the target age group. This is an amazing book. My favourite part was when the tribe leader showed his supportive and caring side. I would rate this book 5/5.

Was it because the book wasn’t written by an Asian (let alone a Tibetan) but rather a white author? Partially; I won’t lie. That did give me pause. But I was willing to overlook that fact if the story were well researched or informed by real experiences. It was something else. Books that open a window onto these events and people have never been more vital. And this book, despite its flaws, does an admirable job of opening that window a bit more. Tash lives in Tibet with her parents. From the opening chapter Butterworth highlights Tash’s life – full of rules dictated by an inflexible army. Soldiers to be scared of, soldiers to watch out for.

I was somewhat hesitant going in to this book, simply because stories about child refugees having to flee their homes are by their nature, sad and distressing, and given what's going on in the world at the moment, I can get a bit hand-shy of books that are too real in that regard. Thankfully, Butterworth manages the story of Tash and Sam with great control so that while the dangers and sadness are apparent at every step, they aren't so prominent as to overwhelm the reader. In fact, Running on the Roof of the World is a remarkably accessible book for young readers who are interested in real life events and what's going on outside their own bubble, written in a tone that is both moving and dignified. For other uses, see Roof of the World (disambiguation). Physical map of Central Asia from the Caucasus in the northwest, to Mongolia in the northeast. Survival stories are some of my all-time favorite middle grade books. This is a great addition to my survivor collection that contains other titles like Snow Dogs by Terry Lynn Johnson and Hatchet by Greg Paulsen.

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Some of the situations that our two young travellers find themselves in along the way would have challenged even the bear-wearing Leonardo DiCaprio in The Revenant. At every stage of the journey Tash is using her inner strength, determined to save her parents. Other fabulous middle-grade books that deal with serious issues affecting children in other countries include Oranges in No Man's Land by Elizabeth Laird, about Lebanon, and The Bone Sparrow by Zana Fraillon, about Rohinga refugees in Australia. You might also like to look at When the Mountains Roared by Jess Butterworth. A big part of Tash realising that there's far more going on in the world than she knows is because a man in her village sets himself on fire in protest. And it's brought up several times in the course of the story. But an explanation as to WHY someone might do something like that and an emphasis that it's not something that should be encouraged as a form of protest doesn't come until right at the end of the book. And given that it's a middle grade book, I wanted that stuff to come a liiiiiittle bit sooner. Events that initially seemed to stretch believability in Running on the Roof of the World suddenly, upon reflection, seem frighteningly realistic. This is a daily terror that people continue to live with, and it shouldn’t get swept under the carpet. The perfect combination of adventure, friendship, cultural appreciation, and real-worldliness that make it a five-star read for kids and adults alike.”