THE BUDDHA’S DIAMONDS

At age ten, Tinh begins to assume the responsibilities of an adult—worshipping, working and supporting the family along with his fisherman father. When a huge storm wrecks his village and buries the family’s boat, Tinh must pull himself together and make amends for running from the storm and not performing his duties. The Buddha’s “diamonds,” those things that are more important than earthly belongings, help remind him of his blessings and the priorities of life. His family has known war, hard work and disasters, but in each case, they have managed to rise above them and succeed. Tinh experiences the range of feelings of a boy no longer a child—shame, loss, joy, obedience, fear and the weight of fulfilling the role of a proper son to his ancestors and extended family. Aimed at a more sophisticated audience of transitional readers, this will have to be booktalked. However, those who take it up will want Tinh to succeed and will be astonished at his duties at such a young age. A glossary and author’s notes allow the reader to learn the vocabulary and setting of this deeply cultural Vietnamese story. (Fiction. 8-11)