Running on the Roof of the World

by Jess Butterworth Narrated by Soneela Nankani

Overview

A story of adventure, survival, courage, and hope, set in the vivid Himalayan landscape of Tibet and India. In this contemporary story, Tash lives in Tibet, where as a practicing Buddhist she must follow many rules to avoid the wrath of the occupying Chinese soldiers. Lately, things have been relatively peaceful, as long as Tash and her family hide their religion and don't mention its leader, the Dalai Lama. The quiet is ruptured when a man publicly sets himself on fire in protest. Soldiers break into Tash's house and seize her parents. She narrowly escapes, and soon she and her best friend, Sam, along with two borrowed yaks, flee across the mountains, where they face blizzards, hunger, a treacherous landscape, and the threat of discovery and capture. It's a long, dangerous trip to the Indian border and safety-and not every member of the group will survive. This page-turning high adventure introduces young readers to a fascinating part of the world and the threat to its people's religious freedom. Running on the Roof of the World will appeal to fans of such topical survival adventure stories as A Long Walk to Water and Never Fall Down.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

The short, cliffhanger chapters will have readers anxiously turning the pages. Middle-grade readers who love Margi Preus will devour Butterworth’s debut.”
—Scholastic Teacher

“The perfect summer novel for young middle-grade readers, [a] tale of adventure and courage, halfway around the world . . . a story told with hope and compassion.”
—New Orleans Magazine
 
“An exceptional, riveting novel that will leave readers breathless in many important ways.”
—Nationally syndicated columnist Kendal A. Rautzhan forReading Eagle
 
“This unique debut novel is perfect for inspiring anyone who, like the dedication says, ‘has ever felt too small to make a difference.’”
—Booklist

“The unique setting and Buddhist perspective adds depth to this page-turning adventure.”
—School Library Journal
 
“Short chapters and simple sentence structure keep the pages turning. The tale diligently provides details of Tibetan daily life, customs and culture, and it appropriately raises questions about freedom, occupation, and exile.”
—Kirkus Reviews
 
“An accessible meditation on the value of faith in a distinctive geopolitical context.”
—The Bulletin for the Center of Children’s Books

“The perfect combination of adventure, friendship, cultural appreciation, and real-worldliness that make it a five-star read for kids and adults alike.”
—Foreword Reviews
 
“A lively tale of courage, persistence, and growth . . . Butterworth engenders warm appreciation not only for what the scrappy Tash and Sam endure but also the culture and its traditions they wish to protect, without denying that the conflict is still ongoing.”
—The Center for Fiction

“[An] adventurous tale of survival. Twelve-year-old Tash embarks on an incredible journey with her best friend, Sam, encountering Chinese soldiers and the Dalai Lama. It’s a great opportunity for kids spending the summer at home to escape to a part of the world they’re probably not all that familiar with.”
—TravelingMom.com

Kirkus Reviews

2018-03-04
A Tibetan girl and her friend find themselves on a quest through the Himalayas. Twelve-year-old narrator Tashi's small Tibetan village is suffering under the heel of the Chinese military. After one of the villagers publicly sets himself on fire to protest the harshness of the occupation (a graphic event that continues to haunt Tash through the book and might well haunt readers), soldiers come to arrest Tash's parents as suspected dissidents. Tash and her best friend, Samdup, barely escape, taking with them the illegal resistance leaflets and a coded letter her journalist dad gives her. With their two borrowed yaks, the two children are determined to make the long, dangerous trek through the Himalayas into India to seek help from the Dalai Lama, who is living there in exile. Short chapters and simple sentence structure keep the pages turning. The tale diligently provides details of Tibetan daily life, customs, and culture, and it appropriately raises questions about freedom, occupation, and exile. However, sometimes the characters' voices sound very Western, and readers familiar with the culture may wonder at the yaks' Western names, the characters' nicknames, and their use of Western rather than Tibetan address for their parents. Plot-driven conveniences and a tidy ending further undercut the story's realism. A brief bulleted list of facts concludes the story, but there is no map—an absence readers may feel.This story of friendship, courage, and survival is an imperfect peek into the Tibetan culture and way of life. (Adventure. 10-14)

Product Details

BN ID:	2940170530977
Publisher:	Recorded Books, LLC
Publication date:	05/01/2018
Edition description:	Unabridged
Age Range:	10 - 13 Years

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