What sort of book do you pick up at an airport bookshop?

Fortunately for me, in Siem Reap, Cambodia, I chose ‘Never fall Down’ by Patricia McCormick, the story of Arn Chorn-Pond, who today is a peace activist and motivational speaker. McCormick narrates Arn’s story when, as a young Cambodian boy soldier, he is forced to leave his home, to witness horrifying events and make excruciatingly difficult decisions as he firstly flees from the Khmer Rouge, survives by learning to play a musical instrument, and later joins the Khmer as a soldier.

Although the text looks suitable for Upper Primary, the story contains graphic and unflinching details of wartime atrocities, however the violence portrayed is never gratuitous. The complexity of war and the personal choices facing everyday citizens are well portrayed in this unforgettable story – a tiny glimpse into the genocide of two million people in Cambodia’s ‘killing fields’ through the eyes of one boy.

Suitable for Secondary readers and adults.