Book Details
The Rent Collector:
Adapted for Young Readers from the BestSelling Novel
by Camron Wright
Publication Date: 4/5/22
Hardcover
ISBN: 9781629729855
Retail Price: $17.99
Page Count: 288
Juvenile Fiction
Cover illustration: Brandon Dorman
Book design: © Shadow Mountain
Art Direction: Richard Erickson
Design: Sheryl Dickert Smith
***I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy from the publisher. All opinions are my own***
Book Summary
Based on true events. Sang Ly lives at Cambodia's city dump and is grateful she can help earn a living for her family by sifting through the trash for recyclables and things which can be repaired and sold. On a good day, she can earn enough to buy food for her family. She needs enough good days so she can pay the rent collector, Sopeap--a grumpy old woman who shows no mercy and who is willing to evict any tenant who can't pay their rent on time.
When Sang Ly is unable to pay her rent for the month, she fears her family will have to leave the dump and their shanty home--a place where her only possessions can be carried in two hands. Little does she know that a discarded children's book found among the mounds of trash would save her. When Sopeap sees the book lying on Sang Ly's cardboard bed, her mood changes. Sang Ly offers her the book if she is allowed to keep her family at the dump.
An unlikely friendship develops between the two women, and Sang Ly learns that Sopeap knows how to read--something Sang Ly has always wanted to learn. Being able to read could transform Sang Ly's world beyond the predictable confines of the dump and lead to a future with possibilities and hope. But the rent collector has a secret and tragic past, one that will not be easy for Sang Ly to navigate. With the help of her supportive husband, Ki Lim, and a helpful and humorous boy, Lucky Fat, Sang Ly embarks on a life-changing journey to give her young son, Nisay, a better life and future.
The Rent Collector is about the power of literacy, the influence of the past, and finding hope, resiliency, and empowerment in the face of seemingly endless hardship.
When Sang Ly is unable to pay her rent for the month, she fears her family will have to leave the dump and their shanty home--a place where her only possessions can be carried in two hands. Little does she know that a discarded children's book found among the mounds of trash would save her. When Sopeap sees the book lying on Sang Ly's cardboard bed, her mood changes. Sang Ly offers her the book if she is allowed to keep her family at the dump.
An unlikely friendship develops between the two women, and Sang Ly learns that Sopeap knows how to read--something Sang Ly has always wanted to learn. Being able to read could transform Sang Ly's world beyond the predictable confines of the dump and lead to a future with possibilities and hope. But the rent collector has a secret and tragic past, one that will not be easy for Sang Ly to navigate. With the help of her supportive husband, Ki Lim, and a helpful and humorous boy, Lucky Fat, Sang Ly embarks on a life-changing journey to give her young son, Nisay, a better life and future.
The Rent Collector is about the power of literacy, the influence of the past, and finding hope, resiliency, and empowerment in the face of seemingly endless hardship.
My Review
This was a beautiful adaptation of the original novel of The Rent Collector. The well-known story has been adapted for young readers. It still carries a strong message about literacy being important, having hope in desperate situations, and being braver than you think you are. I feel that this novel will open the eyes of young readers to how all people don't live in nice homes and all parents don't have great jobs that provide for their families. The struggles of life in the garbage dump are big for Sang Ly, her husband, and her infant son. The reality of their lives is shocking for adults so you know it will be eye-opening for teenagers.
I feel that The Rent Collector: Adapted For Young Readers should become a must-read for teens in school. This book has become a classic that will inspire people for generations to come.
***Meet Author Camron Wright***
For discussion questions and other resources, visit
authorcamronwright.com
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