The Rent Collector: Adapted for Young Readers by Camron Wright - ADVISABLE

The Rent Collector: Adapted for Young Readers by Camron Wright, 240 pages. Shadow Mountain, 2022. $18. 9781629729855

Language: G (0 swears, 0 'F'); Mature Content: PG; Violence: PG (discussion of killings and beatings)

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

Sang Ly lives at a city dump in Cambodia with her husband and sickly child, surviving on the day-to-day money they can make selling what they find in the garbage. Sopeap is an older woman who collects their rent, and the two become unlikely friends when Sopeap begrudgingly agrees to teach Sang Ly how to read. Reading opens Sang Ly's world and gives her the motivation to seek out healing answers for her baby. Sopeap's world is also changed by teaching Sang Ly, and both of their stories together are beautiful and inspiring. 

This is an adapted version of the bestselling novel of the same title. I haven't read the adult version, but the story here is nice and an easy read. The discussion of historically accurate events with the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia are a bit rough and might be hard for younger readers. I also don't know how interested kids will be in this book, despite its quality. It strikes me as being more of a book adults will want kids to read but that's not always a bad thing. 

Reviewer: TC