Water Buffalo Days: Growing Up in Vietnam

I found this book at a used book store and bought it because I like to read about ordinary people in other countries and how they live. This exceeded my expectations. So when my son's class was studying Asia I purchased an extra copy to donate to the school. It is written well and would be interesting to kids from 5 to adult. I've read it twice and still love it.A boy growing up in Vietnam before the war. He and his family live in a rural village. The father buys a young water buffalo. Their family's success depends on having one good reliable bull. The boy and the calf grow up together, and are best friends. We learn about how they farmed and the dangers of the river and the jungle which surround their farm. This story is warm and inviting. I wanted to visit that land and meet this simple family who knew ingenious ways of surviving off the land. Of course at the end as the war starts and gradually creeps closer to the family's home. I was incredibly sad to know that the way of life which I enjoyed reading about was going to come to an end, and the boy's life was going to be dramatically changed forever. But I felt he would always carry those peaceful days with him where ever he went. A great book

This book is about a boy named Huynh Quang Nhuong, who lived in Vietnam, in a small hamlet on the slope of a mountain. The hamlet had a herd of water buffaloes. One day, his father bought a calf, because the herd didn’t have enough buffaloes. While the calf grew, the boy’s family taught him to fight. When he wasn’t learning, he played with the boy. When he grew strong enough, he fought with the herd’s leader and won. He became a powerful leader and fought against all dangers: hogs, tigers, crocodiles, etc. In the end he was killed by a shot in the chest. I liked the fights because they are so exciting. I also liked when they went exploring. On the other hand, I didn’t like the first chapters because of the way the author writes and also what he says is boring. I would change the book into a story all about fights.Guilherme (age 8 from Brazil)

A wonderful story of a young boy, from Vietnam. I bought this for my buddy who served with the 8th Field Hospital in Nha Trang, Vietnam ("The famous China Beach.") During downtime, he was fond of the local children who were at times, treated at the 8th.

A deceptively simple story with a powerful message, Water Buffalo Days features language that is child friendly yet beautiful. This book would be an excellent choice to read aloud to a class between first and fifth grade. Our family has long owned a copy, but I purchased a second because this is the one book out of quite a number of books we own that both kids want to inherit.

This is a wonderful book, a great engaging way to help students who might be struggling readers. My students love the short chapters and the pace of the stories. I personally enjoyed reading this book. Well done!

My son loved this book. Great for pre-teen wanting to learn about Vietnam.

It was just what I wanted, it was my son's favourite book when he was young and he wanted it for his daughter.

Not as good as 'the land I lost' but I enjoyed the additional stories.

This is one of two books (The Land I Lost and Water Buffalo Days) by Huynh Quang Nhuong, both of which consist of memories of a man who grew up in Vietnam, but was seriously injured during the war and was taken to America, where he still lives.Each book is only around 120 pages and contain a number of short pieces, from three to six pages long. They are written in simple terms, making the books suitable for young readers and for anyone interested in life in a Vietnam village prior to the war.I'm sure these memories are seen through rose-tinted glasses, but the fact remains that the author presents us with a simple, but very precious way of life, lived by some fine people.I found it interesting that the people in it took great dangers in their stride as a matter of course, something which is hard to imagine, here in my safe life in England.I loved these books and warmed to the people. These books should be available in schools.

I very much enjoyed this story and passed on the book to our Vietanmese guide for him to read to his children.

A classic!!