It's a nice short story! ( )

Good story, though I recommend it for children and very young adults.
I've heard about this author so many times before; especially his novel 'Things Fall Apart'. I might read that some time later. ( )

Feels odd to give a Chinua Achebe book only three stars, but it wasn't like the rest of his works and that threw me off majorly. The tone of the book is rather juvenile, even for a children's story, and the ending ties up all loose ends rather too neatly for my likings. I do like the looks into Chike's daily life and the culture he grew up in; Chike ended up being a very likeable protagonist. Would probably not read again, though. ( )

Very enjoyable childrens story. ( )

This novella is about an 11 year old boy whose widowed mother entrusts his upbringing to his strict uncle, who believes that children should study and work hard and not waste their time in play. Chike lives in a small village along the Niger River across from Asaba, a larger city filled with wonderful sights that are described to him by his friends. He longs to go there, but he needs money to pay for the ferry ride to Asaba and back, and his uncle refuses to give it to him. After several plans go awry Chike is eventually able to pay for the journey, but after he arrives in Asaba he finds that it isn't what he expected it to be, and he soon finds himself in trouble.

Chike and the River is an engaging children's book that also serves as a moral fable about the dangers of blindly following one's heart, which would best be appreciated by 7-10 year children. I mistakenly bought this book, thinking that it was a adult novella by Achebe, but I'm glad that I read it. ( )