Viku Goes to School

Viku Goes to School is fourth in the Viku adventure series begun with Viku and the Elephant and continued in Viku to the Rescue and Viku and the Ivory Thieves. In the new book, Viku's father sends him to school, saying, "Otherwise you'll never know all the new things happening in the world." And his mother tells him, "Haatee can live in the forest, but you have to grow up and earn money. You cannot do that without a good education." Viku doesn't know anyone in school and soon meets a boy who bullies him. How is he going to handle the bigger boy who makes him do things that he doesn't want to do? Could Haatee help? As Viku works through the problem, the reader identifies with him and his struggle and will think about how to deal with similar situations in his or her own life. In the second part of the book, farmers come to Viku for advice when wild elephants trample their fields. Viku learns about the human-elephant conflict over basic resources. How will he help? These Viku stories are fast paced and intriguing while telling us about life in another culture.

This book works well as a read aloud story for young children, is suitable for early readers (2nd and 3rd grades), and is an excellent chapter book for 4th and 5th graders.