A Long Walk to Water begins as two stories, told in alternating sections, about a girl in Sudan in 2008 and a boy in Sudan in 1985. The girl, Nya, ...
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Dec 03, 2011
Judith
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Quick read good for multiple ability levels.This book should be an easy inclusion into 7th grade Geography, 6th grade world history, or as an addition to a Holocaust unit. This is how I plan to use it with my 7th grade reading teacher. For younger readers, this book may encourage a class to adopt a project to help bring water to children their age in other places in the world.
Book is told from two viewpoints. One is a girl walking each day to get the water her family needs which s More...
Book is told from two viewpoints. One is a girl walking each day to get the water her family needs which s More...
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Jan 15, 2012
Alicia
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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Dec 14, 2011
Elaine
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This is a KBA 2011 nominee for middle grades. Based on the true story of Salvo Dut, who at age 10 was forced from his home and family during the civil war in Sudan. For years, Salvo survived homelessness and extreme hardship, wandering throughout Sudan, Ethiopia, and Kenya, living in refugee camps. At age 22, he has the great fortune of being selected as one of only a few young men in his refugee camp to move to American and live with an adoptive family. Salvo graduates from college and embark
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Oct 01, 2011
Terri
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O.K. - I have read this story, or stories similar to it, many times - "God Grew Tired of Us," "A Long Way Gone," "What Is the What," to name a few. So, in that sense, this didn't do much for me. However, for the late elementary or middle school student who has not read this story, this is certainly a worthy read.
"A Long Walk to Water" is based on the true story of Salva Dut, one of the "Lost Boys of Sudan" who in 1985 was one of the h More...
"A Long Walk to Water" is based on the true story of Salva Dut, one of the "Lost Boys of Sudan" who in 1985 was one of the h More...
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Sep 24, 2011
This books chronicles the lives of two seemingly unrelated individuals: Nya is a girl living in current-day Sudan who has to walk miles every day to collect water, and Salva is a boy trying to escape from the civil war in Sudan in the '80s and '90s. Both children face hardships that most Americans can't begin to imagine, particularly Salva. He loses track of his family as he flees from Sudan, then has to battle through numerous life-threatening situations - all while dealing with the grief of
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Sep 15, 2011
Jessie
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This book should get 3 1/2 stars. You know that for me four stars is a rare occurance. I love this author and she told this story well. She tells it in two voices, every other chapter. One is a girl who spends most of her days walking to where water is found and carrying it back to her home. The other is the story of a boy who is displaced by war. **stop here for spoilers** The author interviewed this person and so this is a true story. I feel like it is almost a biography. His refugee wal
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Jul 10, 2011
Alan
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ATOS Book Level: 5.0
Interest Level: Middle Grades Plus (MG+ 6 and up)
AR Points: 3.0
Lexile: 720L
Word Count: 21221
This book is told in two voices from two different times. It starts with a girl, Nya, set in 2008. Nya is an 11 year old girl who's life revolves around water. Not the drinking of water or swimming or frolicking in water, but in walking and walking and walking for water. Leaving early in the morning each day with an empty plastic container in her h More...
Interest Level: Middle Grades Plus (MG+ 6 and up)
AR Points: 3.0
Lexile: 720L
Word Count: 21221
This book is told in two voices from two different times. It starts with a girl, Nya, set in 2008. Nya is an 11 year old girl who's life revolves around water. Not the drinking of water or swimming or frolicking in water, but in walking and walking and walking for water. Leaving early in the morning each day with an empty plastic container in her h More...
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Jun 27, 2011
Heidi
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There are some stories that need to be told regardless of how sad or horrifying they might be. The challenge becomes even harder when the stories are being told to children. How much should one include? What details are necessary and what can be left out without changing the story too much? And what about stories that involve extreme violence and severe suffering? How best to tell the story? These questions can be debated over and over again because there is no one right answer. No two autho
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May 17, 2011
Tara
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Based on a true story, this book relays the moving experiences of Salva Dut; one of thousands of boys orphaned by the fighting in the country of Sudan in Africa during the 1980s and 90s. Known as the ‘Lost Boys,’ these young men walked through some of the worst conditions on Earth in order to find safe haven in the neighboring countries of Ethiopia and Kenya. On the day the fighting comes to the village where he goes to school, Salva is told by his teacher to run and not look back. Not knowin
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Apr 26, 2011
Lynn
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A Long Walk to Water: based on a true story by Linda Sue Park ISBN 9780547251271
I first heard about this book from a participant in a foreign policy discussion group that I have been going to when we spoke about the Horn of Africa. So many health problems and political problems revolve around the access to water and who has control of the natural resources. Well, actually there are so many more issues but for the sake of this blog post we will state the control of natural resources More...
I first heard about this book from a participant in a foreign policy discussion group that I have been going to when we spoke about the Horn of Africa. So many health problems and political problems revolve around the access to water and who has control of the natural resources. Well, actually there are so many more issues but for the sake of this blog post we will state the control of natural resources More...
Apr 04, 2011
Melissa
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Description:
A Long Walk to Water begins as two stories, told in alternating sections, about a girl in Sudan in 2008 and a boy in Sudan in 1985. The girl, Nya, is fetching water from a pond that is two hours' walk from her home: she makes two trips to the pond every day. The boy, Salva, becomes one of the "lost boys" of Sudan, refugees who cover the African continent on foot as they search for their families and for a safe place to stay. Enduring every hardship from loneliness to More...
A Long Walk to Water begins as two stories, told in alternating sections, about a girl in Sudan in 2008 and a boy in Sudan in 1985. The girl, Nya, is fetching water from a pond that is two hours' walk from her home: she makes two trips to the pond every day. The boy, Salva, becomes one of the "lost boys" of Sudan, refugees who cover the African continent on foot as they search for their families and for a safe place to stay. Enduring every hardship from loneliness to More...
Mar 09, 2011
Maureen
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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Jan 11, 2011
Marsha
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"A Long Walk to Water" is an amazing book. It is based on the true story of Salvo, one of the Lost Boys of Sudan, whose stories have been told for older readers but rarely for children. Park does a masterful job of making a heartbreaking, violent and horrifying story accessible and appropriate for 10-12 year olds. She tells Salvo's story simply and clearly, focusing on his courage and his ultimate triumph.
As an 11 year old Sudanese boy, Salvo is suddenly plunged into the midd More...
As an 11 year old Sudanese boy, Salvo is suddenly plunged into the midd More...
Jan 09, 2011
Danielle
rated it:
We've heard that clean water can change lives in developing countries. It's a difficult thing to imagine, given our access to all the water we could ever want. In A Long Walk to Water, Linda Sue Park takes us to Sudan to bring this message home in a powerful way.
2008. Nya must walk for eight hours every day, for seven months out of the year to fetch drinking water for her family. It's not always clean and sometimes it makes people sick. When a team of workers tells her small vil More...
2008. Nya must walk for eight hours every day, for seven months out of the year to fetch drinking water for her family. It's not always clean and sometimes it makes people sick. When a team of workers tells her small vil More...
Jan 02, 2011
Nancy
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A Long Walk to Water begins as two stories, told in alternating sections, about a girl in Sudan in 2008 and a boy in Sudan in 1985. The girl, Nya, is fetching water from a pond that is two hours’ walk from her home: she makes two trips to the pond every day. The boy, Salva, becomes one of the "lost boys" of Sudan, refugees who cover the African continent on foot as they search for their families and for a safe place to stay. Enduring every hardship from loneliness to attack by armed re
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Dec 24, 2010
Margo
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A Long Walk to Water is based on the true story of Salva, one of a group of Sudanese "Lost Boys" who eventually emigrated to the United States in the mid-1990's. Park's account of Salva's life begins in 1985, when Salva is eleven years old. Things were good for Salva's family before the civil war; his family was affluent, with many heads of cattle, and could afford to send each of their sons to school. But because Salva's at school when the war comes to his village, he is separated
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Oct 29, 2010
Roxanne Hsu
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This is a quiet book; it is also an explosive and extremely powerful book. For such a short book, it really packs a huge punch -- one that lingers in my mind and makes me want to know more, find out more, and help out if I can!
It is a quiet book because Park reports and does not sensationalize. At times, in the beginning of Salva's journey, I felt a slight disconnect: I did not feel that his forced exile from his village or even the loss of his new friend are scenes that moved me More...
It is a quiet book because Park reports and does not sensationalize. At times, in the beginning of Salva's journey, I felt a slight disconnect: I did not feel that his forced exile from his village or even the loss of his new friend are scenes that moved me More...
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Sep 05, 2010
Jess
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A short but touching story of two different characters Nya and Salva, who's story merges in a wonderful way.
Nya's village is desperate need of a good clean water source. One day these strange men show up and start digging in the area where the village gathers together. These strange men say there is water underneath the rocky earth. Nya is skeptical but keeps a watchful eye on the progress.
Salva's story begins in Southern Sudan in 1985 when the first wars were breaki More...
Nya's village is desperate need of a good clean water source. One day these strange men show up and start digging in the area where the village gathers together. These strange men say there is water underneath the rocky earth. Nya is skeptical but keeps a watchful eye on the progress.
Salva's story begins in Southern Sudan in 1985 when the first wars were breaki More...
Jul 07, 2010
Linda
rated it:
This brilliant novel is based on a true story about Salva, one of the almost 4,000 Sudanese "lost boys", many of whom were flown to the United States in the mid 1990's. The story is told in alternating points of view: Salva's story about becoming one of the "lost boys" and Nya's story, a young girl who lives in the same area during the present time. Park's imagery is so vivid you can imagine living in Sudan; needing to bring water to your family day after day, some of it cont
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Jun 16, 2011
Allison
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Many authors have told stories of the so-called Lost Boys of Sudan. Linda Sue Park, inspired by one man's true account, created this work that reaches out to young readers and bridges tragedy of the past with hope for the future. Salva, the true character, begins walking east across Africa when his village is attacked by rebel soldiers. He and the other survivors face hunger, thirst, wild lions, and despair as they cross the dry landscape. Even the refugee camps Salva eventually reaches provide
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May 24, 2010
Meredith
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A Long Walk to Water offers up a fictionalized version of Sudanese "Lost Boy" Salva Dut's life. Though Linda Sue Park tweaks certain elements in the name of narrative progression, the crux of the story is true: Salva escaped a war-torn 1980s Sudan and returned years later to help not only the tribe he once left behind (the Dinka), but also a rival tribe (the Nuer).
Throughout the course of this story, Salva witnesses unspeakable horrors as he trudges through Sudan, into Ethi More...
Throughout the course of this story, Salva witnesses unspeakable horrors as he trudges through Sudan, into Ethi More...
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Apr 03, 2011
Josiah
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I would give this book three and a half stars.
Weaving together two stories that seem inconsequential to each other but end up relating beautifully in the long run, author Linda Sue Park once again shows her mastery of the historical fiction form. There are incredible stories waiting to be found everywhere in the world around us, and Linda Sue Park is one of the best at bringing these stories to their full literary potential, all while showing her readers a side of life that they migh More...
Weaving together two stories that seem inconsequential to each other but end up relating beautifully in the long run, author Linda Sue Park once again shows her mastery of the historical fiction form. There are incredible stories waiting to be found everywhere in the world around us, and Linda Sue Park is one of the best at bringing these stories to their full literary potential, all while showing her readers a side of life that they migh More...
Dec 31, 2011
Rebecca
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It took me about an hour to read this book. A read reminiscent of "A Long Way Gone", this book tells the story of two children growing up in Sudan-in different time periods. Nya is a young girl growing up in the 20th century, who must walk eight hours a day to gather water for her family. Salva is a young boy, who is suddenly forced to leave his school because of the rebel fighting in 1985. The small read chronicles the lives of these two young people. For Nya, her village is having a
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Jan 17, 2012
Bev
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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Dec 29, 2011
Stevecrandell
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Park provides a clear and inspirational view of South Sudan, based on the true story of Salva Dut. Dut was one of the thousands of Lost Boys who were forced to wander across East Africa to escape the ravages of the Sudanese Civil War. In 120 pages, Park manages not only to chronicle Dut’s miraculous journey, but also to weave in a related message about scarce water, as told through the fictional account of a young Sudanese girl named Nya.
Nya’s story seems a bit sketchy and disconnec More...
Nya’s story seems a bit sketchy and disconnec More...
Nov 15, 2010
Becky
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Salva is just a normal boy living in Sudan in 1985 - he goes to school, helps his family with their cattle, and spends time with friends. Then one day, his school is attacked by soldiers and Salva's teacher sends the boys running into the bush to hide themselves. This starts off many years of running and living in refugee camps for Salva. He is one of the lost boys of Sudan, a boy who has lost everyone and still manages to walk hundreds of miles across unforgiving terrain to safety in the ca
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Jan 28, 2011
Angela
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This is a very slim book with spare writing that nevertheless does an impeccable job of conveying the hardships and horrors of living in Sudan in 1985, at the outbreak of their civil war, as well as the difficulties in contemporary Sudan of obtaining a basic need like clean water.
I often say that I most love books where the ending feels like merely an ending to this part of the story, but the characters have lives that go on. I don't think I've found a more powerful example of that t More...
I often say that I most love books where the ending feels like merely an ending to this part of the story, but the characters have lives that go on. I don't think I've found a more powerful example of that t More...
Jan 22, 2011
Celia
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This is a very moving story of a courageous and determined young man from Sudan. He is actually one of the "Lost Boys", who was forced to walk across Sudan into Ethiopia when soldiers attacked his village. After months in a refugee camp, the Ethiopians kicked them out, and he led a group of boys to Kenya. It's almost to difficult for us to comprehend the chaos going on in this part of the world, but through all of this, Salva never gives up hope of making a better life for himself. For
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Dec 01, 2011
Lisa
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My teammate is using this book in her social studies class this year. Since I am the Language Arts teacher for the team, she asked me to read it so that I might give her some tips on how to approach it. And so I have done.
Park's novel presents one young man's moving odyssey from war torn Sudan to the USA, and then back again. As one of the Lost Boys, Salva made the harrowing journey through southern Sudan to Ethiopia then later to Kenya. His story is told along side of a ficition More...
Park's novel presents one young man's moving odyssey from war torn Sudan to the USA, and then back again. As one of the Lost Boys, Salva made the harrowing journey through southern Sudan to Ethiopia then later to Kenya. His story is told along side of a ficition More...
Jun 24, 2011
Ann
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This is a story of survival during a time of war. How one boy, grew into a man who gives back to his people. How to take one step, one day at a time to survive and become a leader of vision. Salva Dut of the Dinka people, lived in southern Sudan, with his family. HE went to school, he tended his father’s cows. His family was well to do, his father owned many cows. The war came to the village of Loun-Ariik. Salva ran from the soldiers into the bush, as his teacher told the students to do. Salva
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