A Long Walk to Water: Based on a True Story

by Linda Sue Park

Cherished by millions of readers, this #1 New York Times bestselling novel is a powerful tale of perseverance and hope. Newbery Medalist Linda Sue Park interweaves the stories of two Sudanese children who overcome mortal dangers to improve their lives and the lives of others.

A Long Walk to Water begins as two stories, told in alternating sections, about two eleven-year-olds in Sudan, a girl in 2008 and a boy in 1985. The girl, Nya, is fetching water from a pond that is two hours’ walk from her 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 rebels to contact with killer lions and crocodiles, Salva is a survivor, and his story goes on to intersect with Nya’s in an astonishing and moving way. Includes an afterword by author Linda Sue Park and the real-life Salva Dut, on whom the novel is based, and who went on to found Water for South Sudan.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Young Adult, Middle Grade, Fiction, Africa, School, Realistic Fiction

133 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 15, 2010

About the author

Linda Sue Park is a Korean American author of children's fiction. Park published her first novel, Seesaw Girl, in 1999. To date, she has written six children’s novels and five picture books for younger readers. Park’s work achieved prominence when she received the prestigious 2002 Newbery Medal for her novel A Single Shard.

Reviews

[Mischenko · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park is based on the true story of Salva Dut, one of the Lost Boys from Sudan during the second Sudanese Civil War in 1985. The book also includes a separate narrative about a girl named Nya, which takes place in Sudan as well, but beginning in 2008. Throughout the book we learn about Nya and Salva’s circumstances and their struggles.

Salva’s story is harrowing. It’s during a normal school day in 1985 that shots are heard–the war has arrived in his village–and he’s forced to run into the bush for safety.

“Go quickly, all of you,” the teacher said, his voice low and urgent. “Into the bush. Do you hear me? Not home. Don’t run home. They will be going into the villages. Stay away from villages–run into the bush.”

He has no idea where he’s going; he only knows he must seek safety as far away from home as possible. Traveling with different groups of people, Salva is scared and surrounded by danger; there’s barely any food or water and he faces dangerous wild animals, the sweltering heat, and soldiers armed with guns. It’s hard to imagine the fear he must’ve felt being a child amongst strangers, separated from his family, and now in the wilderness. Years go by as he travels, settling into multiple refugee camps. Salva witnesses much death and wonders if he’ll ever find his family again.

Nya’s story begins in 2008 as she and her family struggles to locate fresh water. Nya spends most of the day traveling back and forth in the scorching heat to a pond to fetch water for her family. Members of her family and others have actually been sick from drinking contaminated water. Life is challenging without access to clean water and rather than go to school like other children her age, Nya has to spend most of her days just fetching water without much time for anything else. One day, Nya learns that something good is finally coming to their village: a new water well.

Honestly, I don’t remember hearing about Salva’s story before now. I ended up reading this book with my kids for their reading discussion group. We all loved the book, even though it’s frightening and even hard to read in a few parts. The book is written well, and what a page turner it is. The author did such a wonderful job weaving these two narratives together. We couldn’t put it down and kept asking ourselves: What’s going to happen to Salva? Is his family alive? How are these stories connected?

Along with the two narratives, you also learn about the history of Sudan, the different tribes, a bit of culture, and their consistent struggle for clean water. It’s odd the things we humans take for granted. I honestly don’t think I’ll ever look at a glass of water the same again. By the end of the story I was in tears. This book is incredibly moving with a strong message for any age. It’s truly a book I recommend to everyone.

“Stay calm when things are hard or not going right with you. You will get through it when you persevere instead of quitting. Quitting leads to much less happiness in life than perseverance and hope.” –Salva Dut

I don’t want to spoil anything, but the extras at the end of the story had us doing research online afterward to learn more.

If you’d like to learn more about the Water for South Sudan project, you can find it at: https://www.waterforsouthsudan.org

Age Range: 10 – 12 years
Grade Level: 5 – 7
Paperback: 128 pages
Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers; Reprint edition (October 4, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0547577311
ISBN-13: 978-0547577319

[Aj the Ravenous Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

“I need only to get through the rest of this day. This day and no other.”

Where there is a child, there is always joy. I always thought this was true but the story told otherwise. This is a true to life story of Salva, an 11 year old boy who found little to almost no place in a world where people struggle to survive an almost endless series of conflicts during the Second Sudanese Civil War that started in 1983 .

To adults caught in a tumultuous succession of life threatening obstacles, Salva is a burden, someone who will only slow them down, just another mouth to feed. *sniffs* It’s unbelievable where the young boy found all that courage and will to live. Of the many things I’ve learned from him, it is to cling to hope the wisest possible way that hit me the most.

“He tried not to lose hope. At the same time, he tried not to hope too much.”

Written in a lyrical narrative but easy and timeless style of language allowing the reader to feel more, the story completely seized my heart. The vivid, wistful recollections of the young boy’s perilous journey by foot from Sudan to Ethiopia then later to Kenya were plainly told, nothing very emotional. In fact, the writing style seems to be even a bit dismissive of tragic events as if in a life-sucks-but-hurry-up-and-move-on-now approach but it still brought me to puddles of tears. It’s an inspirational piece of literature that is definitely worth your time.

Thank you to Shanna/Darina for bringing this book to my attention. I had no idea this ever existed before I stalked your profile and of course, I didn’t forget. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MY DEAR FRIEND! WISHING YOU A SPECIAL DAY, GOOD HEALTH, HAPPINESS AND MORE GREAT BOOKS TO READ! <3

[Starjustin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Taken from a true experience, an intertwining story of two children, at two different periods in time, living in two opposite tribes, and coming together to make a difference in their world. Both living in Sudan during times of war, despair, ravaging, starvation, death, lack of water and many more harrowing obstacles to face daily.
This short novel has such a large story to tell. I received a recommendation from my daughter on this one after she took the time to read it with my grandkids. I am very pleased to have experienced it.

[Rosh · Rating 5 out of 5]

1985. A little eleven year old boy, Salva, ends up separating from his family because of the Sudanese war.

2008. A little eleven year old girl, Nya, ends up unable to enjoy her childhood or go to school because the task of fetching water for her family everyday is hers.

Two different time periods. Two different struggles. But two equally challenging young lives.

Through the dual narrative from the points of view of Salva and Nya, we get a glimpse into the troubles of the Sudanese children. Salva is one of the "Lost Boys", the name given to a group of over 20,000 boys of the Nuer and Dinka ethnic groups. These boys were displaced or orphaned during the Second Sudanese Civil War. Some of the events mentioned are unbelievably horrid but, as the tagline reminds us, the book is based on a true story. Salva Dut is not a fictional character.

The author, Linda Sue Park, is a Korean-American. The story of Salva the character is based on the life of Salva Dut who lives in Rochester, New York, not far away from Park's residence. Park learned of Dut several years ago when her husband, a journalist, began writing about Dut’s non-profit 'Water for Sudan' project, which drills wells to bring clean drinking water to residents in southern Sudan’s remote villages.

While everything in Salva’s story is true, Park admits to toning down some of the graphic details witnessed along his journey out of Sudan. Some events are simply too horrific to believe. If this is the toned down version, I wonder what further horrors Salva might have encountered on his long road to freedom... 😞

Nya isn't a real person but her story has its roots in reality. The struggle for clean water amid the tribes of Africa is an open secret and this book teaches us to treasure the precious resource even more.

I was confident that I would complete the book within an hour as it is only 128 pages long. But I couldn't. After every few chapters, I needed a break to compose myself.

The book is written as teen fiction, but I won't advise it for sensitive children as a part of the content is really alarming. But it needs to be read, either now or later, and will definitely provide a wonderful opportunity for a greater understanding of the world beyond the one we urban citizens encounter every day. A must-read for teens and adults.



*************************************
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[Judith Weaver · Rating 5 out of 5]

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 she carries home in plastic gallon jugs. The trip takes her all day and while not mentioned in the story, this could be a dangerous trip for her. The second viewpoint is from a boy in the 80's who is at school when his village is attacked. He runs into the woods and that is the last of his childhood of living with family or a village. He is in fact one of the Lost Boys.

The two stories come together in an upbeat ending meant to inspire the reader to make a better world.

Parks intended this book for children to read, so there is not the terror or violence that this book could contain. It does contain some difficult situations -- a boy carried off by a lion in the night, the burning of a village, etc.

I would read this book before handing it to a student younger than 6th grade.

One more comment, because the book ends with an addendum about an elementary school putting a well in the girl's village, students may want to initiate a project like the one in the book. Be careful if you do this with the kids, so that your money really goes to putting in a well, and not in some warlord's pocket. Rotary does projects like this -- and others of course -- and that might be the way to go.

[Thibault Busschots · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sudan – 1985
Salva’s village is attacked and he’s forced to flee his village. He’s lost and on foot, searching for his family. His journey is hard. And the African wilderness makes it even harder, with a lot of threats lurking behind every corner, ranging from people just like him to killer lions and hungry crocodiles.

Sudan – 2008
Nya spends eight hours a day fetching water under the melting African sun with spiky thorns littering the ground she walks on. It’s hard work. But somebody has to do it. Because water is life.


This is a story about two eleven year old children in Sudan. It makes these struggles feel heartbreakingly real, watching it through the eyes of these innocent children. And it’s necessary. Because these struggles are real. It’s an eye-opening story about how hard the journey of life can be. But it’s also a story of hope, perseverance and resilience. It shows that you can reach your desired destination, no matter how long and hard the journey may be. As long as you don’t give up hope and take it one step at a time.


What makes Salva’s story in particular even more gripping is that it’s based on a true story. And even though it’s set in the past, it’s important to know that there’s another civil war going on right now, which has led to an enormous refugee crisis that has affected the lives of millions of people. So while it might seem like historical fiction, it’s actually much more relevant than you might think.


Nya’s story on the other hand might be more fictional but it is also very much based on the real-life daily struggles some kids still have to deal with to this day. The theme of her story is that water is a vital and limited resource that should be regarded as a lot more precious than some people might realize.


Gripping, heart-breaking and so very much worth reading. A small book that packs a very big punch. Thanks to my friend Rosh for recommending me this story.

[Amirography · Rating 5 out of 5]

کتاب قشنگ، با محتوای قشنگ، درباره‌ی یک اتفاق واقعی قشنگ با فونتی قشنگ بود.
در مورد محتواش خیلی حرف نمی‌زنم. اما می‌تونه هم دردناک باشه و هم دلنشین. و از اون مهم‌تر درباره‌ی یک چیز واقعیه.
وقت زیادی نمی‌بره خوندنش و در عین‌حال لطف زیادی رو می‌رسونه بهت.

خوندنش رو پیشنهاد می‌کنم.

محتو��: ۵/۵
روانی: ۴/۵
سبک: ۴/۵

[Heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

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 authors will present the same story in the same way.

This book follows two main characters, Nya, a child living in Southern Sudan, who must spend every day walking to and from a pond bringing water to her family, and Salva, who twenty-three years earlier became a refugee when his village was attacked by soldiers from the north. The story about Salva is the longer of the two and follows the eleven-year-old as he runs from his school and must somehow cross hundreds of miles of desert, swamp, and forest to reach safety. After six years in the refugee camp, Salva faces terror once again as the Ethiopian soldiers force all the Sudanese refugees back into Sudan, killing hundreds in the process. But Salva finds the strength and hope to survive and becomes a leader among what has become known as the Lost Boys of the Sudan. These boys were orphans who struggled to survive on their own. Some of these boys were able to find a way to not only survive, but to help those left behind. Salva's story intersects with Nya's in an interesting way, showing that the efforts of one can have a far-reaching effect.

While the book does explain some of the horrors that the Lost Children of the Sudan and the other refugees faced, it does not do so in a graphic way, and the story is not about despair or violence, it's about hope, which makes the book great to share with students who face their own challenges.

[BernLuvsBooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Long Walk to Water was a poignant, touching story that will appeal to readers of all ages.

While technically a middle grade novel, this is a story that everyone would benefit from reading. It's a quick read, told as two alternating stories - that of a young girl Nya in the Sudan in 2008 and a young man Salva in 1985. Both of their stories are compelling, emotional and inspirational.

Nya must walk hours each day to a far away well to get water for her family. Salva's story is heart-wrenching. His village is attacked and he is separated from his family. Salva's journey is fraught with loss, tragedy, unwavering hope and courage. It was unimaginable to me to think about the horrors children face when they are displaced from their homes, separated from their families and in refugee camps. Salva's sheer will to survive was inspirational. I don't know how I'd cope in such a situation.

I loved how these two seemingly unconnected stories intertwined in the end. What the book lacks in pages it makes up for in impact. It is impossible not to feel empathy for the characters within these pages and be moved by their stories. This is one book I highly recommend reading & discussing with all the important children in your life.

[Scott Ferguson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book inspired my daughter, who was battling cancer, to use her wish from the Make A Wish Foundation to have a well dug in Africa. After her passing, a Foundation was established in her name and to this day, continues digging new wells. Learn more at www.alyssasfund.com

[Maede · Rating 4 out of 5]

راه رفتن برای زنده ماندن، راه رفتن برای زندگی

بیست‌و‌دو سال، دو میلیون کشته، چهار میلیون آواره. این اعداد فقط برای جنگ داخلی دوم سودانه. جنگ اول و درگیری‌های ویران‌کننده‌ای که از سال ۲۰۱۳ شروع شدند، اعداد کثیف خودشون رو دارند

سلوای یازده‌ساله یکی از این چهار میلیون آواره‌ست. در فرارش از جنگ، از صحراها و رودها می‌گذره، گرسنگی می‌کشه، و یک مسیر تمام‌نشدنی رو پیاده میره. خواننده در این مسیر همراهش می‌شه و دردها، ترس‌ها و پیروزی‌های کوچیک و بزرگش رو باهاش شریک می‌شه

داستان نیا سال‌ها بعد از سلوا اتفاق می‌افته؛ دختری که در جهان مدرنِ سال ۲۰۰۸، هفت ماه از سال، روزی دوبار یک مسیر طولانی رو فقط برای آوردن آب طی می‌کنه

این داستان من رو میخکوب کرد. مخصوصاً این روزها که انگار زیادی درگیر دردها و دغدغه‌های خودمم و نمی‌تونم بزرگ‌تر از خودم فکر کنم. داستانی که با همه‌ی تلخیاش، پر از امید و جریان زندگیه. چیزی که این روزها انگار کم داریم، یا اصلاً نداریم

سلوا زندگی می‌کنه، می‌جنگه، زمین می‌خوره، و دوباره می‌جنگه، تا روزی که داستانش با نیا پیوند می‌خوره

بخونیدش. می‌بینید که در یک چشم به هم زدن تموم می‌شه و بعدش دارید در گوگل دنبال اطلاعات مرتبط می‌گردید. چیزی که از این کتاب یاد می‌گیرید، خیلی بیشتر از ۱۲۸ صفحه‌ست: تاریخ، جغرافیا و کمی امید

کانال تلگرامم که این کتاب‌ و صوتیش رو آپلود کردم و ریویوها رو هم می‌گذارم
Maede's Books

۹۸/۱۱/۱۸

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

While Linda Sue Park has fictionalized some of the details, the majority of the story is based on Salva's true and extraordinary story of being one of the 'lost boys' "who walked in desperation through Southern Sudan, Ethiopia and Kenya in search of safe haven."

In her author's note at the end of the book, Linda Sue Park explains how she researched before developing and writing this story. She read extensively about the lost boys and read Salva's written accounts, as well as interviewing him for many hours. Additionally, she also researched the building of water wells.

Park includes information about the 2002 Sudan Peace Accord and explains that "South Sudan became its own country in July 2011." She further explains that "the war in Darfur, the Western part of Sudan is a separate conflict not covered by the Peace Accord."

Advice worth recording and repeating from Salva:

"To young people I would like to say, "Stay calm when things are hard, or not going right with you. You will get through it when you persevere instead of quitting. Quitting leads to much less happiness in life than persevering and hope."

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

You should start by first knowing that the book is a children's book--otherwise the writing style will be off-putting. It is a heart-wrenching story of a boy (Salva) who is separated from his parents during the religious war between Arab-Africans and Africans in Sudan. He joins a group and they first try to make their way to Ethiopia where they are chased off by soldiers and forced to jump into a lake filled with crocodiles. He then spends a year and a half with a group headed for Kenya--then America. The book is about what happens on his many attempts to escape fighting in his village.

Things get a bid muddled though, when you flash-forward to Nya, a young African girl who is later connected to Salva in a weird ending. Nya has a good story herself, but it interrupts the main story structure, and Salvo's character falls flat in the middle, leaving some parts of the story, like of his family for instance, with loose ends, while other parts seem unrealistic. This could be befuddling for inquisitive kids (like my niece who wanted to know: "but what happened to his mommy?").

Great book for a child who is just learning about the impact of atrocities that children their age face around the world. The story of a Salva is a moving one.

[Dave Schaafsma · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was looking for a kid book on the environment and knew children's book author Linda Sue Park had (in 2002) won an award for A Single Shard, and though I knew nothing about this book (rated more than 48K on Goodreads, yay!) I listened to it in a little over two hours. For a book this short it probably crams too much information for middle grades kids to easily digest, but they can do classroom (or home!) research on it, too.

There are two parallel stories, both of them based on extensive interviews and research, one of a boy Salva Dut, one of the Lost Boys from the second Sudanese Civil War in 1985, and a girl, Nya, in 2008. We get a pretty fast version of the growing up story of Salva, who is separated form his family, lives for years in refugee camps and is lucky to be chosen to come to the US to live. Nya has to walk two times a day many miles to get water for her family, as resources are quickly (and literally) evaporating (as with many places on the planet).

It's a powerful story about war, water, refugees, a genocide, courage, and a little bit of hope. Salva speaks in the end about a Sudanese project he sets up involving wells that kids/families could get involved in. That Salva and Nya's stories link in the end is a cool thing here. Terrible, horrific things happened and still happen in Sudan, but it's an important story to hear about, told simply and as a model from Park about socially committed research that young people and adults can take a deeper dive into.

[Vui Lên · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25

Chu mạ ơi lâu lắm rồi mới đọc cuốn sách mà khóc tới vài bận!!!

Lúc mình nhận được sách kèm theo lời khen tặng dữ lắm, mình thấy cũng ngờ ngợ.

Dựa trên một câu chuyện có thật. Sách thuộc dạng mỏng nhất mình đọc trong mấy năm qua.

Vậy mà hự hự, mình đã gục lên gục xuống rồi gạt nước mắt, xong còn đi tìm tổ chức trong sách xem thử có donate cho họ được không. Sẽ review chi tiết và thiệt hay bằng video sớm :D

[BookNightOwl · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this very informative and sad. The things people have to deal with and that we should count all are blessings of being able to go to school; Come home to our families and have dinner at night.

[Mouzhan · Rating 5 out of 5]

محشر بود وپر از حرف هاي غير قابل باور...اما واقعي

[JohnnyBear · Rating 2 out of 5]

5 out of 10

A Long Walk to Water is a book with two stories about separate people in South Sudan. Despite acknowledging that are obviously important stories, I found myself not really that moved with this book, and not being impressed with the pacing and writing. I felt that this book could use some more pages as well. It felt condensed, sort of rushed.



I'm not trying to bash this book, I just wish I was a little more moved by the stories. Obviously, this book deals with some grand stories of survival, and I'm not trying to deny that these stories aren't moving or that they're not important, it's just that compared to other historical fiction I've read over the years, this book wasn't as impactful or memorable.

[Krista the Krazy Kataloguer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novel is divided into two alternating narratives that come together in the end. In brown print is the story, set in 2008, of Nya, a young girl from Sudan who has to walk 8 hours round trip to fetch water every day, twice a day. In black print is the story of Salva, a young Sudanese boy whose village is attacked by the rebels in 1985 and who ends up fleeing across the desert to a refugee camp in Ethiopia. After witnessing many horrors, he and other "lost boys," homeless and orphaned, walk back across Sudan to refugee camps in Kenya. Salva's story takes place from 1985, when he is eleven, until his path crosses with Nya's in 2009. It is based on the true story of a man whom the author knows, the real Salva Dut, who eventually was flown to Rochester, New York, to begin his life anew. How does Salva come to meet Nya? Read and find out! Salva's story is both heartbreaking and heartwarming, as the reader laments that children should have to experience such terrible things and also marvels that a child could be so courageous. Highly recommended, especially combined with Mary Williams' Brothers in Hope: the Story of the Lost Boys of Sudan, Alice Mead's Year of No Rain, and Katherine Applegate's Home of the Brave.

[taylor ˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆]

i just randomly remembered reading this in 4th grade and loving it😂

[JamesC_E1 · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading this book, I felt like my heart was pierced by an arrow, right in the center, bulls-eye. The story was sad, but in the end, it was a happy ending. There was one part that I thought was most heartbreaking. If you read this book, you might remember. It was the part when Salva's uncle getting shot by the burglars, by his own gun in the desert. And the most irritating part is that they laughed... they laughed! They just killed someone! In the beginning, I thought it was inhuman. But after I got to know a little about the history and culture of Sudan, I learned that it was "normal". I became "heart-repaired" in the end because, in the beginning, all the way to the end, it was mostly sad and fist clenching stories. Nya's tiring life. Salva's life-threatening story. In the end, as you might know, the two meet, young Nya, and grown-up Salva. Nya gets to go to school, because of the well that Salva and his crew dug (I won't give more and specific details of the story because I am not a spoiler). I guess this can be a happy ending. Read this yourself, I really enjoyed it. I recommend this book to all people, except very sensitive and very easily impressed, very easily heart-struck, or very easily moved. This is because these type of people might start crying in the middle of this book!
I can't connect to this story at all. I just can't. These type of "true" stories are just too rare, but in the end, it might be common to some people. I wish others can read this book so that they have a similar thinking as me, and actually try to help types of people such as Nya and Salva.

[ladydusk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Own.

This book was very moving and thought provoking. It was a relatively short and easy read from a technical standpoint. Park did a lovely job weaving Nya and Salva's stories together. Nya's more modern story was changed by Salva's earlier experiences. The lessons of one step in front of the other and simply reaching the next plateau were well revived, time and again. It was valuable exposure to the experiences of people in our world and the challenges so many face: war, lack of access to resources, refugees, government unrest, etc. Park packs a lot of ideas into a slim book written for children.

Even though this book is probably aimed more at an upper elementary age group, I found it a worthwhile read for my Middle Grade homeschool students who have been, perhaps, a little more sheltered than others their age. It was a quick read for us and I could tell there was a lot of thinking going on. While it wasn't a *fun* read, it was an important one.

[Dora 2023 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absolutely an astonishing story that I believe can inspire anyone at any age. When you've read about Nya and Salva's dilemmas in life, you really can't say your life is not good. Ask yourself this: Is it really miserable, or are you just not being grateful of what you have? What inspired me the most was the fact that Salva had kept hope and perseverance throughout this dangerous and terrible life. He was able to find a four leaf clover in forest. His uncle's strategy of solving problems and reaching towards a goal is in his blood. This book is so inspirational that it is in my blood, too :)

[Ghazaal B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

سرشاره از تصویرهایی که زیباییشون قلبت رو آب میکنن.
ولی داستان پر از نوکهای تیزه که زخمی میکنه و جای زخمش خواهد ماند.

[Roxanne Hsu Feldman · Rating 4 out of 5]

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 emotionally. As I kept reading, my mind and my heart mingled: the words that are matter-of-facts also became matter-of-heart and matter-of-wisdom. The portion of the journey involving Salva's uncle, his guidance, and his death, is the center piece of the tale. I even feel that I've learned a precious lesson from his mantra of taking one step at a time, solving one problem at a time -- to conquer seemingly insurmountable obstacles or to achieve seemingly impossible goals.

It is a powerful book because Park manages to tell a harrowing tale to a young audience that will surely stimulate empathy and activism.

[Arghiiw · Rating 5 out of 5]

مگه نمی‌دونی؟!... ما اگه همین‌جوری بریم سمت شرق، دور زمین می‌چرخیم و‌ دوباره برمی‌گردیم سر جای اولمون تو سودان! اون‌وقته که می‌تونیم خونواده‌هامون رو پیدا کنیم:))))))))))))))


قلبم به درد اومد، برای سلوا، برای خانواده‌ش، برای ماریل، برای عمو جویر، برای آدمایی که توی صحرا از تشنگی جون دادن و جسدشون برای همیشه اونجا موند، برای آدمایی که به زور توی رودخونه پرت و خوراک تمساح‌ها شدن💔
برای پاهایی که چندین سال راه رفت تا بتونه به یه سرپناه و غذا برسه، برای بچه‌ای که بخاطر آب آلوده مریض شد و از بین رفت، برای پسری که مجبوره روزی دو بار مسیر چندساعته رو طی کنه تا بتونه برای خانواده‌اش آب گل آلود بیاره، برای پسربچه‌هایی که موقع فرار خانواده‌هاشون رو گم کردن و شاید هنوز که هنوزه نتونستن همدیگه رو پیدا کنن🥲

برای سودان... برای آفریقا... برای هر کشوری که درگیر جنگه...

[Donalyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

The long civil war in Sudan destroyed the country and devastated its people. Park alternates the stories of two Sudanese children, one a Lost Boy, forced to flee his village during an attack and seek refuge in Ethiopia, and a young girl who walks for miles each day to collect water for her family. A brief, powerful story explaining the Sudanese conflict to children and one boy's hope and courage.

[Oliver_E1 · Rating 4 out of 5]

After I read this book, I realized how sad or poor many other places in the world was. While I was at home, playing games or eating amazing food, there were people starving and dying. War. Death. Friends. There were many sad moments, but in the end, it was happy. It taught me many things, like how if you keep on trying you will succeed. Salva kept on trying, and eventually made it to both of the camps. He also kept on trying to raise money for Sudan after he got to America, and he eventually got to build the wells. It's really hard for me to connect to this book, as I can't connect to how much pain the people of Sudan was experiencing, but I can connect to how hard work will help you succeed. Everyone tells me this, my teachers, my parents, my friends. At first I didn't really believe it, but after I read this book I started to believe it a bit more.

[Shelby · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am speechless right now! There are no words to describe this book. It was amazing. It also had very good writing. I vould not put the book down. I can't believe that I finished a book within 2 days. That is how much I was into the book.

[Simona D · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wonder why Salva thinks that Micheal is going to leave him. It seems that over the years, his trust has grown less and less. I think this is because he's been left alone and deserted so many times in his life that he doesn't know who to trust and who to not.