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To Timbuktu: Nine Countries, Two People, One True Story
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite Travel & Outdoors (2011)Casey and Steven met in Morocco, moved to China then went all the way to Timbuktu. This illustrated travel memoir tells the story of their first two years out of college spent teaching English, making friends across language barriers, researching, painting, and learning to be themselves wherever they are.
496 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 2011
About the author
Casey Scieszka
3 books75 followersCasey Scieszka is a born and raised Brooklynite who has lived in Beijing, San Francisco, Fez, and Timbuktu where she was a Fulbright Scholar. In 2013 she and her husband, artist Steven Weinberg, moved to the Catskill Mountains and opened the Spruceton Inn: a Catskills Bed & Bar, which runs an annual Artist Residency hosting world-renowned painters, bestselling authors, and Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award finalists.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 111 reviews
August 23, 2011
Casey and Steven were college students at opposite ends of the country, one in California and one in Maine. Yet, they happened to meet in Morocco during a study abroad trip. And they decided to keep in touch...and then they decided to move to China and teach English and then head out across the world together. Crazy where the world and life takes you huh? While traveling they fall in love with each other even more, find out about life and the world, and maybe make a few friends along the way (even if they don't speak the local language.) Most importantly...they have fun.
Casey and Steven have an amazing story. And yes you hear that all the time, but how often do you find two young people that know what they want to do, go out and do it, and make the world a better place? (OK maybe a few times, but still...) Casey and Steven let us in on their journey with Casey writing journal entries/travel monologues and Steven adding charcoal sketches to accompany the words and share with us pictures of themselves, sights they saw, or just the people they met. It's one of those books that you pick up and you start reading and then keep going to see what happens and find out where they headed too next. Casey and Steven make us feel like we're there with them, meeting the people that they are. Even better they inspire the reader with the right way to not only travel, but to look at the world around them with new eyes.
I highly recommend this book and it deserves to be the first book every graduate gets, whether from high school or college, so that they may too take a look at the world in a new way.
Casey and Steven have an amazing story. And yes you hear that all the time, but how often do you find two young people that know what they want to do, go out and do it, and make the world a better place? (OK maybe a few times, but still...) Casey and Steven let us in on their journey with Casey writing journal entries/travel monologues and Steven adding charcoal sketches to accompany the words and share with us pictures of themselves, sights they saw, or just the people they met. It's one of those books that you pick up and you start reading and then keep going to see what happens and find out where they headed too next. Casey and Steven make us feel like we're there with them, meeting the people that they are. Even better they inspire the reader with the right way to not only travel, but to look at the world around them with new eyes.
I highly recommend this book and it deserves to be the first book every graduate gets, whether from high school or college, so that they may too take a look at the world in a new way.
May 22, 2011
I think this book is going to make me want to travel even worse but gotta love it!
I loved reading the author's travels. So many times I heard myself agreeing and relating to their feelings when traveling. I wish I had written this book about my experiences in Indonesia. It was wonderful.
I loved reading the author's travels. So many times I heard myself agreeing and relating to their feelings when traveling. I wish I had written this book about my experiences in Indonesia. It was wonderful.
March 16, 2011
Travel, romance and finding oneself are what makes this book irresistible. Casey and Steven met in Morocco, had a long distance relationship across the US, and then moved together to China and eventually Mali. This book celebrates taking leaps of faith with one another, experiencing life to the fullest, embracing different cultures, and just being entirely human in the process. Come spend a year with an engaging couple who teach, write, draw, and inspire.
Scieszka’s writing is frank and inviting. She captures travel and the experience of other cultures with an honesty that is very refreshing. From the rush of a new country and its own unique culture to the isolation and boredom that sometimes result, there is no shrinking away from even the bowel-churning portions of travel. At the same time, she depicts a growing relationship with Weinberg that slowly deepens and naturally evolves.
Weinberg’s illustrations are equally refreshing with their rough edges, free lines and widely smiling faces. As one turns the pages in the book, each new page is often a new story, a moment captured from their travels. The illustrations help make this work very well.
Reading this would send me into memories of my own travels, thinking about times when I had felt the same or done something similar. If you are a traveler, this book will speak directly to you and your experiences. If you are hoping to become one, this book will inspire you to do it.
A winning combination of illustration and story, this book will inspire older teen readers to take a different course in life: a path all their own. Appropriate for ages 16-adult.
Scieszka’s writing is frank and inviting. She captures travel and the experience of other cultures with an honesty that is very refreshing. From the rush of a new country and its own unique culture to the isolation and boredom that sometimes result, there is no shrinking away from even the bowel-churning portions of travel. At the same time, she depicts a growing relationship with Weinberg that slowly deepens and naturally evolves.
Weinberg’s illustrations are equally refreshing with their rough edges, free lines and widely smiling faces. As one turns the pages in the book, each new page is often a new story, a moment captured from their travels. The illustrations help make this work very well.
Reading this would send me into memories of my own travels, thinking about times when I had felt the same or done something similar. If you are a traveler, this book will speak directly to you and your experiences. If you are hoping to become one, this book will inspire you to do it.
A winning combination of illustration and story, this book will inspire older teen readers to take a different course in life: a path all their own. Appropriate for ages 16-adult.
November 10, 2011
I am having a huge problem with this book. It seems to be marketed to teens, and in the library where I got the book, it is clearly part of the teen collection. The Two main characters are out of college, and are spending a lot of time talking about grants and fullbright scholarships, and almost nothing that would have interested me when I was a teen. Heck, it hardly interests me now. The book is nearly five hundred pages so you can imagine...
The book features artwork by Steven Weinberg, but it is lost in this massive amount of text that clearly needs to be edited. When you add graphics to a novel, they need to support the text and become part of the book. But the text in this book is so overwhelming, just paragraphs and paragraphs of letters that you don't really even notice the art crammed to the side of it, which is a real shame.
And the text flits around to the point of sometimes not knowing that you have switched countries.. or what you might want to know about the country is not included, or perhaps thing of interest to the writer just are not that interesting to a reader.
It was a clear attempt at something but really missed the boat. I am finding it agonizing to slog through it (I really feel like I am slogging through it ) but have to read it to facilitate a discussion. With teens, no less. I am hoping they make it past the first fifty pages, but that would be high hopes, indeed.
The book features artwork by Steven Weinberg, but it is lost in this massive amount of text that clearly needs to be edited. When you add graphics to a novel, they need to support the text and become part of the book. But the text in this book is so overwhelming, just paragraphs and paragraphs of letters that you don't really even notice the art crammed to the side of it, which is a real shame.
And the text flits around to the point of sometimes not knowing that you have switched countries.. or what you might want to know about the country is not included, or perhaps thing of interest to the writer just are not that interesting to a reader.
It was a clear attempt at something but really missed the boat. I am finding it agonizing to slog through it (I really feel like I am slogging through it ) but have to read it to facilitate a discussion. With teens, no less. I am hoping they make it past the first fifty pages, but that would be high hopes, indeed.
June 24, 2018
It ached reading this - the good and the bad of living abroad rushed back at me.
April 6, 2011
Casey and Steven are a young couple on an adventure. They met while studying abroad in college in Morocco and have embarked on a trip that takes them from Brooklyn to Beijing to Mali to Timbuktu. Along the way they meet loads of interesting people and have the experience of a lifetime. This is their journal/memoir/scrapbook. It's funny, scary, exasperating and grandly illustrated by Steven's pencil sketches.
Their first stop to teach English in Beijing starts off a bit rough -- their assignment isn't what they expected and teaching children from 5-15 in three different schools can be pretty challenging. But even that's not as difficult as interviewing Arab and African Muslims about Islam and education in Mali -- that's Casey's Fulbright research topic. Steven is an artist and spends most of his time sketching and painting.
Although sometimes a bit self-indulgent, this is an entertaining memoir. Casey & Steven are interesting young people, but I had to wonder how they could afford to meander across Asia and Africa on the minimal salaries and stipends they were receiving. Overlooking that, though, their story is interesting. I especially enjoyed the times Casey writes about their relationship and their friends. I suspect their adventure will serve them well as a basis for their future together. The Pitzer college website says "They currently live in Brooklyn" so they obviously made it back safe & sound.
Their first stop to teach English in Beijing starts off a bit rough -- their assignment isn't what they expected and teaching children from 5-15 in three different schools can be pretty challenging. But even that's not as difficult as interviewing Arab and African Muslims about Islam and education in Mali -- that's Casey's Fulbright research topic. Steven is an artist and spends most of his time sketching and painting.
Although sometimes a bit self-indulgent, this is an entertaining memoir. Casey & Steven are interesting young people, but I had to wonder how they could afford to meander across Asia and Africa on the minimal salaries and stipends they were receiving. Overlooking that, though, their story is interesting. I especially enjoyed the times Casey writes about their relationship and their friends. I suspect their adventure will serve them well as a basis for their future together. The Pitzer college website says "They currently live in Brooklyn" so they obviously made it back safe & sound.
September 1, 2011
This book is basically a combination graphic novel/journal/travelogue/memoir of a new relationship. Any of those elements alone wouldn't have been enough to make me pick it up, but with all of them thrown together, I was too intrigued to resist.
Essentially, a couple who met when they studied abroad and maintained a very long-distance (separate coasts) relationship for a year decided to spend two years together traveling through Asia and Africa. They documented the experience through writing (hers) and artwork (his). Steven's playful artwork and Casey's sense of humor are definitely highlights of the book, but both lose their impact a bit in the book's length, which seems to go on a bit too long after the novelty has worn off. Ironically, what most drew me to the book (the journal-like format) is also its downfall, as it really does feel more like just a "recording of events" without any clear narrative arc, and it was sometimes disappointing that the seemingly intimate format still keeps the reader at arm's length, especially when it comes to the relationship between Steven and Casey. I can understand both of these shortcomings, particularly the latter, as everyone has the right to protect the most personal details of their lives. Still, it left me wanting a little bit more. On the other hand, it's a GREAT way to travel vicariously and enjoy a far-off land WITHOUT getting the traveler's diarrhea!
Essentially, a couple who met when they studied abroad and maintained a very long-distance (separate coasts) relationship for a year decided to spend two years together traveling through Asia and Africa. They documented the experience through writing (hers) and artwork (his). Steven's playful artwork and Casey's sense of humor are definitely highlights of the book, but both lose their impact a bit in the book's length, which seems to go on a bit too long after the novelty has worn off. Ironically, what most drew me to the book (the journal-like format) is also its downfall, as it really does feel more like just a "recording of events" without any clear narrative arc, and it was sometimes disappointing that the seemingly intimate format still keeps the reader at arm's length, especially when it comes to the relationship between Steven and Casey. I can understand both of these shortcomings, particularly the latter, as everyone has the right to protect the most personal details of their lives. Still, it left me wanting a little bit more. On the other hand, it's a GREAT way to travel vicariously and enjoy a far-off land WITHOUT getting the traveler's diarrhea!
June 19, 2011
I really enjoyed reading this, and the style of the book itself was refreshing. But there were draggy parts, and I'd have really liked to read Steven's point of view, too, at times. One of the things that really bothered me was how much there was privilege in what they were doing, and it was never addressed -- this bothered me in the beginning, and it bothered me moreso in the end when there was a lot of being depressed about being harassed for money.
I'm not sure why this is marketed as YA since I think a lot will be unrelatable to most high school kids (and it's not for middle school students). Casey and Steven's relationship is post-college, so it's really kind of beyond most high schoolers. I think college age and 20somethings (and older) will like this one.
Casey's voice reminded me of my best friend a LOT, which was enjoyable. She's super honest and willing to touch on some subjects with honesty many wouldn't. I know a lot of people my age who'll dig this. I liked "visiting" places I know little or nothing about.
The art's good, but honestly, I didn't pay much attention to it.
I'm not sure why this is marketed as YA since I think a lot will be unrelatable to most high school kids (and it's not for middle school students). Casey and Steven's relationship is post-college, so it's really kind of beyond most high schoolers. I think college age and 20somethings (and older) will like this one.
Casey's voice reminded me of my best friend a LOT, which was enjoyable. She's super honest and willing to touch on some subjects with honesty many wouldn't. I know a lot of people my age who'll dig this. I liked "visiting" places I know little or nothing about.
The art's good, but honestly, I didn't pay much attention to it.
August 10, 2011
A must-read for anyone planning to travel for a long time, especially youngsters.
Although the book is thick, it moves along very quickly. The stories are supplemented by charming sketchy illustrations by Mr. Weinberg, and Scieszka's voice is light but descriptive. They also do a lot of moving around, which keeps the narrative going. At first I wondered if the book was going to feel sanitized by world-wonder because the first 1/3 or so is very upbeat. But it definitely gets into cultural isolation and travel-weariness, and being overwhelmed by global problems and one's small place in the world. What could have come off as just a book proposal meant to be a way to keep the couple working together has a real heart and, in the end, a sense of purpose.
Although the book is thick, it moves along very quickly. The stories are supplemented by charming sketchy illustrations by Mr. Weinberg, and Scieszka's voice is light but descriptive. They also do a lot of moving around, which keeps the narrative going. At first I wondered if the book was going to feel sanitized by world-wonder because the first 1/3 or so is very upbeat. But it definitely gets into cultural isolation and travel-weariness, and being overwhelmed by global problems and one's small place in the world. What could have come off as just a book proposal meant to be a way to keep the couple working together has a real heart and, in the end, a sense of purpose.
November 5, 2011
One of the few books that tells authentic international and cultural experiences that can have us to think about global English education.. So real and reflectively portraying English language teachers experience in global communities. The relationship of CAsey and Steven makes thief journey engaging and real. Majority American readers will have better insights about living in foreign countries as English language teachers which are often nicknamed as linguistic prostitutions among the English educators in Korea at least..forcing foreigners whose native language is not English yet forced to teach it due to their "westerner look"...language arts and cultural aspects are charmingly shared too!
November 22, 2010
This review is based on an advance copy.
The blend of physical and personal journey narrative kept me riveted. I was mildly disappointed by the actual events in the Timbuktu section...I had been looking forward to that part for many pages, but that was, in fact, one of the less interesting parts of the book. The details in the sections on other parts of Africa, or their adventures as teachers in China, were so much richer that the Timbuktu section suffered by comparison.
Overall, the interactions with the people in China and Africa were fascinating, and the cartoony illustrations were surprisingly effective at conveying the drama and comedy of some of the scenes.
The blend of physical and personal journey narrative kept me riveted. I was mildly disappointed by the actual events in the Timbuktu section...I had been looking forward to that part for many pages, but that was, in fact, one of the less interesting parts of the book. The details in the sections on other parts of Africa, or their adventures as teachers in China, were so much richer that the Timbuktu section suffered by comparison.
Overall, the interactions with the people in China and Africa were fascinating, and the cartoony illustrations were surprisingly effective at conveying the drama and comedy of some of the scenes.
April 9, 2011
A travelogue written by the daughter of Jon Scieszka and illustrated by her boyfriend, Steven. They travel together to China to teach English, visit several East Asian countries, study and live in Mali. It's heavily illustrated by Steven, and written as 1-3 page snapshots of their experiences. A leisurely read, but no less enjoyable for it.
allthewaytotimbuktu.com
locallanguageliteracy.org
telephoneandsoup.com
allthewaytotimbuktu.com
locallanguageliteracy.org
telephoneandsoup.com
August 30, 2011
I want to do a more complete review on my blog; so more to come.
Really enjoyable read. I found Casey's voice genuine, fun and appealing and I like her even though she doesn't like Harry Potter! (and I don't really care for the Stupids -- gasp!) Steven's drawings are equally appealing. A great travelogue -- definite teen appeal I think.
Questions:
I'd love a recipe for some of the dishes -- especially the Chinese eggplant.
Do Casey and Steven do Skype visits???
Really enjoyable read. I found Casey's voice genuine, fun and appealing and I like her even though she doesn't like Harry Potter! (and I don't really care for the Stupids -- gasp!) Steven's drawings are equally appealing. A great travelogue -- definite teen appeal I think.
Questions:
I'd love a recipe for some of the dishes -- especially the Chinese eggplant.
Do Casey and Steven do Skype visits???
December 13, 2011
Kind of like reading somebody's study abroad (Goshen College SST) journal they are doing for 3 credits of Gen Ed. Kind of interesting, but kind of tiring reading about first-world problems of not being able to connect or make friends, being asked for money, etc. after visiting (or "living" as they call it) in places where lots of travelers/Peace Corps workers/volunteers pass through. But funny enough, Casey is obviously Jon Scieszka's daughter! There should be more jokes!
June 21, 2015
The problem of this book isn't so much its text (too much of it, overwhelming the images; poor style) or the images (below average), but how unbelievably shallow and superficial all the observations are, lacking any kind of depth and curiosity. It's quite remarkable how the authors managed to reduce that amazing journey to an endless stream of "and then we did this, and then we did that". Pain to get through, but I learnt how to pronounce Laos.
May 16, 2011
This is just delightful. Casey is so open, so stream -of-consciousness, so utterly in the moment and yet thoughtful, and Steven's pictures form an evocative and often amusing counterpoint and commentary. They were wonderful companions to share their journey, with each other and with readers.
June 21, 2017
One of the most engaging, honest, and fun travelogues I've ever read. Neat drawings on every page with smart, well-placed text, it was a joy to lose myself in this book. Also, I know a lot more about Timbuktu now.
August 9, 2013
A really enjoyable story of two young people traveling the world, and finding themselves - and each other - as they seek to learn and do good in Asia and Africa. Steven's illustrations complement Casey's text well.
September 14, 2010
An adventurous and relevant true story about recent college grads, in love, who want to travel the world and make art. The graphic novel illustrations are fun and collaborative. What could be better?
October 21, 2010
I was super excited about this book, and I'm sure it's great and all, but the tone is a little too manic and disjointed for me right now.
March 26, 2011
Must-read for any young person interested in teaching English in China or traveling in Asia or Africa. Great book!
March 26, 2011
More travel lit than YA. Cute.
August 14, 2014
This travelogue/memoir could be a lot more interesting and insightful than it is. The narrative is more engaging once they get to Mali, but that is more than halfway into the book.
June 22, 2016
It's a fun read with cool illustrations.
January 25, 2017
Better at the start and got a little boring towards the end, but still pretty good.
November 23, 2018
I loved this book. It was almost like reading Diary Entries and now I want to go to Mekong for a River Party!
September 19, 2024
This is a massive graphic novel that took me a while to read. I love the author’s Dad, Jon Scieszka who wrote The Stinky Cheese Man and the Time-Warp Trio which I read to my kids. Then he promoted his daughter’s book, To Timbuktu, which I immediately ordered. Then it sat on my shelf for years! 13 years, in fact!
Enter the Tacoma Library’s Extreme Reader Challenge. Category two and three are to read authors that are relatives. I immediately thought about the Scieszka dad and daughter duo. Many other extreme readers were choosing Stephen King and his son Joe Hill. Some did the the Brontë sisters.
I wanted to finally read To Timbuktu. But my problem was Jon Scieszka wrote children’s books. We weren’t allowed to use picture books. Then I thought, I wonder if he wrote a memoir. He did! A 4-hour audiobook memoir that I knocked out in a day. By listening to his book first, it forced me to pick To Timbuktu next. The very long graphic novel was a slog to get through. It was my 49th book out of the 50 categories, so I saved it for when I absolutely had to read it!
It’s about a young American couple that met while they were studying abroad in Morocco and then decided to travel more after they graduated from college. They did the path many other who want to travel do… they became English teachers abroad. They went to Beijing, China. I was excited to hear about their experiences wondering If it was the experience many of my friends who wanted to travel abroad after college had teaching English abroad. They pretty much made up their lessons on the fly with no experience being teachers. Something I could relate to as a substitute teacher.
Then they traveled through South East Asia, until they went to Mali where Casey had a Fulbright scholarship to study the influence of religion in Mali schools. Specifically The Muslim religion. I was introduced to her experience with Koranic schools, which I learned about on 60 Minutes… Arabic schools that teach the Koran to students. So these are African kids from Mali who learned Arabic to study the Koran and only the Koran. As you can imagine, they has no skills for a developing Africa and many end up with no job prospects. But the schools are free… funded by Muslims in the Middle East to spread the Muslim religion. Casey also looked into government schools which weren’t free. Parents had to pay school fees, so they usually went to fund sons educations over daughters. This was an eye opening experience for me, who couldn’t point out Mali on a map before this.
After reading the book, I looked up to see where the couple is now. Married now with two kids In the Catskills owning a Bar and BnB. And Casey has a book optioned! A novel, coming out in 2026! Hopefully that won’t take me 13 years to read!
Enter the Tacoma Library’s Extreme Reader Challenge. Category two and three are to read authors that are relatives. I immediately thought about the Scieszka dad and daughter duo. Many other extreme readers were choosing Stephen King and his son Joe Hill. Some did the the Brontë sisters.
I wanted to finally read To Timbuktu. But my problem was Jon Scieszka wrote children’s books. We weren’t allowed to use picture books. Then I thought, I wonder if he wrote a memoir. He did! A 4-hour audiobook memoir that I knocked out in a day. By listening to his book first, it forced me to pick To Timbuktu next. The very long graphic novel was a slog to get through. It was my 49th book out of the 50 categories, so I saved it for when I absolutely had to read it!
It’s about a young American couple that met while they were studying abroad in Morocco and then decided to travel more after they graduated from college. They did the path many other who want to travel do… they became English teachers abroad. They went to Beijing, China. I was excited to hear about their experiences wondering If it was the experience many of my friends who wanted to travel abroad after college had teaching English abroad. They pretty much made up their lessons on the fly with no experience being teachers. Something I could relate to as a substitute teacher.
Then they traveled through South East Asia, until they went to Mali where Casey had a Fulbright scholarship to study the influence of religion in Mali schools. Specifically The Muslim religion. I was introduced to her experience with Koranic schools, which I learned about on 60 Minutes… Arabic schools that teach the Koran to students. So these are African kids from Mali who learned Arabic to study the Koran and only the Koran. As you can imagine, they has no skills for a developing Africa and many end up with no job prospects. But the schools are free… funded by Muslims in the Middle East to spread the Muslim religion. Casey also looked into government schools which weren’t free. Parents had to pay school fees, so they usually went to fund sons educations over daughters. This was an eye opening experience for me, who couldn’t point out Mali on a map before this.
After reading the book, I looked up to see where the couple is now. Married now with two kids In the Catskills owning a Bar and BnB. And Casey has a book optioned! A novel, coming out in 2026! Hopefully that won’t take me 13 years to read!
May 14, 2024
I found this book in a used bookstore, and as someone who lived in Mali for nearly two years, had to have it. It's a memoir with illustrations, split up into six parts. Scieszka's writing was easy to read. She tells the reader pieces of their journeys across several countries, primarily focusing on China for the first half, and Mali for the second half. She wrote a lot about the research she was doing, and what their time in Mali meant, and how hard it was. It made me reminisce about my time there, the first time when this book was getting published in 2011. The writing and illustrations made me feel nostalgic, because I experienced all of the same things. All of the questions and concerns that were voiced were things I thought about too when I lived there, and even after leaving. I loved getting to read about other Americans living in Mali, and I wished at times for more detail. Overall, it was an overview of their time living/teaching/researching abroad. I loved it, and was sad when the story was over...which felt a bit abrupt to me, but I suppose the story can't go on forever.
May 27, 2018
True story about a couple who meet while they are studying abroad in Morroco. When they graduate from college, they decide to take the plunge and live and work together internationally. Their adventure starts in Beijing, China where they work teaching English. They travel for a little after that and then eventually move to Mali. Casey has accepted a Fullbright Fellowship opportunity and Steven goes to work on his art. They also find opportunities to teach English. I loved this book. As someone who has travelled and worked abroad, the things that Casey and Steven encounter felt so realistic. I definitely recommend this book to anyone who wants to read a realistic, true story of travel and living abroad.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 111 reviews