Year of No Rain

by Alice Mead

"An artfully told story . . . The history, the land, and the determination of a band of refugees to care for each other are vividly evoked in this important work." -- Starred review, Kirkus Reviews

In the dry spring of 1999, eleven-year-old Stephen Majok watches as his friend Wol joins a circle of dancers. Wol is celebrating – only fourteen, he is engaged to Stephen’s sister. Wol wants to marry because he might join the guerrillas in southern Sudan and fight the northern government soldiers. He wants a wife to remember him. Stephen thinks Wol is crazy. Children should study. But because of the civil war, there has been no school in their village for over a year. All Stephen has left from his student days is his books and one precious pencil, and the hunger for knowledge. Then, suddenly – but not unexpectedly – exploding bombs are heard in the tiny village. Stephen’s mother tells him to hurry, pack his bag, and hide beyond the forest with Wol and their friend Deng. Stephen grabs his geography book, his pencil, and little else. He does not want to leave his mother and sister. He does not want to leave the life he loves.
In her latest portrayal of “children caught in the cultural crossfire” ( School Library Journal ), Alice Mead emphasizes the attachment all humans have to the small place on earth we call home, and our resistance to being displaced, even when our very lives are threatened.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Africa, Realistic Fiction, Middle Grade, Geography, Historical

144 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

Alice Mead is the author of many books for young readers, as well as a painter and human rights advocate. Though confined to a wheelchair, she lives independently in Maine.

Reviews

[Jaonna Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Year Of No Rain by Alice Mead was an amazing book. It took place in southern Sudan. A big attack has come upon Stephen and Naomi's village. Throughout this book it talks about how they were separated and how they had to walk so many miles to find each other.I enjoyed it a lot because not only was it very interesting but it taught me a lesson. I learned to appreciate what I have because it could be worse and there are a lot of people who are less fortunate than I am. I would recommend this book to everyone because I feel like everyone could learn this lesson.

[Alex Blose · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stephen Majok's and his family live in Southern Sudan where drought is normal and food is scare. One day, Stephen's village is attacked by government soldiers. His mother tells him and his friends, Wol and Deng to go hide and come back in a day or two when it is safe. His mother and his sister, Naomi, will stay in the village to try to keep whatever they can safe from being stolen by the soldiers. Stephen and his friends take off, but on returning to their village a few days later realize there is nothing left for them there, and they must go off in search of food and water. The three boys face many trials and tribulations that take them across the desert of Africa. They meet other young boys from another pillaged village, meet two women with a handful of children also in search of safety, and come across an aid camp where they are able to replenish themselves as much as possible. What will the boys decide to do? Will they go off in search of a refugee camp in Kenya? Or will they return home, searching for a last bit of hope to keep them going? Will they boys survive the harsh heat and living conditions? Find out when you read "Year of No Rain".

I thought that this book was really very good. I did not think at first that I would like it because it is set in Africa and has to do with the tribal life. Once reading though, I realized that these boys problems were not much different than many people in the United States, and the lives they lived may have seemed drastically different, but some aspects still seemed the same. I loved the fact that I was able to follow each step of Stephen's journey, and when he felt a certain emotion, I often felt the same.

I would definitely recommend this book for any student between grades 5 and 8. It may be an easy read for older students, but I think they may still enjoy it. As a future teacher, I would use this in my classroom when I was teaching about continents, specifically Africa. This would be a great look into the lives of tribal people, and it is very informative of the types of conditions these people had to endure. The multicultural aspect is also very great, and it would add to the students' overall knowledge of the different people and cultures of the world.

[Alexa · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Year Of No Rain by Alice Mead was a dreadfully sad fiction book that keep me reading just to find out if the main characters were going be okay. For example, there were six boys whose parents died, their homes had been burned and they had no water.
Throughout the book, the characters go through a lot of hard times. One hard time was when their village was burned by the soldiers. When that was happening in the book I was gripping on so tight my hands started to hurt. Just when I thought something happy was gonna start Stephen (one of the main character's) mom had DIED.
For example, on page 53 it says “He ducked his head and entered and immediately that his mother was there, dead. As soon as I heard that I was heartbroken. Also on page 53 it says “He turned and looked from hut to hut. Most of the huts were burned to the gorund.” Finally, on page 76 it says “They had to have water. Never mind Kenya or wherever they were going.”
To conclude, Year Of No Rain is a dreadfully sad book that will make you clutch the pages to see what will happen next.

[Tawnda Andrews · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book had many good pieces. Teaching my kids about the experiences of so many on Sudan. How thirsty they are and how threatened they are. What malaria is like and how easily it can be treated. However, I feel it missed the mark on really moving the heart of my kids because it was the author didn’t fully express the emotional impact that Stephen and his friends went through. The ending also felt very abrupt and open ended.

[Hannah of the Sky · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was good! Middle grade telling of a boy who was displaced by the violence in Southern Sudan. It's a lot like A Long Walk to Water, but better because it focuses on a shorter period of time and thus is able to develop a status quo before the crisis hits - as well as character relationships that the reader actually cares about. Unfortunately the ending is not as strong as it could be, and there were some missed opportunities to demonstrate character growth.

[Lenni Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't really have much to say about this book besides that I'm satisfied with the ending. So yeah, that's about it. Happy reading!

[Jacque · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fast read aloud to the kids. They mostly enjoyed this book. It was a good reminder of how much we have in our lives and how easy our lives are compared to others!

[Melayna N · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Year Of No Rain by Alice Mead was an okay book. It takes place in Southern Sudan. There were definitely some good parts like when they had no water. like think about how you would be without any water. Another one was when their house got burned so they didn't have a house. Another sad thing or the part where it got my attention was when their parents died.
One thing was making you sad. It made you sad because not only did their parents die, but they also didn't have any water or a house. How could you live with a house, parents, and water? Another thing is like getting you thinking because yes you know that their parents died but how did they die? Or how did they run out of water? Or how did their house burn?
I liked the book because it got you thinking and it had its ups and downs. The most important part is when their parents died. I have said this quite a lot of times but it is really important and that was my favorite part of the book. Besides all that I didn't really like the book. I don't think this kind of book is for me.

[Prarthna · Rating 3 out of 5]

This a wonderful book on a boy named Stephen and how he resisted.

In the spring season of 1999 a 11 year old boy named Stephen is thinking his best friend Wol as a crazy person as he wants to join the army of the civil war and he wants someone to remember him so he wants to marry Stephen's sister so she and their children remember him. Stephen has a different point of view and he wants all children to study and not fight for the country. The schools are closed since a year as the civil war is going on. Stephen has the only a pencil and some books from his school time, he misses his school a lot and also he has an urge to study.
One day suddenly bombs are heard exploding and mom tells Stephen and his friends to go out and hide in the forests, Stephen carries some books with him and his pencil. Stephan didn't want to leave his family but he had to.

This book is an amazing book highlighting the trouble in a small village during the civil war.

[Rebecca · Rating 2 out of 5]

I finally finished it! I was bummed out with this book, I wanted so much more from it. I wanted the detail of how the Sudanese people suffered from the Civil Wars there in Africa. I wanted to have the detail on how horrible it would be without water, and just eating handfuls of raw rice. I would put this book as more of a 'tween' read, rather than a Young Adult.

But man...bummer this book wasn't as descriptive as I would like!

[Neill Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eleven year old Stephen lives in southern Sudan in the midst of not only a civil war between north and south but in the midst of a deep drought. Planes fly in aid packages of food and water but they no sooner hit the ground than the rebels show up to take the food as well as capture the boys as soldiers and the girls as slaves. When Stephen’s village is hit he and some friends escape and try to make it further south to a refugee camp.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was very interesting to me, because as an ESL teacher, I have many students from Sudan. This book is about boys from a village in South Sudan whos' village gets distroyed by rebels for food. They go searching for a refugee camp and have to walk for days. It is about the real-life struggle for the people of Sudan because of the civil war. It is heart breaking, but inspirational at the same time.

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

I expected more out of this book than what I got. It was still interesting to learn about the life and culture in Sudan in 1999. The story followed two boys as they basically wandered around in the wilderness for a while before they eventually returned to exactly where they had been in the beginning of the book. It was a fast read for me, but I think the author could have done a lot more with the story. Oh well.

[Jodi Santora · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story of three boys without their families in war torn Sudan. I didn't really like this story. I felt like it wasn't very well written, and didn't give enough attention to plight of the children in Sudan. It made the children seem to westernized in order to be relatable, but it didn't work.

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Steven and his friends are run out of their village by rebels. They try to survive while heading toward a refugee camp. The raw emotion expressed in this book would break anyone's heart. It's a very well-written book. I could see a lesson on Sudan or just a focus on another culture.

[Caitlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was a great book for my special education 11th and 12th grade students who have low level reading skills. It was easy to read, but provided content that was age appropriate, engaging for students, and gave students a look into the Sudanese Civil War and culture.

[Krista the Krazy Kataloguer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Young boys try to survive civil war in Sudan in 1999.

[Mr. Van Bockern · Rating 3 out of 5]

Takes place in Sudan Africa. No matter what the boys knew they needed to persevere.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

I gave this book 5 stars because it was very interesting. I am still wondering how they fit all this information in 144 pages. It was a very good history lesson.

[Emily · Rating 1 out of 5]

Hate it

It sucks I don't even no why people would by this. I get its about the wars in Sudan but it sucks big time

[Camille Tesch]

Ages 10-12

[Bryan · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was boring all they did was walk around looking for their sister and when they came back to their village their sister was their.

[Lita Miller · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm not much into social studies... never was. This is to tell tell information. I like storys