A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park

Park, Linda Sue. (2010).  A long walk to water. Boston: Clarion Books.

            Salva is fortunate to attend school in the Sudan in 1985.  His family, while far from rich, is prosperous and Salva recognizes the benefits that education can bring.  A normal 11 year old boy, he daydreams at school of play time with his brothers, hunting in the bush and tending the herds of cattle his father owns.  One day his dreaming is shattered by the noise of gunfire outside in the play yard.    All the boys know about the war between those in control of the Muslim government in northern Sudan and the tribal people of the south.  Salva heads for the bush with the rest of his classmates, as they run away from their homes, run to escape the militant rebels, run for their lives.  Thus begins his long journey—the journey to water and survival.

            Nya is a young southern Sudanese girl of 2008.  As a girl, she cannot attend school like the boys; her job is to trek the four hours to the nearest water hole and gather it for her family, then return balancing the water jar on her head.  When the dry season comes, Nya and her family uproot themselves and camp by the muddy pond bed, digging with their hands to capture any remaining drops of liquid in order to sustain themselves.  Nya’s journey to water is fraught with its own perils, including that of disease from unclean water sources.  The thirst for water is the driving force behind every action Nya and her family must take to survive.     

            Based on the true story of Salva Dut and Nya, a young person he meets later in his life, A Long Walk to Water is told from their alternating points of view.  Although the story is rooted in actual events, Parks writes the narrative with the energy and passion of a novel.  The reader is kept wondering and turning the page to see what will happen to Salva and Nya throughout the book.  The story may be recommended for students as young as fifth grade because the prose is uncomplicated and the vocabulary simple;   however, readers of this age will need guidance in realizing that this is not a simple adventure story, complete with near brushes of death to the protagonist.  The horror of the Lost Boys of the Sudan is a historical reality and the descriptions of Salva’s ordeal, from losing a friend to a lion’s attack to watching refugees struggle to cross the crocodile-infested waters of the Nile, ring with particular terror.  Nya’s tale, while less shocking, contains its own elements of sorrow and uncertainty.  For that reason, better comprehension will occur in the middle school grades of 7 and 8.  Ideally, pre-reading activities would give some background information on the Sudanese Civil War and the lasting impact felt in Africa today.  The book is also a good recommendation for reluctant or less skilled high school readers because it is fast paced and straightforward.  

Check out these links for supporting information:

 Linda Sue Park and Salva Dut speak about A Long Walk to Water

Learn about Salva's work as an adult

Children in War--UNICEF's information about The Lost Boys of Sudan 

Award Winning Documentary on The Lost Boys official webpage 

Other books about children in war-torn countries:

Book Review of They Poured Fire on Us From the Sky 

A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier (Sierra Leone conflict) 

The Kite Runner Graphic Novel Review

Hosseini, Khaled.(2011). The kite runner graphic novel (F. Celoni & M. Andolfo, Illus.). New York:  Riverhead Books.

           

            














            


            Two boys.  Two best friends.  Two paths that can never be separated yet split apart irrevocably.  Two boys whose love for one another overcomes even the worst of circumstances.

            Amir and Hassan compete together to win the kite flying competition in the streets of Kabul, Afghanistan in the 1970s.  Amir flies the kite and with Hassan’s help, defeats his opponents by “cutting” their lines.  Hassan must then become the kite runner—he must find Amir’s kite after the last cut and bring it back to him to assure victory.  In this seemingly innocent activity there exists the loyalty of a friend, the struggle for a father’s approval, betrayal and guilt.  Amir is of the upper class; Hassan is Hazara, a class of Afghanis who are looked down upon as a lesser race by some.  The two boys are inseparable, drawn together as Hassan’s father works for Amir’s family, and bound by a love of adventure and imagination.  There are many forces at work that will destroy the childlike happiness the boys enjoy together, some political and some personal.  One day, Amir witnesses a brutal attack on Hassan and does nothing to intercede on his friend’s behalf.  Driven partly by cowardice and partly by his jealousy of Hassan, Amir begins to withdraw from the relationship and becomes an angry, self serving person.  Forced to leave Afghanistan when the Russians invade, Amir never resolves his feelings of guilt concerning Hassan.  He and his father move to America where they build a new life.  Amir returns to Afghanistan as an adult when he is summoned by an old friend of his father’s—a man who knows the truth about that day.  The Kite Runner is resolved when Amir is finally able to admit the truth of his role in Hassan’s life and finds the courage to help his friend in the terrible time of the Taliban’s occupation of Kabul.  Although he cannot save Hassan, by defending his son, Amir saves both the boy and himself.          

            The graphic novel genre is booming and many students find this category of writing to be quite appealing.  Those students whom we dub “reluctant readers” may see the graphic novel as an easier avenue to understanding a complex plot or to quickly completing a less desirable but required text.  The Kite Runner, a novel that concerns a very disturbing and multifaceted era in Afghanistan’s history, may be viewed that way by some High School students.  Others will be attracted to this tale of devotion, treachery and redemption by the brilliant drawings and the fast pace of the story.  As a graphic novel, The Kite Runner excels.  The panels are clearly delineated and stylish; they vary from page to page in size and layout in an attractive manner.  Characters are drawn with a unique approach so there is not confusion on the part of the reader.  The progress of the narrative is not interrupted by the artwork and the pictures facilitate comprehension of the story.  Nevertheless, a reader new to the graphic novel format may experience some difficulty with understanding the nuances of this story because of the complexity of the plot.  The Kite Runner was published as an adult novel with adult themes; the rape of a child by an older boy occurs early in the story and sexual violence takes place later in the story as well.  Those parts of the plot are critical to a full retelling of the story and are not eliminated in this venue; however, there has been care taken to imply this violence rather than depict it blatantly.  Because of this, some students could miss the full connections to the plot.  Other potential sources of misunderstanding lie in the shifts of time and place by the narrator and for some, the unfamiliarity of Muslim names.  Careful reading and picture scrutiny is necessary for any graphic novel as the narrative is advanced by both text and art.  Teaching students to evaluate visual media before reading is essential for this type of material to be used well in the classroom.  The Kite Runner Graphic Novel should be used only with strong teacher support in the upper High School grades for full comprehension and appreciation of the story.  Additionally, it is suggested that teachers read the original novel to aid in class discussion.  The graphic novel is quite complete in itself but does not contain all the explanation and distinctions of the original text.

Here are some links to additional information about The Kite Runner.

Khaled Hosseini's Kite Runner Page 

The Kite Runner Movie Trailer "There is a way to be good again" 

The following YouTube video is of Khaled Hosseini's return to Afghanistan: