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A Long Walk to Water: Based on a True Story by [Linda Sue Park]

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Linda Sue Park

A Long Walk to Water: Based on a True Story Kindle Edition

by Linda Sue Park (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

10,214 ratings

in Children's African Historical Fiction

The New York Times bestseller 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 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 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.

Reading age

10 - 12 years
Print length

133 pages
Language

English
Grade level

5 - 7
Lexile measure

720L
Publisher

Clarion Books
Publication date

November 15, 2010
Page Flip

Enabled
Word Wise

Enabled
Enhanced typesetting

Enabled
ISBN-13

978-0547577319
See all details

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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

<DIV> <DIV>Linda Sue Park is the author of the Newbery Medal book A Single Shard, many other novels, and several picture books. She lives in Rochester, New York, with her family. </DIV></DIV> --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

Gr 5–9—Differentiated, African-inspired chapter introduction music assists in delivering this parallel story of two very different, but equally difficult, lives in Sudan. The story alternates between Nya, a composite character based on the lives of real girls, in 2008, and Salva, a young boy in the war-torn Sudan of 1985. Nya's life consists of the grueling and monotonous task of hauling water. All day, every day, her task is finding, acquiring, and transporting brown, dirty water to meet her family's needs. Salva's story unfolds in the midst of a horrific civil war. Separated from everything and everyone he knows, he spends more than 15 years walking across Sudan, Ethiopia, and Kenya, living in refugee camps, and struggling to survive. His is a true story based on the experiences of one of the "lost boys of Sudan." An echo effect is used to highlight the nagging questions that are always in the forefront of Salva's mind, "When will I see my family again?" and "What will become of me?" Readers David Baker and Cynthia Bishop worked with a dialect coach to ensure authenticity in pronunciation and accents. An update on Salva's ongoing project follows the story. Listeners will not ever leave the tap water running without thinking of this powerful story.—Lisa Taylor, Ocean County Library, NJ --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

"There have been several books about the lost boys of Sudan for adults, teens, and even for elementary-school readers. But [this] spare, immediate account, based on a true story, adds a stirring contemporary dimension. . . . Young readers will be stunned by the triumphant climax." Booklist, starred review

--Booklist --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

*Starred Review* After 11-year-old Salva’s school in Sudan is attacked by brutal rebel soldiers in 1985, he describes several terrifying years on the run in visceral detail: “The rain, the mad current, the bullets, the crocodiles, the welter of arms and legs, the screams, the blood.” Finally, he makes it to refugee camps in Ethiopia and then Kenya, where he is one of 3,000 young men chosen to go to America. After he is adopted by a family in Rochester, New York, he is reunited with the Sudanese family that he left behind. There have been several books about the lost boys of Sudan for adults, teens, and even for elementary-school readers. But Newbery Award–winning Park’s spare, immediate account, based on a true story, adds a stirring contemporary dimension. In chapters that alternate with Salva’s story, Nya, a young Sudanese girl in 2008, talks about daily life, in which she walks eight hours to fetch water for her family. Then, a miracle happens: Salva returns home to help his people and builds a well, making fresh water available for the community and freeing Nya to go to school. The switching viewpoints may initially disorient some, but young readers will be stunned by the triumphant climax of the former refugee who makes a difference with the necessities that we all take for granted. Teachers may want to point out the allusion to Nelson Mandela’s A Long Walk to Freedom (1995) echoed in this moving book’s title. Grades 6-9. --Hazel Rochman --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.

Book Description

Hardcover edition:
$16.00 CL
978-0-547-25127-1

--This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.

From the Author

"Meeting Salva was one of the best things that has ever happened to me. His story is both horrifying and uplifting, a testament to the strength of the human spirit against the worst adversities, and the generousity in people's hearts when we're at our best. I wrote this book because I want young readers to know that there are people like Salva in this world, to admire and mybe even to emulate however we can." (Linda Sue Park ) --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.

ASIN : B004GB1T8G
Publisher : Clarion Books; Illustrated edition (November 15, 2010)
Publication date : November 15, 2010
Language : English
File size : 10922 KB
Text-to-Speech : Enabled
Screen Reader : Supported
Enhanced typesetting : Enabled
X-Ray : Enabled
Word Wise : Enabled
Print length : 133 pages
Lending : Not Enabled

Best Sellers Rank: #10,859 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #1 in Children's African Historical Fiction
- #1 in Children's Explore Africa Fiction
- #3 in Children's African History Fiction

Customer Reviews:
10,214 ratings

Customer reviews

5 star		84%
4 star		11%
3 star		3%
2 star		1%
1 star		1%

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Top reviews from the United States

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Amazon Customer

Review By a Nine Year Old Who Loves Books:

Reviewed in the United States on July 15, 2017

Verified Purchase

In 2008 Nya has to walk a super long distance to get water for her family. Salva who is a refugee during the 1985 war has to make a long journey to find safety. Life is hard for them both in Sudan. The stories are 25 years apart but the book talks about how their stories intersect. It is good for grades 3+,age 8+ and family and also people who like historical fiction.It is also good to learn about the importance of water. It saves lives,helps people, and brings us together by giving water to help them to lead a good life. I recommend this book because it has good examples of leadership. It is so different than any other book I have read. It is the kind of book that sucks you in then you slow down to savor it.

227 people found this helpful

Helpful

D. Spharler

Great Exposure for 10 Year Olds

Reviewed in the United States on December 14, 2017

Verified Purchase

My grandson read the book then told his mom and me about it; asked us to read it. Very seldom does he do that but this touched him enough to cause him to speak up about it. The story was simple and presented the hardships encounted around such a basic human need - water. By also lightly describing the impact of war and other dangers in the area, a child would be exposed to this information. Questions are raised that allow parent-child interaction and help to teach our children to be socially aware and that you can have an impact on the lives of others as Salva Dut did/does. A simple well to supply water for lives and the social, educational, and economical changes that result when there is access to a good, clean, abundant supply. Excellent.

94 people found this helpful

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Amazon Customer

This was a beautiful story of hard work and determination and perseverance in ...

Reviewed in the United States on March 14, 2017

Verified Purchase

This was a beautiful story of hard work and determination and perseverance in the face of evil and overwhelming adversity and hardships. I have not read a book in a very long time that motivated me to care deeply about global issues, but this book stirred in me a desire to help others.
At the beginning of the book, it was a bit confusing trying to understand how the two stories connected. But by the end of the book, the way that the author weaves the two stories of Nya and Salva together is incredibly powerful and moving.
The author writes beautifully, using vivid imagery and robust descriptions that make the characters and situations easy to relate to even though most of us have never had to experience such hardships. The author was careful not to be too graphic in his storytelling which helps to make this story accessible to both younger and older readers.
This story teaches lessons of compassion and perseverance and courage. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone. It provides an incredible perspective on the definition of a hard life and is an inspirational read.

125 people found this helpful

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Kevin Lewis

Great read aloud family book

Reviewed in the United States on July 16, 2017

Verified Purchase

I read this aloud to my Chinese born, American raised kids and amidst the grumbling over "Mom's teaching us again", came a sudden moment of silence, and then "Mom, please read, ". And then the conversations started. This is a beautifully told story, at times horrifying sad, but it's one that our privileged American tweens need to hear. The parallel story lines are fascinating, and the understanding of tribal cultures and each child's place in their tribe are fascinating. We will pay it forward by donating to Salva's nonprofit organization. What an amazing accomplishment. Thank you.

89 people found this helpful

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Honest Reviews

Must Be An Excellent Book

Reviewed in the United States on November 17, 2016

Verified Purchase

This was for my 7th grade son was assigned to read in school. This was the first book my son had ever finished, talked about and even read note than he was assigned to do. My son is dyslexic which makes reading a book laborious or even impossible. I bought the feature that reads it to him which he loved and made it more interesting since they had music and the reader used different voices for each character. It also highlighted the words as it read and for words that are hard it give the definition. Amazing it opens up a whole new world for struggling readers.

195 people found this helpful

Helpful

Jen Kelley

A beautiful story told in a beautiful way.

Reviewed in the United States on July 15, 2014

Verified Purchase

I decided to read this book after I finished reading another book written by Linda Park (See Saw Girl). As a 5th grade reading teacher, I sometimes struggle with my recommendations for interesting historical fiction/non-fiction selections - most especially when recommending to my students who typically aren't interested in those two genres.

I found See Saw girl to be a very quick read with "friendly" writing for those who just aren't into history. It'll be my book to "hook" them into the genre. A Long Walk to Water, in my personal opinion, would be the next step up for these students because of the way in which the author chose to write the story.

The story is told in first-person narrative by two different characters AND the story takes place during two different periods of time in Sudan. The two stories flip back and forth with each chapter. Never did I find the two stories confusing or difficult to keep up with.

SALVA is a Sudan boy who, when gunfire breaks out while he's at school, is forced to go on the run due to the civil war - leaving his family behind. The story focuses on the heart wrenching details of his journey.

Nya is a young girl whose story takes place several years after that of Salva. Also a child living in Sudan, Nya's job is to make a very long, daily (sometimes more than once) journey to fetch water for their family.

All the time I was reading, I knew that at some point Salva and Nya's lives and/or story would intersect. And, in the end, it did! But it wasn't until the very end was I able to figure out how their life story would intersect.

Although the challenges these two characters face will pull at your heart strings, the author has put in just enough detail without being too graphic for young readers.

This is a beautiful story that definitely deserves its place on my classroom bookshelf. I cannot wait to share it with all my students. And, I'm anxious to read another book by Linda Park.

104 people found this helpful

Helpful

Virginia Kay

Powerful story, great for Book Club or Classroom!

Reviewed in the United States on March 7, 2016

Verified Purchase

I just lead a 5th and 6th grade language arts class through a unit on this book. We all enjoyed the material. The topics are intense, but presented in an approachable way. The vocabulary is easy for most readers to understand. It is short enough that challenged readers are not scared away.

34 people found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

AVF

Poorly written book

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 11, 2020

Verified Purchase

I bought this book based on so many good reviews. I am very surprised that so many people think this is a good book. The subject of people suffering in war is, of course, relevant, however, the book is written in a dry language and does not evoke any feelings. It is basically a summary of events rather than a story. I would not recommend this book.

Alex DAnna

The Best Book we as a family read this year! Have to skip a couple scary parts for the younger ones

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 19, 2019

Verified Purchase

This book is a winner! We've searched high and low for something modern and environmental/social and this fit the bill.

We read it over a couple weeks and we as a family couldn't wait each night to read it and were emotional at many points along the way.

Highly recommended.

One person found this helpful

Dipsy

Very moving story

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 10, 2020

Verified Purchase

This is an extraordinary true story. Do look up the main character on youtube to hear him speak about his life, and donate to his charity drilling wells in South Sudan.

Jenna

Must read

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 14, 2018

Verified Purchase

This story is incredibly moving and very well written. Based on a true story I have such admiration for Salva: the courage and determination in the face of such horror is remarkable.

One person found this helpful

Gypsy Barlow

Beautifully written poignant short story for children

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 30, 2015

Verified Purchase

Great for age 9-99! Especially poignant with regard to the present refugee crisis this book is a one day compelling read for children (although worth it for adults to read too when the children have finished).

6 people found this helpful