Why is access to water still an issue?

A Long Walk To Water

Written by: Linda Sue Park

Map illustration: Kayley LeFaiver

Published by: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Published on: November 2010

Price: £6.99

First line: Going was easy.

Genre: Contemporary/ Geography

Age: 10+

What’s it all about? This is the true story of Salva, a Sudanese boy (part of the Dinka tribe), who becomes separated from his family during the 1985 Sudanese second civil war, and his subsequent long, challenging walk through three countries to find safety, food and water, and to try and diacover what happened to the rest of his family. Simultaneously, the book also tells the story of Nya, a young girl who also lives in Southern Sudan, but is a part of the Nuer tribe. Her story takes place in 2008. She walks for half a day, everyday, to collect water for her family. Gradually, over time, their stories combine in the most humane of ways.

Why should I read it? A truly remarkable story of determination, fear, commitment, family values, strength, leadership, resilience and compassion. Salva’s story is generally based on the truth (the author interviewed him extensively) with some imagined moments and conversations. This story cannot fail to inspire the reader with the sacrifice that is made, and shock them with the depths that some humans can fall to. Even though it is incredibly sad and shocking at certain points the story does have a uplifting end (not a spoiler, but worth knowing). The short chapters are easy to navigate with this age group and the map at the front gives a good idea as to the country and distances that Salva travels. More research and pictures would supplement the story in the classroom. The voices in the story are just two children, who experience things from very different points of view and a history of the civil war would be needed to understand fully what is happening.