A Long Walk to Water

 

I wanted to read Linda Sue Park's A Long Walk to Water because all the elementary classes at my children's school read the book and it has since inspired what I'd call a movement. The book is the account of two Sudanese--one a boy beginning in 1985, the other a girl in 2008-- and tells of the journey and struggle for clean water. It is a heartbreaking book, but also inspiring to hear how much lives can change with something as simple as a well to bring people clean, safe water.

The 'movement' I mentioned above began after the first classroom read the book. One sixth grade girl was so moved she decided to raise money to get a well built. Her and her friends began making wallets and hair bows and selling them at recess. Their efforts spread to a classroom initiative, which spread to the entire school working with a goal to raise $5,000. It is pretty awe-inspiring to watch kids work so hard for such a humanitarian goal. Isaac told me yesterday that he and his friend are starting a magazine and all the money will go for the Water for Sudan Project. I hadn't started reading the book when he told me his plan. I read about half last night and the rest this morning. (It's a short little book.) I'm proud of my son (and all his peers and their teachers) for caring so much about people on the other side of the world. I'm looking forward to helping the students with their fundraising efforts as I truly believe this project can transform lives.




Note on label: I had a difficult time determining what genre to classify this book as since it is based on a true story. Eventually I looked on the title page and it said "a novel" so that's what I'm putting.