I love the weekly routine of heading over to Teachmentortexts.com and seeing what others are reading. Last week, I read House Held Up By Trees from a previous week recommendation. Thanks to Katherine for that one.
One of my weekend reads was A Long Walk To Water by Linda Sue Parks. It had been on my list for a while and since we are studying historical fiction, I moved it up, although it really is a biography. If you haven't read it, I completely recommend it as an engaging account of the struggles of two young people in Africa.
I don't know much about the Sudan and the struggles of the people there so I was shocked to read about the violence through the eyes of an eleven year old boy. Salva was eleven when his school was attacked by rebels and he walked from Sudan to Ethiopia. Eventually, he came to Rochester, New York where he met Linda Sue Park. She writes not only Salva's story but also intertwines it another young Sudanese girl's story.I am definitely adding A Long Walk To Water to my chart of books as one that builds empathy and global awareness. This book may also motivate young people to take action to help others who aren't as fortunate in other parts of the world. What an important book!
A Long Walk to Water is so good. It's amazing how LInda Sue Park can pack such a powerful story in such a short book.
ReplyDeleteI actually have this book in my car (borrowed from my school library) to read whenever I have a free moment- it is on our state list and I've been intrigued since it came out. Cannot wait!
ReplyDeleteHappy reading this week :)
I love A House Held Up By Trees. I think it's great for older readers. I haven't read A Long Walk to Water but I have read Left To Tell, Little Bee, and A Long Way Gone and they are all amazing accounts of some of the atrocities that exist in this world that we live in. Some of it is so unbelievable.
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