A Long Walk to Water

The author of A Long Walk to Water is Linda Sue Park. It was published in 2010 by Clarion Books. 

Lexlie Level: 720L    Ages: 10-12

Summary:

    A Long Walk to Water is a captivating story in which the author describes the lives of 2 different people. Both are born in different times and different places, but share a common struggle through their lives in many hardships and sorrows. The first story is about Nya, an eleven-year-old girl living in Southern Sudan who must make two long walks a day to fetch water for her family. The second story (the main story) is based on true life experiences of Salva Dut, who is forced to flee Southern Sudan when he is eleven years old because of the war. He spends many years as a refugee in countries outside of Sudan and in the United States before returning to Southern Sudan to drill wells which brings water to remote villages.

Evaluation:

      This story is remarkable because it is based on a true story. Salva gave the reader a detailed description of his life from a young age to adulthood. He showed the reader that one who has a simple can turn it around into something great. As we follow Salva's story we see him walking to school at age eleven to get a better education to walking through deserts to seek shelter and safety to being a Lost Boy in America and continuing his education and turning into an incredible leader.

     One negative with A Long Walk to Water is Nya's story. It felt hard to connect to Nya's story because the main focus was on Salva. Salva had an incredible story, but Linda Sue Park could have made Nya's story longer and detailed just as much as Salva's so it is easier to connect with her and her struggle with walking long distances to get water for her family.

Literary elements:

     First, Linda Sue Park used animal symbolism throughout the book. She uses cows as a symbol for wealth and status, we see this when Salva reflects back to his family and talks about the cows his father owned. She also uses vultures and crocodiles as a symbol for death and danger. This symbolism occurs when they are forced out of a refugee camp and forced to cross crocodile infested waters. Park also used animals for the literary devices: simile, foreshadowing, metaphor. The simile is when Salva finds his uncle for the first time, he describes his mouth opening and closing "as if he were a fish". The foreshadowing is hearing the lions roars at night which lead to death. Lastly, the metaphor is for the water drill being as tall as a giraffe. Finally, point of view: A Long Walk to Water is written in third person from Salva's point of view. The novel says " Leaving the airport felt like leaving his old life forever," (96). This quote shows that it is written in third person by Salva.

1. Symbolism: animals (cows, lions, vultures)
2. Literary elements: simile, metaphor, foreshadowing (shown through animals)
3. Point of view: written in third person from Salva's perspective

In the Classroom:

     I would use this book in my classroom to teach the craft of writing. Linda Sue Park wrote this novel with two stories going on and that could be a technique students may want to pursue.

     I would also use this book to show students the importance of pursuing their dreams and doing something great. The students can explore Salva's website and find ways to help raise money for his organization.



Park, L. S. (2010). A long walk to water: based on a true story. Boston: Clarion Books.