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4.19 AVERAGE
4.19 AVERAGE
Enjoyed reading this alongside my middle school daughter as we reflected on Salva’s tragic childhood. There are so many things to unpack, as well as rejoice that he not only persisted as a survivor but continued in efforts to make an impact in the future.
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This is intense for a middle grade book. I read it with my son for homeschool, and it tore at my heart reading about what those people went through.
The long civil war in Sudan destroyed the country and devastated its people. Park alternates the stories of two Sudanese children, one a Lost Boy, forced to flee his village during an attack and seek refuge in Ethiopia, and a young girl who walks for miles each day to collect water for her family. A brief, powerful story explaining the Sudanese conflict to children and one boy's hope and courage.
Salva’s story is incredible and heartbreaking but with the way it’s written, it doesn’t evoke any emotion or heartbreak. This is the kind of story that you should really FEEL something. The story is to the point - it jumps forward quickly in time and glosses over a lot of detail. I’m realizing now as I read through reviews, that this is actually a children’s book. This is probably the reason for the lack of detail but as a parent that reads books often to my 10 and 11 year old, I still felt that the author could’ve done better in how the story was presented.
The little book is rich with so many things to unpack- from African history, people, tribes, geography, biography, war to concepts of struggle, overcoming, perseverance, charity, fundraising, inspiration. I’m eager to study this with my middle school students this school year, and do our best to answer its call to action.
Basically a short story of two people but the book is broken up into many tiny chapters going back and forth between these two characters.
Anyone seeking to help children understand other cultures and their struggles should introduce this book to those they influence.