56. A Long Walk to Water - Linda Sue Park

Based on the true story of Salva Dut
2010, Clarion Books
122 pgs.
Goodreads: 4.18
My rating:  4.5

1st sentence/s:  "Going was easy.  Going, the big plastic container held only air.  Tall for her eleven years, Nya could switch the handle from one hand to the other, swing the container by her side, or cradle it in bot arms."

Setting:  southern Sudan, between 1985 and now.

OSS:  Two different voices, one of a Dinka "lost boy" of Sudan on a many-yeared journey to find a home, and a life; and one of a contemporary Nuer girl whose entire day is spent gathering water instead of going to school.

Wow.  Salva spends from 1985 to 1996 wandering, orphaned and homeless, from Sudan to Ethiopia to Kenya and finally to the United States before he can put down any kind of roots, get an education, and even find a few - new and old - family connections.  This is an amazing and wonderful true story of one of the thousands of "lost boys of Sudan," written by an award-winning author who actually knows him.

Salva has done amazing things with his life.  After you read this book (and you must) go to Salva's website:  Water for Southern Sudan.

36. Year of No Rain - Alice Mead

For: Middle Grades
Dell Yearling/Random House, 2003
130 pgs.
RL 4.5, ages 9-12
Rating: perfect for my 4th grade Africa Unit
Dedication: For the children of South Sudan

It is 1999. Stephen Majok's life is irrevocably changed when his southern Sudan village is attacked, cows and relief food stolen, and most people killed. Stephen had been sent to hide in the woods, and returns to find his mother dead and his older sister gone. No one is left, the food has all been stolen, the rope to the well is gone so water is unavailable, everything seems useless. So Stephen and his two friends set off for Kenya, or at least for somewhere they can find food and shelter.

This is the story of 10-year-old Stephen's journey. Trying to find water, protecting themselves from lions, hiding from trucks and planes that transport soldiers, and even contracting malaria are some of the hazards of this new life. The reader gets a feel for Sudan - its way of life, its landscape, and some customs of the Dinka people. It's somewhat adventurous, and incredibly difficult to imagine. It's real...and it's contemporary. It's happening now, and kids can learn about Africa as well as current events. A tough topic.

Yes the mother dies, but it is not too graphic..."He ducked his head and entered and saw immediately that his mother was there, dead. Keeping his eyes averted, he quickly covered her with a straw mat."

I think Alice Mead did a good job.

28. Home of the Brave - Katherine Applegate

Audio read by Dominic Hoffman (wonderfully)
Listening Library, 2007
3 unabridged cds
2 hrs 47 min.
256 pgs.
Excellent story, great descriptions that include many similes, believable point-of-view

Kek arrives in Minnesota, fresh from a refugee camp in Africa (Sudan is mentioned once, but otherwise "Africa" is the only reference) alone, with only a volunteer named Dave to guide him. He has learned a tiny bit of English in the refugee camp, but everyone talks too quickly and uses too many idioms for him to understand. He misses his family, the sunshine and heat, and his father's cows. His father and brother have been killed and his mother is missing. He goes to live with his aunt and older cousin, also fairly new to the U.S.

It's fascinating to hear the things people say and the way that Kek processess them. I listened to this in the car, and the reader did a superb job making it feel like you were in Kek's head. Imagine being in the fifth grade, totally displaced from your home and family....and even the language is different. I can't. No way. But this happens to thousands and thousands of regugees coming to our country all the time. This is a wonderful book that allows kids (and adulst!) to put themselves into those shoes.

Kek makes friends, has caring teachers, and is a survivor. After reading Katherine Paterson's book about refugess from Kosovo and the few picture books I've read recently about African refugees, it certainly makes me think about lending a hand in some way.

Even though some websites say this book is for 12+, I will certainly not hesitate to have my fourth graders read this. It talks about shooting and killing in a bit of an abstract way, and Kek's cousin has had his hand cut off. However, unless a fourth grader is ultra-protected and never watches any tv (including the news) and with the guidance of a teacher or parent, there's no reason I can think of to worry. And listening to this reader would be a great plus!

My Name is Sangoel - Karen Lynn Williams & Khadra Mohammed

Illustrated by Catherine Stock
Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, 2009
$17.00
32 pages
Tells of the pride of heritage and the heartbreak of leaving your homeland
Rating: 4
Endpapers: Rust

Sangoel leaves the refugee camp for American with the words of the village wiseman ringing in his ears - to be proud of his Dinka name, which has been passed down through many generations. However, that name is not pronounced as it is written and when he arrives in America no one pronounces it correctly. He comes up with a rebus-like way to pronounce it correctly (SUN-GOAL).

Sangoel seems lucky...he is only teased a little and his new home seems accepting and friendly. He already speaks English, since he is the one translating for his mother. The illustrations by Catherine Stock are wonderful - they seem to beautifully depict Africa as well as America.

Good book.

Brothers in Hope - Mary Williams

The Story of the Lost Boys of Sudan
Illustrator: R. Gregory Christie
For: School age children
Published: 2005
Rating: 4
Read: Jan. 3, 2009
Coretta Scott King Honor Award
Endpapers; Evergreen

Written by the founder of the Lost Boys of Sudan Foundation, this story is told from the point-of-view of 8-year-old Garang and is based on true stories. While tending cattle in the countryside, Garang's village was attacked, and all the adults and girls were killed - all the boys were out tending cattle. This happened all over southern Sudan, so that thousands of boys were left alone and homeless. They banded together, taking care of each other, and walked all the way to Ethiopia, where they had heard there were refugee camps. We follow Garang through ups and downs as the leader of a group of 35 boys, all the way to America at age 21. What kept them alive? Each other, determination, faith, a yearning for education -- it is a story of bravery and courage.

The prose is easy to understand, written in the first person, and although not what I'd consider "great" writing, it is good storytelling. The illustrations seem to be thick acrylic paintstrokes, and although not my favorites, do the job well. There are excellent AUTHOR'S NOTES and AFTERWORD as well as a map of Africa with Sudan, Ethiopia, and Kenya clearly labeled. The Lost Boys of Sudan Foundation was begun in 2000, and I wonder where the boys and the foundation stand now.