Linda Sue Park does a wonderful job of weaving a present day narrative of a girl in Sudan in with a past narrative of a boy in the same country. The reader cannot help but ask why the situation is not any better for the present day girl than it was for the boy. This book is a wonderful way to see the power of perseverance and helps students begin to build a worldview outside of comfortable homes with tap water on demand.

Second Reading: I cry every time I see my students realize at the end that Salva brought water to the tribe that

Spoiler

killed his uncle.

Nya lived with.