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Izzy Bailey - A Long Walk to Water

At the beginning of reading A Long Walk to Water, I was skeptical about enjoying the book due to its style (having multiple perspectives of one story) since I tend to get confused by the storyline and characters very easily. However, I thought the stories of Nya and Salva weaved together very well, even though different time periods were being represented. I can now see how multiple perspectives shown in literature can allow for a deeper reading experience for the reader and can help promote diversity in a text. In the text itself, I found it interesting to look at the differences in the experiences of the two main characters, as Nya’s role during the effects of the Civil Wars was to support her family and focus on gathering materials (specifically water), while Salva’s was to hide and survive, eventually experiencing life in America. I found Salva’s story particularly interesting, as it sheds light to a perspective and a situation entirely different from Nya’s who continues to experience the effects of the wars in Sudan throughout the story. From the reader’s perspective, the book sheds light to the different childhood experiences that some children face and offers not only an educational opportunity to be aware of these differences, but allows for the reader to develop a deeper understanding of the people around them and gratefulness for the aspects of their childhood that they were fortunate enough to have that maybe other children don’t (such as an easy access to clean drinking water).

Word Count: 252

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The Absolutely True Diary of  a Part Time Indian 

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The Absolutely True Diary of  a Part Time Indian 

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Olivia Flauss

11/20/2019

I have read this story before when I was younger (6thgrade), and I was excited to take the opportunity to re-read this story with a potentially different perspective. My immediate reaction is a desire to befriend the narrator! The story is narrated by 14-year-old Junior living on an Indian reserve. The personality of the narrator is unbelievably apparent throughout the text, and his awareness of his surrounding is all too real. Within the first few pages I was struck by his description of his living environment. Small spaces, poverty, alcoholism, and the lack of proper education; so much so that he transfers to what he calls the “white school” that is off of the reservation. I was sad to see that it was known among the reservation, and by his teachers, that what the “white school” was their only chance for a good education. The lack of opportunity that they face is apparent to them, and heartbreaking to for the reader. Junior faces tragedy after tragedy and yet his optimism prevails.

Seeing through the eyes of a Native American living on a reservation was eye opening. Although a fiction novel, this is the reality for a lot of native Americans. He is constantly struggling between fitting into a society he has immersed himself in (the “white school”) and yet he is always a part of the place he calls home (the Indian reservation). This story reveals a constant back and forth struggle between a teenager and his pull between his home and a world he seems to want to be a part of. I was compelled to research more into the lives of Native Americans on reservations after reading the story of real hardships that they go through.

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Estrella's Quinceañera,I feel like it's a book that embodies the struggle of being 15 in a latina family. Estrella is from a Mexican family that lives in America. I feel like a Quinceañera is something that is not as big in American culture because what people usually celebrates is wit a sweet sixteen party. In many hispanic countries having a quince party is one of the biggest moments of a girl's life, but not every girls want to go through the process of having a big party. I really like this book because I could Identify in a sense, coming from a latinoamerican country Quinceañeras are a big thing for some people but just like Estrella at the beginning not many people understand the importance of the tradition of a Quinceañera. I like,Estrella though that Quinceañeras were just some big party, but I now understand that Quinceañeras are just a big part of a beautiful culture. I believe that the meaning of a Quinceañerais truly beautiful is the moment when a girl becomes a woman and if we think about it is a truly empowering moment. Another thing that I truly loved about the book is how Estrella really come to terms with embracing her culture and really loving who she is. I feel like sometime is really hard to accept who you are and where you come from. I think one question that I was left with was, why is it that sometimes is hard for ourselves to accept where we come from? I feel like a big part of who I am is my culture, but why is it so hard for others?

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(Bridget Kilkelly)I really enjoyed the book Wonder. I had read it when I was in middle school and it’s one of the books I actually remember getting through and being really in love with story and the characters. The way the story is written really allows the reader to connect with each character. I was excited to get back into it and see if my opinions on the book have shifted in any way. And I still think it is an awesome story with very pertinent topics. This time reading through I was coming at it from a future teacher perspective and saw how there are specific things that schools and teachers can do to increase the sense of community in their classroom. In reading Wonder the second time around I was drawn to the different emotions each perspective shed light on. It was interesting to see how the different figures throughout the story approached situations and how they perceived things that were going on around them. I thought the book was written in a very relatable and easy way to get through. It felt as though Auggie was talking to the reader as he would a close friend. I enjoyed the style of writing and the important topics that were covered throughout the varying perspectives.

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Debbie Kerns

I enjoyed reading Esperanza Rising for its truthful depiction of the reality of emigration and starting over in life. Initially, the story is set in 1930 Mexico. Esperanza comes from a well-off Mexican family. She has a wonderful life, but it was turned upside down when her father died on a trip. Due to the corruption of her extremely powerful uncles, Esperanza and her mother decided to move to the United States to pursue a better life than what they would have experienced by staying in Mexico. While in America, Esperanza and her family have encounters with immigration officers, and they are scared. I think many students would be able to identify with Esperanza’s story. Even if the students had not experienced the journey from their home countries to the US firsthand, they likely have ancestors or even parents that went through that challenge.

A part of the book that stood out to me was when Esperanza was crocheting with her abuelita, awaiting her father’s return. As Esperanza was crocheting her handmade piece, she

made a mistake in the process. Her abuelita said, “Don’t be afraid to start over”. Even though at

the time, this comment was simply in reference to the crocheting, it was a foreshadowing of what

Esperanza would be having to do shortly. Even though Esperanza knew leaving Mexico meant starting over, she did not anticipate that she would have to start over completely, being placed in a lower social class. She was initially extremely resistant to this change, but as time went on and she adapted to her new life, she realized that sacrificing all that she was used to was worth being able to stay with her mother and close family friends.

Separately, I thought it was unique that each chapter was named after a different fruit or vegetable that would then be significant in the chapter.

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-Natalie Fulgieri
I chose the book Esperanza Rising to read this semester because I knew, based on the name “Esperanza”, one of the book’s themes would be centered around hope, which is something I always feel inspired to read about. This book was extremely intriguing for me due to a number of factors. First, I found it amazing to discover that the story was based on events that happened in Pam Muñoz Ryan’s (the book’s author) grandmother’s life. The immigration story seemed so surreal, like something right out of a movie, that it was amazing to think many of the events actually happened. Additionally, I always enjoy stories in which characters gain new perspectives on themselves and on life due to an unfortunate turn of events, learning to make light and hope of difficult situations. This is exactly what Esperanza did as she abandoned all she knew in Mexico to work hard for so little in America. Finally, and to add to this notion of perspective, I found it eye-opening to read about the perspective of a Mexican immigrant during the Great Depression. In school, I consistently learned about the Great Depression as well as immigration, yet reading Esperanza’s story about immigrating to America during the Great Depression was a humbling experience and opened a whole new window of thought for me as I combined my knowledge of the hardships people faced in either situation, let alone both of them cooccurring. Overall, I enjoyed the novel and will be recommending it to my family and peers.

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I wrote my response in the form of a poem. The word count is 249.

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Souria Haddad
While I was reading this book, Estrella's Quinceanera, I found it really interesting to read about a different culture and the way that they celebrate. As I was reading, I was able to put myself in her shoes and try to relate her story to my own personal experiences, not with having an actual Quinceanera, but wanting my own dream and not agreeing with everything that my parents want for me. It was fun to put myself back into the shoes of a junior high student. I also liked reading about her friendships and her boyfriend Speedy. It was interesting to read through their relationship and see the happy relationship that they had even through the drama. One thing that I noticed is that there are many people, especially high school teenagers, who are still finding out who they are and figuring out where they belong in the world. I could feel what she was feeling because when I was in high school, I did not know who I was yet fully and it took me a while to figure out what I was meant to do and be and now  I know what I want to do. Overall this was a really great book to read and I really enjoyed reading it. I would recommend this book to others because it gives people a sense of what it is like to have a Quinceanera and some of the struggles of finding who you are as an individual in the world.

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Lily Osgood
Before this class, I had never heard of A Long Walk to Water, which is part of the reason I chose it. I had no expectations for this book, and I had no idea what it would be about, other than having some connection to water. I was surprised that it took two different stories and connected them so well, I had never seen that done this clearly and this well before now. The text being two different colors was very helpful because it helps keep the two stories clear, which is something that can get confusing. I think the fact that this book is placed in the last 25 years is a very beneficial aspect because it brings light onto a subject that a lot of kids do not realize are still happening in the world today, i.e. that a lot of countries have limited access to water, never mind clean water.  I also really enjoyed how the story went back and forth between the stories, instead of just going from one story to the other, it kept it more interesting and showed the connections between the stories more clearly. However, I think it could have been interesting to look at the stories starting with Nya’s story, and then transitioning into Salva’s story as he tells it when they meet. Overall, I really enjoyed this read and would recommend it to others.

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Daniela Zablah
The Reason why I choose to read Estrella's Quinceanera was because being from El Salvador we also have Quinceaneras when we turn 15. Mostly I wanted to see how a the process of planning a mexican quiceanera was different than what I had experienced with the planning of my sisters quinceanera. That was the part of the book that I think I enjoyed the most. Something that I found very intriguing was the fact that when Estrella met Speedy (her boyfriend) she tried to "hide" the fact that she was dating him. I find this intriguing because it shows the struggle that Estrella has between her new life at the new private school that she is attending and her barrio. I feel like this struggle really encapsulates the struggle that all 15 year olds go through when trying to find out who they are. This is the reason that I feel it could be beneficial for young girls to read this in a classroom as it may help them with their own struggles. Something I also really enjoyed about the book was the depiction of Mexican Culture. I enjoyed it because even though I am not Mexican, Estrella's family dynamic remained me a lot about my own family dynamic. However, my favorite part of the book was that the main character was Latina. I feel like there is not enough representation of Latina's in literature and media.

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(Brittney Reder)
I really enjoyed reading the book, Esperanza Rising. I thought that it was an interesting and engaging read that touched upon many issues that immigrants faced not only during the early 20th-century but that they continue to face in modern-day. Because the book is told from young Esperanza's point of view, it really humanizes this controversial issue so that the reader can see what it would be like to have to leave behind your home, your language, and your comfort zone in the hopes that you will find a better life in a  new country. I also think that this book considers so many perspectives as well, which allows each of the characters themselves to learn what it is like to live a life that is completely unlike anything that you have ever known. Esperanza and her mom go from living a well-furnished, plentiful life with everything provided for them to having to learn how to cook and clean and do everything themselves, all the while working harder than they have ever had to do in their entire lives just to make a few pennies a day; and Esperanza's perspective even gets more real when she meets people like Isabel, a young girl who at the age of eight who lives in poverty and already knows how to cook and clean and care for younger children. Then there's someone like Miguel, who for his whole life has had to work hard for what he wants, but when he comes to America, he learns that there are newer societal problems he has to face beyond working for a living: racism and discrimination.

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Viola Lohsen

I appreciated Wonder a lot, and I believe I appreciated it so much because I could identify with the story and its characters. It was a quick read because it was so interesting to me (although since I do not often read fiction, when I get the chance to read a novel it does not feel like homework but rather something I choose to do for fun, so reading Wonder or a book like it becomes quite easy). Once I started reading, I pretty much did not stop until I had finished the book! I was more conscious, after taking EDUC 311, about how seeing mirrors of myself in the characters (white, middle-class, with a two parent/two child loving, supportive family and an older daughter with a name beginning with a “V” and ending with an “a”) made it easier and more enjoyable for me to read the story. I wonder why it is that it is so interesting to read stories where you see yourself as one of the characters? Additionally, I wonder how children’s book authors (like August’s mom in the story) can get the support they need to write good books which more students from traditionally under-represented groups can see mirrors of themselves and grow in their love of reading, because reading a story you are engaged with is so much easier?

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Emma Orlic
I loved the book Wonder. For my practicum this semester, I am placed in a fifth-grade classroom, so I was able to really place myself in the book. One of my favorite parts of the book was the chapter told from Auggie’s sister’s point of view. I am the middle of three girls and we really only sometimes know what the other is thinking. By having her own chapter, we were able to read what Olivia was thinking, even just for a little bit. This goes for all of the different characters that had their own chapter. The theme of the book was to choose kindness. As I’ve seen in my practicum, fifth grade is when students start to become aware of things about their classmates that might be “weird” or “different.” For Auggie, no one got to know him before judging him (except for Jack) because they thought they didn’t need to. They judged him based on his deformity. I think this is a great book because it has a character that portrays a child with a facial deformity going to school for the first time. I think this is a book that all students should read. Less that 5% of books portray a character with a disability. This needs to change.

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The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian 

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The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian 

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Overall, I thought the absolutely true diary of a part-time Indian was an engaging, yet heartbreaking story of a 14-year-old Native American boy named Arnold Spirit Jr. who lives on a reservation, but leaves to attend a school in a white neighborhood. The book is written through his perspective as a diary with detailed cartoons. While the author has a very light-hearted way of writing, the topics discussed in the book are serious and would otherwise be difficult to talk about. Such topics includes health challenges, speech impediments, alcoholism, bullying, poverty, and death. It also brings up the injustice in the American School system in a less obvious way. It was interesting to see these topics from the perspective of a boy who lives on a reservation, but feels like he needs to leave in order to have a better future. I liked how real and authentic this book was, especially since the author was writing about his own experience in high school. It is also, sadly, the story of too many high schoolers today. They feel like they need to leave and go to a “white” school in order to have a good future. I think high school students should read this book so they can receive perspective on the education system and could even relate the book back to their own life, especially if they have dealt with some of the topics in the book.

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Courtney Clifford

I really enjoyed reading A Long Walk To Water. I thought it was very interesting how the author told the story using two different stories within one book. The two stories took place in different time periods, one in 2008 and one in 1995. Even though the stories are based thirteen years apart, they are pretty similar. I love how the author had the story go back and forth between the different stories. Both Nya and Salva's stories are interesting, so I, as the reader, enjoyed how the author went back and forth between the stories. It kept me interested. I noticed that family was a major theme in both of the stories. I also felt that both Nya and Salva were incredibly driven to help their families and themselves. I have never heard of this book before, but I really enjoyed reading it.

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Emilie Cherau

I found Esperanza Rising to be an incredibly interesting read. I read this book in one sitting, as I found myself to be quite engaged with the content. Esperanza was considered to be upper-class in Mexico before her father died. Her family owned a lot of land, and her family had servants and staff to accommodate their needs. Esperanza never seriously struggled in her life. However, after her father’s death, her and her mom had to flee to the United States to escape her tyrannical uncles. Once in the United States, she was forced to live in a two room cabin with 4 other people--definitely not upper-class. While the book did not delve too deep into this theme, it was commented that in the United States, Esperanza was viewed as poor, dirty, and worthless. It did not matter that she was more educated than most people and came from a respected Mexican family. She was Mexican, and thus considered a second-class citizen. I found this contrast to be the most interesting part of the book, and it was that theme that kept me engaged as a reader. However, while I really enjoyed that theme in the book, I was not entirely satisfied with the ending. I felt as if there were a lot of loose ends that were not addressed. While it was poetic to have the book come full circle in the way that it did, it did not satisfy my lingering questions about the characters and their situations.

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McKenzie Plante

Overall I thoroughly enjoyed this story. The style of writing and how they connected two different stories into one was impressive. The different styles of text and the way each character was easy to distinct was done very well. A quick side note of this story, it really makes you see how blessed we are everyday to live under a roof, have water and have our families support. Salvas story of getting taken from his family and how he persevered through and got adopted into a family in America, was special and unique due to the fact that most kids did not have this opportunity. I personally think the way they intertwined these stories was perfect and done very well. I especially loved Nya’s story of fear with the lack of good water for her sister, and then discovering that a well will be built, by Salva, in the village. I loved how Nya put others, like her sister first, and how excited she got when she learned that there would be a new school. It was amazing to me how good things happen to both of these people, but then I realized it is because people who are not selfish, people who have hope and do good, good things can happen to them. As for these two characters, they went through awful environments, periods, deaths, famine, etc. however, they always remained themselves. A long walk to the water, is a perfect name for this book. In life, sometimes we have to get through the longest of walks, the hardest days to find the most beautiful things and to get the best things.

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Jacqueline Knapp
From a reader’s point of view, I really liked how the story was told. It focused on two different stories within one book. The author uses different styles of print and different time periods to distinguish the two story lines. I thought this idea was cool because I have not read many books that do that. It is interesting that one story takes place in 1995 and the other in 2008 but they are still similar stories in some way. Salva is only 11 years old when the story begins and is very brave. Though he has no other option besides being brave and fight for his life. He has seen many crazy things at such a young age that some people usually do not see happen in their entire life. I can not imagine struggling for food like he was and eating the things that he had to. For example, they got so excited to eat from the bee hive. Nya, the 11 year old Sudanese girl, shows how people were trying to solve problems after the civil war. I really liked that the author decided to add in Nya and her story. I really liked that the book was not just a story of Salva followed by Nya story. The book went back and forth between both stories which was very helpful because it was easier to see the comparisons and the differences between the two stories. Overall I really enjoyed this book. I have never heard about it before this class but I will recommend it to others.It is a ver easy read and it is clear to tell when Salva or Nya are talking. It is based off a true story. I wonder how the author got this idea to write about 2 stories within one novel.

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Caroline DeBernardis
I enjoyed reading A Long Walk To Water for many reasons. I had never heard of the book before this class and was very interested to read it. I had never really read books in the past that were in the perspectives of multiple characters. This was very engaging because as the reader, I was able to get a different look into each of the two character's experiences. I also thought it was interesting to get a perspective from a girl and a boy. During this time, girls and boys were going through different things and there were many ideas surrounding this. The girl, Nya, walked two hours from her home to get water. This was a very painful experience for her, as described in the book. She tried to avoid stepping on the spiky plants and thorns on the pathway. However, they were all over the pathway and it was difficult for her to not step on them. At one point, she stepped on a thorn and it was in her heel. She pulled the skin back around the thorn. This part in the book was very descriptive because I could visualize this scene in my head. I realized how unpleasant this must have been.This book had a lot of descriptive moments which really helped me understand and picture the events that were happening. I also thought it was intersting how the boy, Salva, made “families” along his journey to find his own. Even though he was not with his family, he had support and made his own families throughout the book. Overall, I thought that this book was a very engaging story. I liked reading about the different lives of both Nya and Salva because both were experiencing different things during the same time period.

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I thoroughly enjoyed reading A Long Walk to Water. I had not heard of it before, so I started off completely fresh. I thought it was interesting that the two separate narratives weaved in and out during the chapters; starting with Nya and then moving to Salva. While reading, I knew that some type of connection had to be made between the two stories. Nya’s were too simple and short to have a major impact on the story. A minor detail that I appreciated was the difference in colored text with the two stories. It made it super easy to follow, and sometimes braiding narratives can get confusing. It was nice to see them separated in that manner. The major themes in the novel that I saw in both stories were determination, family. Nya’s determination to get water for her family everyday takes a sort of strength that I can’t even comprehend. The hours, the thorns, the heat…it’s unimaginable. For Salva, his determination and perseverance is what keeps him alive. He gets attacked by bees for some honey, basically spends months upon months over the course of the story walking to safety, his friend is eaten by a lion, the mosquitos, the Akobo Desert barefoot, seeing his Uncle murdered in front of him, and crossing a river full of crocodiles while avoiding gun shots. He also uses the loss of him family to motivate the determination by saying, “they wouldn’t want me to die or give up.” Facing all of these things would have given him a reason to give up—but he doesn’t—and he is determined to find a family somewhere. The second theme that is prevalent throughout the story is family. With Nya, she spends the majority of the novel walking to and from getting water for her family and sick sister. Even though it is a societal role that she has to fill there wasn’t complaining; It was very matter of fact. With Salva, his entire world was his family. When his world crumbled that day at school, the novel followed his journey back to his family. He never forgot them and used them as his motivation. Along the way, he created “families” of his own: Dinkas, Marial, his Uncle, the Refugee camps, Michael, the Lost Boys, and his New York family.

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The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

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The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian