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Book Overview
It costs a lot of money to build a well in Africa --- a lot more than Ryan Hreljac had thought. Still, the six year old kept doing chores around his parents' house, even after he learned it could take him years to earn enough money. Then a friend of the family wrote an article in the local newspaper about Ryan's wish to build a well to supply people with safe, clean water. Before long, ripples of goodwill began spreading. People started sending money to help pay for Ryan's well. Ryan was interviewed on television. His dream of a well became an international news story. In Agweo, Uganda, villagers were used to walking a long way every day in search of water. What they found was often brown and smelly and made a lot of people sick. But when Ryan's well was built, life in the village changed for the better. A young orphan named Akana Jimmy longed for a chance to thank Ryan in person for this gift of life --- clean water.When they finally meet, an unbreakable bond unites these boys from very different backgrounds, and a long and sometimes life-threatening journey begins. Ryan and Jimmy is part of CitizenKid: A collection of books that inform children about the world and inspire them to be better global citizens.
Format:Paperback
Language:English
ISBN:155453271X
ISBN13:9781554532711
Release Date:August 2008
Publisher:Kids Can Press
Length:56 Pages
Weight:0.60 lbs.
Dimensions:0.2" x 8.5" x 11.0"
Age Range:8 to 12 years
Grade Range:Grades 3 to 7
Customer Reviews
3 ratings
Great for 5th grade, but...
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 17 years ago
I highly recommend the book, but parents of book report writers, beware...my 5th grade son selected it. It sounded like a good idea at the time, until we tried to put together bite size summaries. Because there are essentially 2 stories here, it is difficult to include both the fun and the important details in 6 paragraphs or less. An overachiever could do it in more, but 5th grade is a time of 3 page reports with pictures. Unfortunately, any of the key facts (how does Tom find Jimmy after he escaped? How was the trip to Uganda for Ryan initiated?) seemed to be missing. But if your child isn't reading it for a book report, it is a wonderful story of compassion and charity.
Action
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 17 years ago
Every person - child or adult - should read this book. Ryan is the perfect example of someone who saw a need and took action. As a teacher at an International Baccalaureate - Primary Years Programme, this book stands side-by-side with the profiles and attitudes of a reflective learner.
A much needed resource for a shrinking planet
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 17 years ago
The story begins with a teacher telling her classroom of young children about the plight of children in Africa who are without clean drinking water. A boy saves up money from household chores to help. But the book is far more than just a story about bringing a well to an African village. There are enough twists and turns in the plot to keep everyone on the edge of their seat. Not only do Ugandan children drink unclean/unsafe water, but their very lives are at stake because of roving bands of kidnapped children who were forced to become soldiers. A thoroughly engrossing book suitable for classroom read-aloud time.
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