Customer Reviews

Ryan and Jimmy: And the Well in Africa That Brought Them Together (CitizenKid)

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

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.

I truly enjoyed this book! It is a good point that it has two main plots--Canadian Ryan starting a project to obtain clean water for kids in Africa and the other, Ugandan Jimmy, who is trying to flee the forced conscription of child soldiers in the civil war in Uganda. Although the information is presented in a less than frightening fashion, I still thought it was too scary for my 7 yo niece. However, I can't wait until she is old enough to share the story with her.

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.

Herb Shoveller, Ryan and Jimmy and the Well in Africa That Brought Them Together (Kids Can Press, 2006)

One of my problems with kids' books-- which I've had ever since I was a kid-- is a feeling that sometimes the writer of the book is talking down to his intended audience. I got that sometimes while I was reading Ryan and Jimmy, and it stuck in my craw, though not enough to make me thoroughly hate the book. I like the story; I'm just not all too fond of the way Herb Shoveller (who, according to the back matter, is Ryan Hreljac's uncle) tells it.

The story concerns Ryan Hreljac, who became one of the world's leading speakers and fundraisers for well-drilling in Africa, and his pen pal Jimmy Akana, who lives in the first town where Ryan's efforts got a well drilled. We meet the two of them as their lives were before Ryan got involved in the cause, then go through their first meeting. It's after that that things start to get a little odd; the tone of faint patronization is there before, but it really explodes just after this. Jimmy lived in northern Uganda at the time, which has been suffering a civil war for quite a while, and Jimmy's village got swept up in it. Shoveller writes the story of Jimmy's capture by the rebels and subsequent escape as if it's a scene from an adventure novel. The only thought process I can come up with to paint such a horrific experience in such a blithe manner is "you know, kids will enjoy this a lot more if I write it as if it were in an action film". Wow.

As annoying as that is, however, the underlying story-- that it really is possible for one person to both save lives and change the world-- is a great one, and one that needs to be heard. Recommended, but not until the kids reading it are old enough to understand the concept of tone, and how it can be manipulated by an author. Otherwise you'll have a very tough time explaining when the brighter kids in your brood come asking questions. ***