Chapters 1-5
Why did the only the boys attend school?
Boys only went school to get an education while girls were not allowed to attend and instead were taught “how to keep a house”
Which family member does Salva find while walking?
His uncle.
What literary device is used when the book describes the plane overhead? "The plane flew above like a sleek evil bird."
Simile
What is the "Red Giraffe"?
A drill/ crane. She called it a giraffe because it had a long "neck".
Why are Salva and the other boys being called “Lost Boys” in America?
They were boys who lost their families homes and essentially everything else.
Describe a typical day in Nya’s life.
She would wake up and make her first trip to get water for her family eat, and than go back for water again.
What were some of the effects of the water borne illness?
The effects of water borne illness are cramps, stomach ache, then diarrhea and sometimes fever.
What question did Salva repeat throughout the novel?
"Where is my family?"
Why isn't Nya happy when the water comes out of the borehole?
The water that came out of the borehole was brown and muddy.
What are they building now in Nya’s village? Make a prediction.
They are building a school.
Why does everyone leave Salva behind at the end of Chapter 2?
They had no relations to Salva, they worried about their own and continued on without him.
What obstacle does the group need to cross to get to Ethiopia?
The Nile river.
Look at the title of this book. How does it fit both Salva and Nya’s journeys?
The title fits both because it connects Nya's struggle for a single day with Salva's struggle of a lifetime. While Nya walks to the water to survive, Salva walks to bring the water so that future generations of children, like Nya, no longer have to make that long walk.
What does Salva mean when he thinks it was hard to keep hope alive when there was so little to feed it?
There was no way Salva could ever reach his goal of branching out into the world if he was stuck at the camp.
How long has Salva been in Rochester when he receives the information about his father?
It has been 6 yrs and his father is getting surgery on his stomach due to water borne illness.
If the lake has more water from the pond, why can’t Nya’s family stay there year round?
They can not stay year round because of all the fighting between the Dinka and Neur over land during the dry season.
What did the nurse tell Nya’s mother about the water and how to disinfect it?
She tells her boil it until she counts to 300.
Why are some of Salva's thoughts italicized? How have they changed throughout the novel?
The italics represent Salva’s private voice—the things he thinks but cannot say out loud to the group or his Uncle. This technique allows the reader to see the contrast between Salva’s outward appearance of bravery and his inward feelings of fear, doubt, and longing.
The shift in Salva’s italicized thoughts tracks his transformation from a frightened child to a resilient leader.
How does Salva's role change when he joins the next group?
He became leader of the boys and he walked with them and they followed. He organized the group giving everyone a job and encouraging everyone to keep going.
What clues did we have along the way that hinted at this ending? Write down at least 2 examples where you found them.
The most significant clue is the repetitive focus on the struggle for water in both narratives.
The Hint: While Salva is running for his life in 1985, his primary physical threat (besides the war) is the lack of water in the desert. In 2008, Nya’s entire life was defined by the "long walk" to fetch water.
The Clue: By placing these stories side by side, the author hints that Nya’s conflict (lack of clean water) is the very problem that the adult Salva would eventually feel driven to solve after his own traumatic experiences with thirst.
What was the old woman’s reasoning for not bringing Salva along with her?
She explained that soldiers would leave an old woman alone and if she brought Salva along, they would try to kill both of them.
How does Uncle get Salva through the desert after he stubs his toe?
He gave him a motivational speech and gave him a checkpoint of where he had to go.
What is one possible theme/ideology for this story? Support your answer with specific answers from the text.
Hope, Survival, Resilience, etc.
Describe the Gilo river crossing from start to finish.
Salva watched as the men were shot and attacked by alligators. He had no choice but to jump in the river, he swam until a boy grabbed his neck and forced him under water when he finally came up again he realized the boy had been shot and may have saved his life. He then swam and made it across the river safely.
Why is Nya surprised that a Dinka would be responsible for their well?
She is surprised because both of their tribes did not get along and would fight over land.