In this inspiring story of individual activism, a boy recognizes gender
inequality when his sister must stop attending school --- and decides to
do something about it.
Victor is very close to his twin sister, Linesi. But now that they have
turned eight years old, she no longer goes to school with him. Instead,
Linesi, like the other older girls in their community, walks to the
river to get water five times a day, to give their mother more time for
farming. Victor knows this is the way it has always been. But he has
begun learning about equality at school, and his teacher has asked the
class to consider whether boys and girls are treated equally. Though he
never thought about it before, Victor realizes they're not. And it's not
fair to his sister. So Victor comes up with a plan to help.
Based on a true story of a Malawian boy, award-winning author Susan
Hughes's inspiring book celebrates how one person can make a big
difference in the lives of others. It's a perfect starting point for
children to explore themes of gender inequality and unequal access to
education, as well as the lack of clean water in some parts of the
world. Nicole Miles's appealing artwork in this graphic novel / picture
book hybrid format adds emotional context to the story. Also included
are information about education and water availability in Malawi,
resources and a glossary of Chichewa words. Part of the CitizenKid
collection and featuring a growth mindset, this important book has links
to social studies lessons on global communities and cultures, as well as
to character education lessons on initiative, fairness and adaptability.
