"Over A Thousand Hills I Walk with You"

Over a Thousand Hills I Walk With You
Author: Hanna Jansen
Illustrator: Elizabeth D. Crawford
Genre:  Chapter BookNonfiction
Subgenre: Nonfiction, Real World Issues, History
Theme: Rwandan Genocide
Primary/Secondary Characters: Jeanne, Adoptive mother, Hutus, Tutsis
Date of Publication: Year 2006
Publishing Company: Carolrhoda Books
Award: Mildred L. Batchelor Award Winner

Summary: This nonfiction book is based on the true story of Jeanne, who is caught in a war of ethnicities in Rwanda. She was only eight when the Genocide occurred. Jeanne experiences the deaths of her mother and brother in the Genocide, and is forced to take on life by herself. The main reason for the Rwandan genocide is ethnic violence ­between the Tutsis and Hutus, and Jeanne is thrown into the middle of it, all by herself. The Tutsis were hunted down and betrayed by their neighbors and friends, the Hutus. Jeanne is not sure who she can trust, and has nobody there to stand by her side. Jeanne becomes wise as a young girl, and knows how to keep herself alive. The story is told by Jeanne’s adoptive mother, who becomes her guardian and mother figure, since her mother had passed away.Jeanne deserved a positive future, just like every other girl her age, and the Genocide was something that scarred her life forever. It tells of the detailed acts of Genocide happening in Rwanda in 1994, and the emotional, italicized dialogue from her real mother speaking to her tell of the feelings during this time. This novel can be used in the classroom when teaching about the Rwandan Genocide, but definitely not in a younger classroom. The gruesome details and truth to the event are descriptive, and would frighten young children. The thoughts felt and the actual historical truths in this book would teach children about this important fraction of history, and enable them to put themselves in the shoes of the characters.