What happens when a children's book becomes a force for global change? We sit down with Newbery Medal-winning author Linda Sue Park to discuss the astonishing real-world ripple effect of her novel, A Long Walk to Water. Inspired by the true story of Salva Dut, one of the "Lost Boys" of Sudan, the book has sparked a movement. Linda Sue reveals how student readers, moved by Salva's mission to bring clean water to his homeland, have now raised over 4 MILLION DOLLARS to build hundreds of wells, serving millions of people.
We're also on the front lines of the book ban debate, where Linda Sue argues that these challenges are not about books, they are about power. She shares her perspective on why every child deserves to see themselves in a story and how literature acts as a vital training ground for empathy, resilience, and building a better world.
This is a conversation about the quiet revolution that happens when readers are inspired to act, proving that a single story can be both a mirror and a map.
Linda Sue Park is a celebrated author of children's and young adult literature, best known for her Newbery Medal-winning book, A Single Shard. Born in Illinois to Korean immigrant parents, she began writing poetry and stories as a child and published her first novel, Seesaw Girl, in 1999. Her body of work often explores Korean history and diverse cultures, bringing untold stories to light with depth and compassion. Beyond her historical fiction, her novel A Long Walk to Water has become a modern classic in schools, inspiring a massive, ongoing humanitarian effort.
A dedicated advocate for intellectual freedom and diverse representation in literature, Park lives in Western New York and continues to write stories that serve as both mirrors for young readers to see themselves and windows into the wider world. Visit her website: https://lindasuepark.com/
