A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier

Ishmael Beah's A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier is a heart-wrenching work of non-fiction by a young adult from Sierra Leone. Beah was forced to become a soldier in the brutal civil war of Sierra Leone. He faced incredible hardship and violence.

Although it is quite graphic, Beah's work is also heartwarming. Beah survived such terrible things and has kept his positive spirit.

SUNY Potsdam chose this memoir for their First Year Experience common read for the Fall 2009 semester. Beah traveled to Potsdam and gave an incredible speech about his experiences and hosted a comprehensive question and answer session for the first year students. His honesty and his perseverance are truly inspirational.

In the social studies classroom, this book gives students a true idea of current events that are going on in Africa. It would fit well with a study of genocides and civil wars around the world.

In the English classroom, A Long Way Gone would be a work of diverse non-fiction that would help open the students' eyes to global issues. It is also good practice in identifying with a protagonist who is close to their age.

I strongly caution teachers, however, about how graphic the novel is. Be sure to read it thoroughly and gauge your students' maturity levels and needs before making it a class read!