Burying the Moon

A beautifully illustrated novel in verse about a young Indian girl who tackles the taboos around sanitation in her village.

Book Genre:

Fiction

Audience:

ages 9 to 12 / grades 4 to 7

Human Rights & Activism

Written by

Andrée Poulin

Illustrated by

Sonali Zohra

Book Description
In Latika’s village in rural India, there are no toilets. No toilets mean that the women have to wait until night to do their business in a field. There are scorpions and snakes in the field, and germs that make people sick. For the girls in the village, no toilets mean leaving school when they reach puberty.

No one in the village wants to talk about this shameful problem. But Latika has had enough. When a government representative visits their village, she sees her chance to make one of her dreams come true: the construction of public toilets, which would be safer for everybody in her village.

Burying the Moon shines a light on how a lack of access to sanitation facilities affects girls and women in many parts of the world.
Pre-Reading Activities/ Key Ideas & Details
Observe the Front Cover
Ask students to observe the front cover. Get them to notice that the little girl is digging a hole. Ask them to make guesses for why she is doing this.
Pre-Reading Activities/ Key Ideas & Details
Back Cover
Read the back cover to establish reading expectations. What will you be asking about as you read this book?
During Reading Activities/ Comprehension Strategies
Mr. Samir
Why do you think Latika is so interested in Mr. Samir?
During Reading Activities/ Comprehension Strategies
Ask the Government
Do you agree with Latika’s mother when she claims that one cannot speak to the government representative about the lack of bathrooms?
During Reading Activities/ Comprehension Strategies
Nighttime Actors
On page 72, it is nighttime. Latika has overcome her fear and starts to dig a hole in the field. What will happen next?
During Reading Activities/ Comprehension Strategies
Meaning from Illustration
There is no text on these pages, but this scene is important for the rest of the story. What is happening here? Why does this illustration have an impact on the story?
During Reading Activities/ Comprehension Strategies
A Thief?
According to you, is the sarpanch right when he calls Latika a thief?
During Reading Activities/ Critical Thinking in Literacy
Repetition in The Story
The author often uses repetition in the story. What effect does this have on our understanding of the story?
During Reading Activities/ Comprehension Strategies
What’s Changed?
The story ends with a scene like the one at the beginning (page 9), but something has changed. What is it?
Post-Reading Activities/ Comprehension Strategies
Revisit the Cover
Discuss the cover page again and have students consider their initial predictions.
Post-Reading Activities/ Comprehension Strategies
Consider the Most Important Part
What is the most important moment of the story for you? Why?
Post-Reading Activities/ Comprehension Strategies
Illustrations
What do the illustrations add to your understanding of the text?
Post-Reading Activities/ Text Forms & Genres
Free Verse
The author has written the text in free verse. Is this style effective to tell this story? Why?