Friends for life.

How can two boys who live halfway around the world become friends? Ask Ryan Hreljac (HURL-jak) of Ontario, Canada, and Akana Jimmy of Uganda, a country in Africa. A new book shares their story. It is called Ryan and Jimmy and the Well in Africa That Brought Them Together.

When Ryan was 6, he learned about the lack of clean drinking water in some parts of the world. Ryan raised money to help build a well in Jimmy's village. The two boys became pen pals, then friends when Ryan traveled to Uganda in 2000 to see the well. Four years ago, Ryan's family arranged to bring Jimmy to live at their home in Canada. "We used to live as friends," Jimmy told WR News, "but now we live as brothers."

Ryan has raised more than $1.5 million. The money has helped build more than 200 wells in 11 countries, most in Africa.

For information about how to help support Ryan's dream of water for all, visit www.ryanswell.ca.

A new book tells the story of a well that united two boys on two separate continents.

Before You Read

Ask: What is friendship? Have you ever had a pen pal? If so, what did you and your pen pal write about?

Background

* How did Ryan and Jimmy become pen pals? When Ryan was in second grade, his teacher put the school in touch with Jimmy's school in Uganda. "We wrote for about a year, maybe two years. Then I met Jimmy in 2000," Ryan told WR News.

* Why did Ryan's parents bring Jimmy to their home in Canada? Jimmy was an orphan who lived in a war-torn part of Uganda. With Jimmy's life in danger, Ryan's parents worked to get him refugee status.

Think Critically

What qualities make a good friend?

Extend the Lesson

Sign up for WR Writing Pals: The program was created so that teachers can connect to another classroom in another part of the United States or around the world. Learn more about WR Writing Pals at www.weeklyreader.com/ teachers/writingpais/index.asp.

Web Resource

For more about the Ryan's Well Foundation, go to ryanswell.ca.