Journey to Jo’Burg (HarperCollins Children’s Modern Classics) (Journey to Jo'Burg Series Book 1)

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When their baby sister suddenly becomes very sick, Naledi and Tiro know, deep down, that only one person can save her. The story tells of their awakening to the situation in their country of the appalling treatment of blacks by the rich white people. After going with a friend to a restaurant in Frankfurt, even though it was raining like crazy, it did not stop me from going to Oxfam, where I did behave: I only got this one book (1 euro). The opulence of the white “”Madam’s”” house contrasts starkly with the reality that Naledi and Tiro face – that their baby sister is suffering from starvation, not an incurable disease.

The author wanted to teach young children about the unacceptable policy of Apartheit that separated Africans from Caucasians purely by colour. The dangers and massive injustices inherent in that system are mentioned and then, weirdly, glossed over quickly, and the ending is a little too pat and trite. And on their journey to Johannesburg, Naledi and Tiro are shown by Beverley Naido as making many unexpected friends out of strangers and who all help them not only with their travels but to also stay out of reach of the police, sometimes perhaps a bit too easily and a bit too quickly, but well, considering the intended age age group for Journey to Jo'burg this does not really all that much bother me, as indeed, and much importantly, much appreciatively, Naidoo has Naledi and Tiro soon learning that in Apartheid-infested South Africa, as Black South Africans, they do not have a right to get on the bus or walk about freely without a pass, and they do not even have a right to their own mother (who works as a maid, as a servant to an arrogant and ignorant White family in Johannesburg). The physical journey is symbolic of their awakening to the wider realities of apartheid; they face danger and experience prejudice, but also meet kind strangers who help to keep them safe and tell them stories about the uprising of students in Soweto.To develop the children's understanding further, children could take part in a hot seating activity to explore the characters in depth and to gain a full perspective of living in South Africa around this time. The majority of people in South Africa were black, but they were treated as second-rate citizens who couldn’t aspire to more than being the servants of those in power. You could incorporate drama too, perhaps focussing on journeys and the people/experiences they encounter.

So yes, first and foremost Naidoo's story for Journey to Jo'burg (young middle grade and in my opinion textually suitable for readers from about the age of eight to ten or eleven) presents a basic but also intensely realistic introduction to South Africa and its horrid, inhumane and racist police of Apartheid, of segregation, showing clearly, simply and without graphic violence (although the latter is often alluded to and briefly pointed out) the horror, the all encompassing injustice of the latter and South Africa’s emerging fight for racial equality (and that not all Black South Africans are following the dictatorial rules of the Afrikaners' elitist government). Originally banned upon its publication by South Africa’s apartheid government, Beverley Naidoo’s novel still resonates with its universal story of love, commitment and the flowering of the human spirit. She married a man from Indian descent: their union would have been ”a crime” under the apartheid laws (I'm guessing like Trevor Noah's parents').

Ah, I went to Oxfam again yesterday and got Born A Crime, Trevor Noah (3 euro, excellent condition). During the journey, they become aware of the harsh realities of apartheid; facing danger and prejudice. The wealth was all in the hands of the 'Whites', while the labour was done by the 'Blacks' who worked long hours for little pay and lived under apalling conditions. Reading for enjoyment and writing for enjoyment are two of the most powerful ways of getting children interested in books. It is set in South Africa at the time of the Apartheid and tells the story of two courageous young children Naledi and Tiro who are worried that their baby sister Dineo will die.

It is a really simple and heartfelt story that contains powerful subject matter for children to explore and discuss in the classroom. But at university, Naidoo became increasingly outraged at the South African government and joined Nelson Mandela’s anti-Apartheid movement, with Beverly Naido being arrested and jailed in 1964, for anti-government activities.To access your ebook(s) after purchasing, you can download the free Glose app or read instantly on your browser by logging into Glose. On their journey they experience the oppressive and harsh realities of the apartheid including the segregation by colour, the Pass laws that require all black people to carry a passbook at all times and the extreme poverty alongside so much wealth. They discover it is not a simple journey as they encounter some of the dangers living in their apartheid but meeting some friendly people along the way help them to reach their mother. So they set off from their village and travel to Jo'burg, determined to bring their mother back to care for their baby sister. What makes this book an international piece of literature is that it is about another country, South Africa, written and published in English.

While this short little novel was an interesting peak into living conditions in South Africa, I found it to be a little didactic.

Running away from their grandmother, the three siblings begin the long journey to find their mother in Johannesburg. I think the book was a bit unrealistic in that one would expect a thirteen year old to know a bit about Apartheid. When I saw my husband watching a video with Trevor Noah, I casually dropped a ”he grew up in Soweto”, but this was too much of an insider knowledge (? The period is South Africa's apartheid years, and while I'm rating four for writing, I'm rating another star for the depiction of tendencies towards popular activism and bringing about change. This book contains photocopiable activities, guided reading notes, speaking and listening activities, writing projects and creative ideas – all from a bestselling, tried-and-trusted series that’s a firm favourite with teachers.