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Title details for Journey to Jo'burg by Beverley Naidoo - Available

Journey to Jo'burg

by Beverley Naidoo
C. M. Smith
Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
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1 of 1 copy available

"Has no equal. Evocative and haunting." (School Library Journal starred review)

The bestselling classic set in South Africa during the apartheid era, in which two siblings must face the dangers of their divided country.

Mma lives and works in Johannesburg, far from the village thirteen-year-old Naledi and her younger brother, Tiro, call home. When their baby sister suddenly becomes very sick, Naledi and Tiro know that they need to bring their mother back in order to save their sister's life. Bravely, secretly, they set off on the long journey to the big city to find Mma.

It isn't until they finally reach Jo'burg that they see up close what life is like for black citizens across South Africa—and begin to really question the unfair and dangerous laws of apartheid.

A classic look at prejudice and racism in apartheid South Africa, this short and compelling novel is perfect for independent reading projects and classroom sharing.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    December 30, 2019

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9780062966216
      • File size: 39121 KB
      • Duration: 01:21:30

  • Languages

    • English

  • Levels

    • Lexile® Measure: 760
    • Text Difficulty: 3-4

  • Reviews

    • AudioFile Magazine
      C.M. Smith narrates this 1986 novel documenting the era of South African racial segregation. Thirteen-year-old Naledi and her brother journey from their rural village to distant Johannesburg to bring their mother home to save their dying baby sister. Naledi's voice is determined and steady, matching her decisive and caring personality. In Jo'burg, they meet Grace, who shelters them in her Soweto home because staying in the white neighborhood where their mother works as a maid is a crime. Grace is kind, but Smith gives her a strong, forceful voice when she speaks about the egregious injustices of apartheid. This contrasts with the wary tone of their mother, who worries about retaining her job. All the characters speak English with their native Tswana accent. Adults may need to explain to young listeners that apartheid in South Africa ended in 1994. L.T. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine
    • Publisher's Weekly

      January 1, 1992
      Naledi, 13, and her younger brother Tiro live with their grandmother and their aunt while their mother works in far-away Johannesburg. When Dineo, their baby sister, gets sick, Naledi and Tiro decide to find Mma (mother in Tswana) and bring her home. The trip takes several days, carrying them into a world that is both larger than they imagined, and more restricted for blacks than they ever thought possible. Mma is located; she goes home with them, even though her white employer threatens to hire a new maid in her absence. Mma takes Dineo to the hospital, and the baby lives. Naledi has begun her own journey: she has witnessed an innocent black youth's arrest; she met Grace, who has lost family in the struggle for freedom. And she gains a new understanding of her country. There are many viewpoints in this story: Mma is trying to survive; Grace struggles for dignity. But the author's gift is in translating violent TV images into a provocative, eloquent story about the human spirit, from its first flicker to full flame.

    • Publisher's Weekly

      June 3, 1988
      A sister and brother's journey through Johannesburg to find their mother becomes an awakening to the sufferings of the people living under the system of apartheid. Ages 9-12.

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

Levels

  • Lexile® Measure:760
  • Text Difficulty:3-4

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