Journey to Jo'burg: A South African Story [Paperback]

Beverley Naidoo (Author), Eric Velasquez (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 9 and up | Grade Level: 5 and up

If only Mma was here, Naledi wished over and over. . .

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, deep down, that only one person can save her. Bravely, alone, they set off on a journey to find Mma and bring her back. It isn't until they reach the city that they come to understand the dangers of their country, and the painful struggle for freedom and dignity that is taking place all around them.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

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.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"A provocative, eloquent story about the human spirit." -- –- Publishers Weekly

"This well-written [story] has no equal. Evocative and haunting." (Starred review) -- --School Library Journal

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Paperback: 96 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins (June 3, 1988)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0064402371
• ISBN-13: 978-0064402378
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.2 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 0.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (37 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #261,743 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #10 in Books > Children's Books > Literature & Fiction > Historical Fiction > Africa

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A South African Story, January 15, 2003

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Journey to Jo'burg: A South African Story (Library Binding)

The main character in this book is Naledi. She is caring, brave, and curious. The plot of the story is as follows: Naledi and Tiro went on a journey, because their sister was very ill. On the journey they discovered how blacks were treated by whites. Some examples are: they had to sit at the back of the bus; they had to have passes to travel; they had to work as servants; and they were harrassed by the police. They went to seach for their Mma. Will they find Mma? Will they save their sister Dineo?- You should read this book to find out!- by Sierra Serrano (Age 12), Johnnie Basham (Age 10), and Garrett Kovach (Age 11)

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A good book, July 11, 2002

By 

"alikat_sa" (Johannesburg, South Africa) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Journey to Jo'burg: A South African Story (Paperback)

I found this a good book. When Naledi and Tiro's baby sister Dineo, gets sick, they decide to leave their small village and go to Johannesburg to call their mother to help Dineo. They discover so much about their country, about the way their skin colour changes their future and start to ask questions about why life is so unfair. Though readers found it very uninformative, at the time this book was written people were not allowed to write about how unfair the situation in South Africa was. This book said so much that it was banned for many years! It is designed to tell CHILDREN about the situation, so it can't be very gory, its just to give them an idea of the apartheid. I lived in South Africa and have studied the apartheid, this book gives the basic idea. Read it, its good.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Review for Journey to Jo'burg, February 23, 2007

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Journey to Jo'burg: A South African Story (Paperback)

Even though I've never traveled as far as Africa, Beverly Naidoo, the author of Journey to Jo'burg, writes so descriptively that she transports me through the past to Johannesburg, South Africa in the time of 1881-1902. I feel like I am in connected to the characters because Beverly Naidoo reminds me that my African ancestors experienced the same intolerance, injustice, and tragedies in the Caribbean and here in America. In Journey to Jo'burg, you land in a town only 300 kilometers away from the historical Johannesburg and journey with a young girl named Naledi and Tiro, her brother. When Naledi's little sister gets sick she and her brother must journey to find their mother who works many miles from their house.
Naledi was my favorite character. Silent courage flowed through her. Though she stumbled, Naledi brought herself and Tiro, her young brother, through an experience that became their teacher. They had to deal with the enraged police, the mean bus drivers, and the rude Caucasians who pass helpless Africans by with occasional backwards glances of hatred. Naledi spoke fluidly of all this. Naledi remained firm and truthful and described her situation. She refused to pause because of the rough circumstances around her. The Caucasians believed that Africans should receive no rights and agreed with segregation. They also thought that Africans were 1/3 of a person, so the Africans were objects of constant ridicule. In spite of this, Naledi continued to describe her situation.
Along the way, Tiro discovers Mma's neighbor, Grace, who tells the tragic story of the "Horror Day" (my title for the day African students marched against the unfair laws) in 1976. Very few people explain the sorrow Africans experienced from that day on. On that day, students refused to be taught any more rubbish including how to be a servant and topics that did not involve their history. The police, enraged by the outburst, shot hundreds of children. One policeman targeted a girl right next to Grace and killed her. Another imprisoned her brother, Dumi. Finally, her brother was released and he studied in another, safer country. Grace made the story stand out because her words were strong and she seemed more determined than any other person to defeat racial intolerance and the other problems like that in her country.
Naledi and Tiro learn, flee, and search along the trip until they reach Johannesburg. There were no more rides or adventures. They are still excited however when they find Mma. They befriend the courageous and friendly Grace who raises their spirits into a land of eternal hope. She says hopeful things like, "We're pushed all over the place, but it won't be like that forever."
Journey to Johannesburg's character are fluid and express their feelings. Whether excited, fearful, sad, or depressed, the characters pull you through the books pages and shove their feelings into you. You are jumping up and down when they are hyper from excitement. For example, Mma shows her sadness or depression. She sighs and murmurs things like, "I must work. How else can I find the money to send you to school?" In addition, Grace was hopeful. She said once," We're pushed all over the place, but it won't be like that forever." Naledi was determined. She would say," We will get there! We have to go."
For me, I journeyed to Jo'burg through the entrance that is Beverly Naidoo's book. I felt the heart-break and longing of the gold miners and the servants when they yearned to learn more about their own history because a lot of African-American history is not taught in schools in America too.

reviewed by Makeda