Journey to Jo'burg: A South African Story

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And determined to do everything they can for Dineo, the siblings thus set off on foot, hoping to cover the three-hundred-kilometer distance to find their mother in time. They are successful in finding their mother, who is able to get her youngest to a doctor in time to save her life. I will recommend this book to any young reader and not forgetting older ones who would be able to learn about hardships non whites were facing. The opulent house of the white “Madam’s” for whom their mother works is a stark contrast with their own appalling reality and the realisation that their baby sister is dying from starvation not an incurable disease.

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). From 1948–1994, South Africa made racial segregation the law of the land through a series of rules and regulations known as apartheid. Beverly Naidoo's ''Journey to Jo'burg'' is a glimpse at life as a black African during Apartheid in South Africa. As well as clear character descriptions and vivid imagery, there are many themes running through the story as it deals with racism and prejudice along with family, love and determination. It has prompted some lively discussions as well as provided a strong platform for engaging literacy lessons and cross curricular activities for half a term.

To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Through meeting Grace they learn about the struggle against the unfair system of the apartheid and the uprising of students against the treatment of black people.Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (French former tennis player) has no apparent relation to South Africa (I think I assumed he had).