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Set in South Africa, Naledi, a thirteen year old girl and her younger brother travel from their small village 300 km to get their mother (who works in Johannesburg) because their baby sister is very ill.
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. An additional book is available to purchase containing 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. So they set off from their village and travel to Jo'burg, determined to bring their mother back to care for their baby sister. I actually almost have up on it because this first time I tried reading it I got confused by the characters and went to sleep! Their mother is able to get time off, beginning the next day, to take her children home and help Dineo.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. As well as inspiring powerful writing on characters from a different era, it has helped to draw discussions with some of today’s issue as we have made comparisons with the student uprising ‘Times of Fire’ described in the novel and the riots that took place in London in 2011. This edition of Beverley Naidoo’s classic story includes a special “Why You’ll Love This Book” introduction by Michael Rosen, the Children’s Laureate. Journey to Jo’Burg is set in South Africa during the apartheid and tells the story of Naledi and Tiro who, frightened that their baby sister Dineo will die, take a 300km journey to find their mother who works there as a maid. The author Beverley Naidoo has an interesting life story: born into a white family in South Africa, she took part in the anti-apartheid movement as a student, was jailed for 8 weeks, then left the country for the UK.
It's possible I'm overreading these elements, because I was aware going into it that the book was written by a white woman from South Africa. The story seemed somewhat unbelievable, as if the author wanted to show us about South Africa and this was simply the method she chose to use. 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). Zambia comes from the name of the river Zambezi, the rest are not related, but still retain the Z, maybe this will help me in the future.At the back there is a copy of a letter banning the book's import, which gives greater impact to comprehending the extent of governmental corruption. 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. Thirteen-year-old Naledi lives with Nono (her grandmother), Tiro (her brother), and Dineo (her baby sister) in a small South African village 300 kilometers from Johannesburg.
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.Everyone knows this and instinctively hides from the police, known for throwing people in jail ”just because”. The children have created stories and monologues from the perspective of the main characters and then performed these to create podcasts. There is really nice character development and vivid imagery which lends itself to readers creating drawings or paintings, allowing them to interpret their own parts of the book. Does the book contain anything that teachers would wish to know about before recommending in class (strong language, sensitive topics etc.
Racism: South Africa, at this time, had a system set up through legislation to keep its society racially segregated. 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. In reality, if you dig deeper, you will learn that this was a journey of self-discovery and awareness for them.
Naledi had never thought about it before tonight, but never, never, had she written about wanting to be…say, a doctor. Naidoo has a history of standing up for equal rights and speaking out against apartheid, and that's wonderful, of course, but I still don't know how I feel about white people writing stories for PoC.
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