Beverley NaidooBesprekingen

I thought this book was very interesting. It seems very realistic in the sense that so many things seem misunderstood, and unfair. It definitely sucked me in, and allowed me to read it in one sitting!

This is about apartheid in South Africa over the years. Each story shows racism in a different year with the final story taking place in 2000.

While I think the stories are well written for a young audience, this wasn't my kind of thing. I am not a huge fan of the short story format.

Rather clever book about persecution. The author has basically written a book set in an area like Jerusalem/Palestine but doesn't mention mention either and you don't know which side the charcters are supposed to represent. Adam, Zak and Leila live as Nons in an area the Permitted people rule. Adam and Leila's mother might lose her permit to live there and if she does, she could be deported back to where she was born.
Zak does something though that backfires and could have horrible consequences for him and for Adam and Leila.
This novel makes you think. It puts you in other people's shoes and it is a little bit terrifying because it presents the "there but for the grace of God go I" scenario. It also made me think of refugees and of Trump/ Mexicans and the stupid American wall.

This is a gripping story about Kenya’s Independence movement, from the perspectives of two teenager boys: Mathew, an English farmer’s son growing up in Kenya, and Mugo, a native Kenyan working in Mathew’s kitchen.

When their baby sister falls seriously ill, two young South African siblings set out from home to make the 200+ mile journey to Johannesburg to find their mother, who works as a housekeeper for a rich, white family.

This middle grade book has some issues, I think. It seems clear that the point of the novel is to point up some of the major problems with apartheid, but at the same time it seems to downplay those problems too much. 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.

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. 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. Maybe, at the time, it was an important step toward handing that authority over? So maybe it was a good first step in children's, but I do know for certain that there are now, happily, more and better versions of this kind of story out there by #ownvoices authors.½

NA

This is such a powerful children’s book. I’m quite ashamed to say that I haven’t read a fiction novel about people seeking asylum in Britain before. How these two children were treated upon their arrival was difficult to read. At one point the siblings are abandoned, lost and alone, asking for directions but no one will help them and it hurt my heart to know that in busy London, when you’re just trying to battle the crowds, this could be easily done. They don’t know the customs, they get robbed and they don’t know where to go, or who can help them. I’m just relieved this story had a happy ending because I don’t think I could have coped otherwise. The sad reality is that happy endings don’t come for everyone in similar situations.

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A retelling of Aesop's fables that relies on the perspective that Aesop was African. The plots and morals are unchanged, but the animals and settings in the story are replaced with African counterparts.

Read to prepare for a conference in Fresno, this book bears similarities to Mwangi's "Mzungu Boy." Both are set in 1950s Kenya and both portray that historical struggle through the eyes of two boys, one the white son of a landholder and the other a native black Kikuyu boy.

Naidoo provides more background into the nature of The Emergency and the reasons for the Mau Mau rebellion. However, the story feels a bit cluttered with characters, all of whom add to the complex tale, but who are a bit hard to sort out at times. The story of the ultimately untenable friendship between Mathew and Mugo and their families feels a bit too didactic to be emotionally satisfying. The setting in Kenya, with the go-away bird, an angry elephant, and the black town separate from the whites all help to create the place for the reader.

This book would likely appeal to students who enjoyed "Mzungu Boy," while providing them with a bit more background about The Emergency.

Read to prepare for a conference in Fresno, this book bears similarities to Mwangi's "Mzungu Boy." Both are set in 1950s Kenya and both portray that historical struggle through the eyes of two boys, one the white son of a landholder and the other a native black Kikuyu boy.

Naidoo provides more background into the nature of The Emergency and the reasons for the Mau Mau rebellion. However, the story feels a bit cluttered with characters, all of whom add to the complex tale, but who are a bit hard to sort out at times. The story of the ultimately untenable friendship between Mathew and Mugo and their families feels a bit too didactic to be emotionally satisfying. The setting in Kenya, with the go-away bird, an angry elephant, and the black town separate from the whites all help to create the place for the reader.

This book would likely appeal to students who enjoyed "Mzungu Boy," while providing them with a bit more background about The Emergency.

Bevery Naidoo shares sixteen tales in her interpretation/version of Aesop's Fables. I liked the introduction she included at the beginning of the book in which she briefly talks about growing up in South Africa, a place where she was actually able to see some of the animals that are featured in the fables. I also liked how she shares some background about who Aesop was. I think kids would enjoy the information she included in this introduction and may even want to know more about Africa, the animals of Africa, or Aesop. Of the sixteen fables included in this book, I had actually only heard versions of 3 of them prior to reading this. I noticed that those 3 stayed fairly true to the tale I had heard from previously, with some subtle, fun a, kid-friendly differences. One thing that stood out to me in all the stories is the use of language. In the more traditional Aesop's Fables, there is very traditional language used, which can, at times make some of them hard to get a clear picture in you head of what's happening. Naidoo uses very colorful descriptive words and/or phrases. This use of language, along with the creative and playful illustrations by Piet Grobler make this a fun read to self or read aloud! I would recommend this book for grades 3 and up.

A book of ten African folktales telling stories of the animals and people of the land. Why does the Hippo have no hair?, how did the elephant get his trunk?

A fun collection of African folktales for younger readers

"It's about three children and one child was sick. So the two children have to go to the city to get their mother. I like it because its interesting and mysterious" - Sasha, Year 4

A collection of African folktales, written for young readers. Includes colorful and lively illustrations that support the text.

this was a quick read

Summary:
This book is about the South African Government. The South African is trying to make a woman named Naledi and other villagers move. Though Naledi and her friend Talol stand up for the villagers and the village they believe in.

Personal Reaction:
I loved this book! It shows people that they should stand up and what they believe in.

Classroom Extensions:

1. The students can have a little rally for something that they believe in and have a group of students try to protest against it.

2. Children can write in their journal about something that they truly believe in and use examples of why they believe in what they do.

I liked this book for two reasons. First, the illustrations enhance the text of the story. Because fables are unrealistic, students may have a difficult time visualizing the story, making it more difficult to comprehend. The illustrations help the audience visualize and comprehend the story so that students can focus on finding the moral of the story. These bright illustrations enhance the written text by providing the audience with an image of the fable, helping them to follow along with the story. The illustrations show a typically abstract image, so that the audience are provided with an additional source to comprehend the fables. I also like the language in the text. The language is descriptive, which helps the audience envision these abstract and unusual stories. For example, the author writes, "Grasping the tortoise with his sharp talons, Eagle carried him up into the sky. He flew higher and higher. Aaaiiieee! Far below, the wterhole became a tiny puddle and a herd of elephants turned into ants!" (p. 10). This shows the descriptive language that is used throughout the fables. The author describes the setting with such detail, helping the audience imagine Eagle flying higher and higher up into the sky. The descriptive language really enhance the stories in the text. Overall, the big idea of this book is to share a variety of morals with the audience through fictional fables.

I liked this book for several reasons. I enjoyed the author’s note to the reader in the beginning of the book which explains some history on Africa. The author’s note explains to readers that Africa has over 2,000 languages and that when folk tales are translated to English, some pieces of the story may change but the heart of the story is still the same. This is a great informational tool for young readers in understanding the cultural background of each of the stories in the book as well as how they came to be. I also liked that underneath each story title the author included the origin of the folk take – Ethiopia, Morocco, Nigeria, etc. This helps the reader understand the differences between the folk takes and the cultures behind each tale. I also enjoyed that some stories, particularly the tale from Nigeria, included words in the native language. The tale or the tortoise and his banjo featured a song in which they repeat “Kiri bamba kiri”. I think this is a nice touch that gives readers a greater cultural perspective on the stories. I also enjoyed that the illustrations feature bright colors that make the book engaging and also match the stories well. All of the stories feature animals, and the illustrations on each page represent the appropriate animal for each story. On some of the animals, traditional African patterns are illustrated on their fur which I think is interesting. The book’s main purpose is to provide the reader with a variety of folk tales from Africa.½

At the beginning of this book, the author takes time to paint a picture of the history of Africa and the stories contained within the book, adding to the authenticity of the stories told. The author also reminds us that we can act out, sing, or dance to these tales, creating a joyous tone that weaves its way through all of the tales. In these stories the animals take on human characteristics, whether they are acting foolishly, joyfully, or with vengeance. What a wonderful beginning to lessons on Africa, characterizations, and story writing. This book would be especially strong for upper elementary ages as students write their own folktales.

I liked this chapter book for many different reasons. I liked how this book included many aspects of the South African Culture. For example, the author used names that girls and boys would have in South Africa, Tiro and Nadeli. The author also uses language from South Africa. For example, the author wrote, “”Sala sentle,” said the boy as he slipped away in the dark. “Tsamaya sentle,” came the reply from the shed.” This book is also written in simple language for a child that is around 9-12 years. The plot of this book also tells the many struggles that men and women faced being a different race. I liked that this chapter book incorporated illustrations throughout this story. This is a good text feature that gives readers a visualization of what is happening in the story. This is a Contemporary Realistic Fiction book and it can be related to student’s lives because many lessons can be taught about multiculturalism. The events are also believable because many people faced these struggles throughout history. This book was very entertaining and would make a good chapter book for students read and learn. The big idea or message of this story is overcoming struggles that many cultures endured because people believed they did not “belong”.

I liked this book because of its plot, and that it pushes readers to broaden their perspectives. The book tells the story of siblings Naledi and Tiro and how they make their way to Johannesburg from their village. When they first realized that their baby sister was ill, Naledi and Tiro went against their grandmother’s rules and decided to travel to Johannesburg by foot, to inform their Mma of their younger sister’s illness. Since they live in a village far away from the city, the siblings are unaware of what is happening during this time of the Apartheid. As they find their mother, who works as a servant for a white family, they begin to understand what is really happening in their country. Black people are not being given the same rights as white people. For example, Black children only go to school to learn how to become servants, instead of learning about math or history. Eventually the children and their Mma are reunited and are able to get their baby sister to the hospital. The trip left Naledi with many thoughts as to what she can do to change the outcome of her life, and her people. For instance, she thought that she had every right to become a doctor and help cure sick people. I feel that this book can push readers to think about tough issues because the Apartheid was a very scary time in South Africa, and life was extremely hard for Black people. Even though the story does not talk about the detailed events of the Apartheid, such as murders and wars, readers can still think about what was happening during this time period, and may want to learn more about it.
I feel that the main idea of this story is to remind readers how important family is. Naledi and Tiro took many risks just to be able to save their baby sister. For example, the children could have easily been taken by police, since they were not supposed to be traveling alone and in certain parts of the city. I think this story can help readers understand the perspectives of Black people living during the Apartheid and what they had to go through just to help feed and care for their family members.

Really loved this book. Probably could've read it all in one sitting if I'd had the time.

There were a few places where I could have cried, Naidoo did a really good job of writing the character so you sympathised with her.

The course materials mention a sequel which deals with Femi which I would like to read as he's so closed off in this book that sooner or later all that anger and hurt will have to come out.

Really interesting book to study too, decided to use it as one of the books to write about in my essay.

Was surprised to learn Beverley Naidoo is a white South African, I was expecting her to be Nigerian as the book felt very personal.