journey to jo'burg book review

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Book Review

Journey to jo’burg: a south african story.

• Beverly Naidoo
• Coming-of-Age , Drama , Historical

Readability Age Range

• HarperCollins
• Josette Frank Award (Bank Street Children's Book Award), 1986; New York Public Library's "One Hundred Titles for Reading and Sharing"

Year Published

This book has been reviewed by Focus on the Family’s marriage and parenting magazine .

Plot Summary

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. After her father’s death, her mother, Mma, has had to work in Johannesburg for money for the family.

One day, Dineo becomes sick. Naledi is afraid Dineo is dying. Nono and Mmangwane (her aunt) try to help Dineo, but nothing works. Naledi coerces her 9-year-old brother to walk to Johannesburg with her to tell Mma.

Before they leave, Naledi’s friend Poleng gives them sweet potatoes to eat on their trip. She also agrees to tell Nono where they’ve gone once they’re safely away. Naledi and Tiro don’t want Nono and Mmangwane to be angry with them or keep them from going.

The siblings walk alongside a lesser-traveled road. When they come to another village, they walk quickly so as to not attract the attention of the police because policemen in this area are often corrupt.

Outside of the village, they meet a boy who works in an orange orchard. He lets them eat a few oranges and hides them in a shed for the night. They leave early the next morning so as not to anger the orchard’s owner.

The next day, a driver with oranges in his truck gives them a ride to Johannesburg. He also gives them money to take a bus to the area where their mother works. After accidentally trying to board a whites-only bus, the siblings find the right bus and meet a young woman named Grace.

Grace helps them find their mother’s workplace and offers them a place to spend the night in Soweto. When Naledi and Tiro find their mother, they learn she is a maid for a wealthy white family. Their mother is able to get time off, beginning the next day, to take her children home and help Dineo.

That night, Naledi and Tiro travel toward Grace’s home by train. At one stop, the kids are pushed off the train by the exiting crowd and are separated from Grace. On the train platform, there is a surprise pass raid by the police. Adults without passes are taken to jail. Naledi and Tiro are not arrested because they are not yet 16, the age when a pass is needed. Soon after, Grace finds them, and the three complete their journey to Soweto.

At Grace’s house in Soweto, Naledi learns about the Soweto riots. Thousands of school children demonstrated against what they were being taught in their schools. Their subjects were cleaning, washing, cooking and gardening. Their schools trained them to be servants. When they demonstrated, the police shot many of them. Some died, some were wounded, and some were arrested. There also was tear gas, and many public buildings were burned. Grace’s brother eventually left South Africa for an education. He hopes to return to fight for their freedom.

The next day, Naledi and Tiro travel with Mma by train to their village. At Naledi’s asking, Mma tells how hard her life is. Once in the village, Nono watches Tiro, and Mma and Naledi take Dineo to the hospital. They must wait all day to see the doctor. After Dineo is kept in the hospital for three days, Mma is able to take her home.

The next day, Mma must return to Johannesburg to work for all the money she just spent. Meanwhile, Naledi realizes that she wants to be more than someone’s servant. She wants to be a doctor and intends to take steps toward a better future.

Christian Beliefs

Other belief systems, authority roles.

Nono and Mmangwane watch and care for Naledi and Tiro. They do everything they know how to do to keep Dineo alive. Nono was the caretaker for Naledi and Tiro, but they didn’t tell her about their travel plans. They thought she would be cross with them. It is apparent she loves her grandchildren though, through the worry on her face when Naledi and Tiro return and her relief when Dineo is healed. Mma is kind and loving. She does not like being away from her children but must work in Johannesburg to provide money for food, clothing and an education after their father died. Their father, when he was alive, only visited the family once a year because he worked in the mines. Both the truck driver and Grace take responsibility for the children’s well being once they come in contact with them.

Profanity & Violence

Although not graphic, descriptions are given about schoolchildren who were beaten, shot and tear gassed, and a few who died in Soweto.

Sexual Content

Discussion topics.

Get free discussion questions for this book and others, at FocusOnTheFamily.com/discuss-books .

Additional Comments

Racism: South Africa, at this time, had a system set up through legislation to keep its society racially segregated. The majority of people in South Africa were black, but they were treated as second-rate citizens who couldn’t aspire to more than being the servants of those in power.

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Journey to Jo’burg by Beverley Naidoo (Review by Madhura Mukhopadhyay)

Rating: 5/5

When their baby sister Dineo gets very ill, thirteen-year old Naledi and her little brother Tiro are at their wit’s end. They know they must get their mother but Mma lives in the big city in far-away Johannesburg. Determined to do everything they can for Dineo, the two siblings set off hoping to cover the three-hundred-kilometer distance to find their mother in time.

Journey to Jo’burg by Beverely Naidoo is an education. Aimed at children, this book awakens them to the horrors of apartheid and South Africa’s fight for equality. On their journey, Naledi and Tiro make unexpected friends out of strangers who help them stay out of reach of the police. They soon learn that in apartheid-infested South Africa, they do not have a right to get on the bus or walk about freely without a pass. They do not even have a right to their own mother.

Born and raised in apartheid South Africa, the author has admitted to never being taught to think and question the racial system in school. Later, outraged at the government she joined Nelson Mandela’s anti-apartheid movement and in 1964, got arrested for anti-government activities. In England as an outlaw, she decided to write for children and initially published this book in 1986, whereupon it was considered dangerous literature and promptly banned in South Africa.

While apartheid was abolished almost thirty years ago, the fight for racial equality continues worldwide and for children, this book can be a gentle introduction to this reality. Accompanied by beautiful illustrations by Eric Velasquez, this book is a winner in that it encourages a conversation about racial segregation. Through Tiro and Naledi’s initial bewilderment and subsequent anger at the way black people were being treated, its impact lies in teaching kids to interrogate the world around them and only accept answers when they seem right.

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Another baby has died in the village and Naledi knows that her little sister Dineo might die too. But what can she do? Their grandmother has no money and there are no doctors in their village. So Naledi makes up her mind. She will have to get Mma who works more than 300 kilometres away in Johannesburg. The only way to let her know was to get to the big road and walk. So Naledi and her brother Tiro did just that…

Banned by the apartheid government in South Africa, this is the story of two children’s courage and determination to find their mother and bring her home.

Beverley Naidoo writes: When I sent two copies of my first children’s book to nephews and nieces in South Africa in 1985, they never received the parcel. Instead, my sister-in-law received a letter telling her that the books had been seized and banned . However Journey to Jo’burg soon found its way into many different countries, in English and in translations, so that hundreds of thousands of children elsewhere were soon reading it. It was only after the release of Nelson Mandela from jail that the book was unbanned.

…the more searing for its gentleness. – The Guardian, UK

…so simple and straightforward that it makes accessible even to quite young children the difficult and the profound. –Times Educational Supplement, UK

… with a wealth to share, this well-written piece has no equal. –(Starred review) School Library Journal, USA

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

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Journey to jo'burg, by beverley naidoo, other books by beverley naidoo, out of bounds by beverley naidoo, burn my heart by beverley naidoo, no turning back by beverley naidoo, the other side of truth by beverley naidoo, cinderella of the nile by beverley naidoo, our most recommended books, jane eyre by charlotte brontë, gut garden: a journey into the wonderful world of your microbiome by katie brosnan, the lord of the rings by j r r tolkien, reckless: the petrified flesh cornelia funke, translated by oliver latsch, watership down by richard adams, fourteen wolves: a rewilding story by catherine barr & jenni desmond (illustrator).

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Because their baby sister, Dineo, is ill, Naledi (13) and her brother Tiro (9) must travel 300 miles to fetch their mother,...

READ REVIEW

JOURNEY TO JO'BURG: A South African Story

by Beverly Naidoo ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 18, 1986

Because their baby sister, Dineo, is ill, Naledi (13) and her brother Tiro (9) must travel 300 miles to fetch their mother, servant to a white family; apartheid makes the journey difficult and dangerous. For all its brevity and simplicity of language, this is an angry book, full of injustices. ""Mma"" is a widow because her husband, a miner, died of lung disease. Her children are undernourished and prone to disease because she earns very little in her menial position, where her affluent employer has little compassion. Dineo is cured at the meager, overcrowded hospital, but another baby dies. Police conduct a brutal ""pass raid"" on the train to Soweto. Naidoo has written not so much a story as a dramatization of the issues affecting the daily life of black South African children. Her style is commonplace and characterization minimal, but the events she narrates are powerful enough to engross the reader, as are the realistic black. and-white illustrations.

Pub Date: April 18, 1986

ISBN: 0064402371

Page Count: 80

Publisher: Lippincott

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 1986

Categories: CHILDREN'S

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Journey to Jo'burg: A South African Story Paperback – 1 Jun. 1988

The bestselling classic set in South Africa during the apartheid era, in which two siblings must face the dangers of their divided country.  This middle grade novel is an excellent choice for tween readers in grades 7 to 8, especially during homeschooling. It&;s a fun way to keep your child entertained and engaged while not in the classroom.

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.

• Book 1 of 2 Journey to Jo'Burg Series
• Print length 80 pages
• Language English
• Publisher Harpercollins Childrens Books
• Publication date 1 Jun. 1988
• Grade level 4 - 6
• Dimensions 13.34 x 0.64 x 19.69 cm
• ISBN-10 0064402371
• ISBN-13 978-0064402378
• See all details

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Product description

From the back cover.

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.

Product details

• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Harpercollins Childrens Books; Reprint edition (1 Jun. 1988)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Paperback ‏ : ‎ 80 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0064402371
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0064402378
• Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 13.34 x 0.64 x 19.69 cm
• 19,094 in Fiction About Family for Children
• 20,288 in Children's Books on Family Life

About the author

Beverley naidoo.

Discover more of the author’s books, see similar authors, read author blogs and more

Customer reviews

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• 5 star 4 star 3 star 2 star 1 star 1 star 70% 18% 8% 2% 2% 2%

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Customers say

Customers find the book thought-provoking, inspiring, and lovely. They say it provides real insight into apartheid-era South Africa. Readers also mention the book is accessible and easy to understand. They appreciate the author notes at the end and mention it can be used for narrative writing and stories set in other cultures.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

Customers find the book thought-provoking, inspiring, and lovely. They say it provides real insight into apartheid-era South Africa and gets them captivated. Readers also mention the book brings up good discussions and excellent questions.

"...It was great to see the children engage in the content of the book and develop their understanding of apartheid in South Africa in the 1970s." Read more

" Good book for helping children understand more about apartheid in South Africa and how it affected every day life...." Read more

"...it, I am so impressed how Naidoo has tackled a very brutal and disturbing topic and made it accessible, while thought provoking, to children...." Read more

"...from it, the main characters are inspiring and there is a great moral to this story ...." Read more

Customers find the book easy to understand and informative. They appreciate the author notes at the end. Readers also mention the book can be used for narrative writing and stories set in other cultures. They mention it's good for setting descriptions and sentence openers.

"...The short chapters meant it was easy to read and discuss a chapter a day...." Read more

"...The book is fairly short, but well written , my 10 year old daughter enjoyed reading it." Read more

"...It can be used for narrative writing and stories set in other cultures too...." Read more

"...Children enjoyed book and read as class story. Very good for setting description and sentence openers and use of sences...." Read more

Customers find the characters engaging and strong. They also say the story is full of dilemmas and has a positive moral.

"...They got so much from it, the main characters are inspiring and there is a great moral to this story...." Read more

"...The fictional characters were very well described and the settings and scenes made you feel like you were really there...." Read more

"...The children loved it, engaging with the characters and asking some excellent questions about the unfair treatment of black people in South Africa...." Read more

"...it has some intresting things going on and there are lots of different characters great book RECOMMEND" Read more

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Journey to Jo'burg: A South African Story Paperback – Dec 24 2002

The bestselling classic set in South Africa during the apartheid era, in which two siblings must face the dangers of their divided country.  This middle grade novel is an excellent choice for tween readers in grades 7 to 8, especially during homeschooling. It’s a fun way to keep your child entertained and engaged while not in the classroom.

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.

• Reading age 8 - 12 years
• Book 1 of 2 Journey to Jo'Burg Series
• Print length 96 pages
• Language English
• Grade level 4 - 7
• Dimensions 13.34 x 0.64 x 19.69 cm
• Publisher HarperCollins
• Publication date Dec 24 2002
• ISBN-10 0064402371
• ISBN-13 978-0064402378
• See all details

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From the Publisher

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HarperCollins was founded by brothers James and John Harper in New York City in 1817 as J. and J. Harper, later Harper & Brothers. In 1987, as Harper & Row, it was acquired by News Corporation. The worldwide book group was formed following News Corporation's 1990 acquisition of the British publisher William Collins & Sons. Founded in 1819, William Collins & Sons published a range of Bibles, atlases, dictionaries, and reissued classics, expanding over the years to include legendary authors such as H. G. Wells, Agatha Christie, J. R. R. Tolkien, and C. S. Lewis.

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Product description

From publishers weekly, from the back cover.

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.

About the Author

Beverley Naidoo grew up in South Africa under apartheid. She says: "As a white child I didn't question the terrible injustices until I was a student. I decided then that unless I joined the resistance, I was part of the problem." Beverley Naidoo was detained without trial when she was twenty-one and later went into exile in Britain, where she has since lived.

Her first children's book, Journey to Jo'burg , was banned in South Africa until 1991, but it was an eye-opener for thousands of readers worldwide. Her characters in Chain of Fire , No Turning Back , and Out of Bounds face extraordinary challenges in a society she describes as "more dangerous than any fantasy." She has won many awards for her writing, including the Carnegie Medal, the Jane Addams Book Award, and the American Library Association Best Book for Young Adults for The Other Side of Truth , about two refugee children smuggled to London who are also featured in Web of Lies .

Eric Velasquez has illustrated numerous children’s books, including Strong Voices: Fifteen American Speeches Worth Knowing and Schomburg: The Man Who Built a Library by Carole Boston Weatherford. He won the Pura Belpré Award for his illustrations in Grandma’s Gift. He won the John Steptoe New Talent Award for his illustrations in The Piano Man, written by Debbi Chocolate. Visit his website at www.ericvelasquez.com.

Product details

• Publisher ‏ : ‎ HarperCollins; Reprint edition (Dec 24 2002)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Paperback ‏ : ‎ 96 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0064402371
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0064402378
• Item weight ‏ : ‎ 90.7 g
• Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 13.34 x 0.64 x 19.69 cm

About the author

Beverley naidoo.

Discover more of the author’s books, see similar authors, read author blogs and more

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Journey to Jo'burg: A South African Story

Beverley naidoo, eric velasquez. j.p. lippincott, $14.95 (80pp) isbn 978-0-397-32168-1.

Reviewed on: 01/01/1992

Genre: Children's

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Journey to Jo'burg

A south african story, by beverley naidoo.

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“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.

Previews available in: English

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• Created April 29, 2008
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