Journey to Jo'burg: A South African Story

if only Mma was here
Naledi wished over and over...

Mma lives and works in Johannesburg, far from the village where thirteen-year-old Naledi and her nine-year-old brother, Tiro, live with their aunt, grandmother, and a baby sister who has suddenly become very sick. Naledi and Tiro know, deep down, that only one person can save the baby. So, brave and alone, they begin the journey to find Mma and bring her back.

On the road, the children recall a school chant:

Beware that policeman, He'll want to see your pass, He'll say it's not in order, That day may be your last!

They don't understand the song's warning until they arrive in Jo'burg. There they watch, in amazement and fear, while the police storm their train, attacking and arresting people, and the song takes on new meaning. On the crowded city buses, in the sprawling suburbs, and on an unexpected visit to Soweto, Naledi and Tiro begin to see the painful struggle for freedom and dignity going on in the "City of Gold. " And slowly they realize that their own journey has just begun.

JOURNEY TO JO'BURG is a thoughtprovoking story young readers will want to ponder and share.

Notable 1986 Children's Trade Books in Social Studies (NCSS/CBC)
1986 Children's Books (NY Public Library)
1986 Children's Book Award (Child Study Association)