From Publishers Weekly
The South African author who illuminated the struggles of apartheid in two previous novels for children (Journey to Jo'burg; Chain of Fire) is back with a powerful novel about the plight of a 12-year-old black boy who runs away from an abusive home and becomes a street child in the suburbs of Johannesburg. Sipho soon finds that the life of street children, or malunde, is grim-scrabbling a few coins, begging, sleeping under cardboard boxes and sniffing glue. It would have been easy for Naidoo to foreshadow all the troubles Sipho has, then preach about the immorality of the situation. Instead, she writes effortlessly from the boy's point of view, so that his confusion, eagerness and naive wishes unfold naturally. Naidoo's evident knowledge of her subject and her humane approach allow a rare and moving glimpse into the hidden world of the malunde, and Sipho's eventual rescue from the streets lends a complex note of optimism to an otherwise woeful story. Ages 8-12.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From School Library Journal
Grade 4-8. Sipho's idyllic country life ends when his nurturing grandmother dies and he returns to his mother's shack. Shocked to discover he now has a stepfather who is brutal and abusive, Sipho lasts for six months before running away to the mean streets of Johannesburg. He is taken in by a rather tame gang and taught the ropes of survival by the good-natured Jabu. Money for food and arcade games is almost painlessly earned by helping to carry groceries. Joseph, Jabu's opposite, tries to steer Sipho to ruin by offering him iglue (glue) to sniff. After a traumatic episode with a vigilante group, he is rescued from the harsh streets by a white shop owner who grudgingly gives him shelter in response to the pleas of his daughter. Unfortunately, the man's malevolent son chases the boy away. Sipho finds Jabu and salvation at a shelter that seems too good to be true. An understanding nun takes him home to visit his mother and new baby sister. With the stepfather conveniently offstage (looking for a job), it appears that all will be well for this family. Naidoo's latest offering will disappoint those expecting a convincing look at the street life of homeless South African children. Her palette seems limited to black and white characterizations (steadfast Jabu, glue-sniffing Joseph, drunken stepfather, etc.). Changes are driven by plot and are not true to character. Jabu seems content with his street life?so why would he suddenly decide to sign on at the shelter? For a more convincing look at the strife and turmoil in South Africa, choose Hazel Rochman's Somehow Tenderness Survives (HarperCollins, 1988).?Marilyn Payne Phillips, University City Public Library, MO
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.
