Books about and from Africa for young adults
Chanda's secrets by Allan Stratton. Southern Africa, 2004.
Chanda is an astonishingly perceptive girl living in the small city of Bonang, a fictional city in Southern Africa. When her youngest sister dies, the first hint of HIV/AIDS emerges and Chanda must confront undercurrents of shame and stigma. Not afraid to explore the horrific realities of AIDS, Chanda's Secrets also captures the enduring strength of loyalty, friendship and family ties. Above all, it is a story about the corrosive nature of secrets and the healing power of truth.
Out of bounds: seven stories of conflict and hope by Beverley Naidoo. South Africa, 2003.
Seven stories, spanning the time period from 1948 to 2000, chronicle the experiences of young people from different races and ethnic groups as they try to cope with the restrictions placed on their lives by South Africa's apartheid laws.
No more strangers now: young voices from a new South Africa; interviews by Timothy McKee; photographs by Anne Blackshaw; foreword by ArchBishop Desmond TuTu. South Africa, 1998.
In their own words, a variety of teenagers from South Africa talk about their years growing up under apartheid, and about the changes now occurring in their country.
Beyond safe boundaries by Margaret Sacks. South Africa, 1989.
Elizabeth comes of age in 1960s South Africa as her older sister joins a secret group opposed to the country's racial policies.
Many stones by Carolyn Coman. South Africa, 2000.
After her sister Laura is murdered in South Africa, Berry and her estranged father travel there to participate in the dedication of a memorial in her name.