Jan Michael
Reviewed for 2009, Fifth Grade

After losing his parents to AIDS, Sam is forced to leave the city to live with his aunt in the tiny village of Mandingwe. But rural life is completely foreign to him. As he struggles to fit in, he fights to adapt to a new world and figure out his place in it. The story of the city mouse and the country mouse, retold within the modern context of a disease-stricken South Africa, this book interweaves heavy topics like famine and poverty. But it also explores emotions any kid worldwide can relate to, and will open young readers’ eyes in the process. (Clarion Books, $12)

Where to buy City Boy