Kaffir Boy (Super Sound Buys)

Rating:
Summary: Excellent Biograghy
Review: This was an autobiography about an African American growing upduring apartheid South Africa. Who would have thought that we wereforced to read a book and actually enjoyed it? I found this book to be very interesting. Because even though Mark Mathabane was young and remembers his life vividly he does an excellent job describing the hardships that he went through. This book is also a good motivational book because his whole life he did not give up at his goals. He thought about giving up but never did because his mother motivated him. If his mother were not there he would never have never been what he is now. This book can also be used as an inspirational tool. It would be good for inspiring and having Mathabane as a role model because he went from scholing in the most cruel streets of South Africa's ghettos with a hard won education raised himself from humiliation to win a scholarship to an American university, which was almost impossible in South Africa during the apartheid era. This book was written so well that you could not get confused and understand everything very well. Mark Mathabane describes his life so detailed in this book that you can picture everything that you are reading happening in front or you. Untie I started reading this book for humanities I had never heard of the age of apartheid in South Africa where it was like slavery had not ended where the whites were treated like royalty and the blacks treated like trash. I thought that that they were all living together. This opened my eyes a little more because now I know that it was not only in South Africa that a race was treated so harsh but also in other parts of the world. Mathabane discusses the living conditions that the blacks had to endure, the poverty that they were in and how they were treated like animals. I think that Mathabane wrote this for the mature audience so the will understand what is going on in the world.

Rating:
Summary: A remarkable story
Review: This book is filled with detailed description of the negative society that South Africans live in. I met Mr. Mathabane and he is the most amazing person I have ever talked to. His humility and courage is beyond what I have seen in any person in my life. The sequal to this book is Kaffir Boy in America. If you enjoy the first one you are certain to find the second read entertaining. The book is pretty graphic and may not be suitable for some young children. Mothers will be emotionally touched by the story.

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Summary: Graphic male anal sex scene.
Review: This book is required reading for my 14 year old son's high school English class. Beginning at page 113, the author, Mark Mathabane, thought it was neccessary to go on for another nine pages with a graphic description of little boys engaging in anal sex with adult males as payment for food. My son and many of his classmate's were dumbfounded when they came to this part of the book. I agree fully with them when they say it was completely unneccessary for the author to include such a graphic scene to get the point across about how brutal life was growing up in Apartheid South Africa. If not for this scene, I would recommend this book for high school kids. If you don't want your 14 year old to learn about male anal sex, prostitution and pedophilia, then don't let them read this. Many public schools will allow a student to read an alternate selection if they or their parents find the required book to be offensive. Please do not be fooled into thinking you or your child are close-minded, or not "with-it", for finding this book inappropriate for kids under the age of 18. Don't be afraid to be a parent!

Rating:
Summary: this book is good
Review: i had to read this book about two months ago in my world cultures class at school.this was really a good book.i dont read that much, but i couldn't put this book down.it is really exciting to find out what happens next,nah mean.if you want a good book to read, that is very interesting, you should get this book.i know you will like it.it is kind of graphic on some parts,so be ready.

Rating:
Summary: Great book all round.
Review: This was the first book/thing I read that gave the viewpoint of a South African boy growing into manhood. Great depiction of feelings and description of the circumstances the author went through. Well written.

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Summary: a fight from school over this book
Review: I'm in 10th grade. our teacher is having us read this. Then some of the parents found out about the "sexual activities" for food. They flipped. Now i would have thought being parent they would be mature about this. it is a book of the past and and our teacher said when we read it we want to try to prevent past from repeating itself. Althought it has some pretty discriminating and discusting parts it is a good book. We must not forget, this happened here. on this earth on which we live on. what happenes to one person(s) can gradualy effect others and still grow. This was a life that had suffered all this, he knows the feeling of it. It's not an experence we want to know of, but the life of this child growing up help others realze, this stuff can go around on this earth all the time and anytime.

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Summary: Best book ive ever read.
Review: I was forced to read this for english and i would recomend this to a friend without question.

Rating:
Summary: Strange at first....but a great read when done
Review: I was assigned to read this book a few years ago for English class in college. At first, I found it quite boring. But once I got into it, I went and read ahead and finished the book before I was suppose to. The biography was intense and realistic. Those things happened! The "pornography" involving young boys happened. NOT reading it, does not mean the situation never occured. It occurs EVERYWHERE!!! The phrase "Ignorance is Bliss" is often followed by many individuals who like to close their minds against reality. If you are open minded and truly care about humanity, you would love this book! It's a great read and everyone should be aware of how many different cultures are treated by society. It's reality, people....you can't hide in your HOME SWEET HOME w/ white picket fences forever.

Rating:
Summary: Very good..
Review: Mathabane, in his autobiography, lays bare the suffering and apartheid in South Africa. At first glance, people may think it's a very ordinary and typical issue to write a book about racism. I bought this book because it was on my Amazon.com Book Recommendations list and I decided to give it a try hoping it wouldn't be one of those 'whiny' books. The beginning of it worried me a little but then I discovered its uniqueness and have finally come to the conclusion that Mathabane wrote a very good novel. I recommend it to everyone who is interested to learn the life of the black people during the long years of racism.

Rating:
Summary: I found this book very offending
Review: I was rescently assigned this book to read for my Humanities class. When I came upon the part with the young boys being used as sex toys I refused to read anymore. I think that this kind of material is inappropriate for school and should not required to read. I would have given this book no stars but this was not an option.