Book Review

Being Different
By Zakiyyah Kolia
Reviewed by Humaira Adam Omar

Zakiyyah has written an excellent story. She explains apartheid properly in a story form. Small children will definitely find this book nice. They won’t get bored and they will understand what was apartheid.

I was not alive during the apartheid era but I felt as if I was alive then when reading the book. She made me realize how lucky I am. I have got everything that I ever wanted but the children those times never had anything. I am so privileged, yet I do not appreciate anything.

It was a story of two small boys named Sizwe and Gary. Sizwe’s mother worked for Gary’s family. Gary always wanted to play with Sizwe but was stopped by his mother. They both were in primary school. Gary’s mother stopped fetching him from school so he started play after school. One day someone saw this and told Gary’s mother. She took him away from Sizwe and they never saw each other after that. After four years apartheid was over and they met again. They were together in the same school and they were best friends.

I like the parts where Zakiyyah showed how the words are pronounced and explains what those words mean.

To know more about Being Different, read the book.