The Other Side of Truth
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By Beverley Naidoo
avg rating
12 reviews
Puffin Classics: the definitive collection of timeless stories, for every child.
Not a speck, not a stain on her gray school skirt and blue blouse to show what terrible thing had happened . . . If only by putting on something fresh and new, they could begin the day again.
When twelve-year-old Sade’s mother is killed, she and her little brother Femi are forced to flee from their home in Nigeria to Britain. They’re not allowed to tell anyone – not even their best friends – as their whole journey is secret, dangerous – and illegal. Their dad promises to follow when he can, but once the children arrive in London, things go from bad to worse when they’re abandoned by the people they had been told would protect them.
Sade faces challenge after challenge – but her dad has always taught her to stand up for what is right, and to tell the truth no matter what. And with that strength of spirit in her heart, Sade will find the courage to fight for the new, happy life she, Femi and her dad deserve.
A powerful novel which explores what it means to be classified as ‘illegal’ and the difficulties which come with being a refugee – winner of the Carnegie Medal 2000.
‘A marvellous read … that refuels the desire for justice and freedom’ – Jon Snow
‘Beverley Naidoo breaks the rules, producing books for young people which recognize that they want to know about the real world’ Guardian
‘This novel wholly deserves its classic status . . . still relevant and poignant.’ Booktrust
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Violent opening with the shooting of the mum outside her home witnessed by her children but this sets the scene for an important story highlighting injustice and freedom of the press, a great way to open discussion on so many issues from refugees and the asylum system to political freedoms and human rights. I really enjoyed the way the children gave names to all the different strangers popping up in the story.
I liked The other side of truth because,of how thier dad always tells the truth,and how he wasn't scared even when his children were in danger. I also learnt about the kindness of strangers, such as Mrs Graham, Iyawo-Jenny, Mr and Mrs King and mama a Appiah. I also learnt that it's always best to stand up to bullies as soon as possible before they star making you do bad things, like how Donna and Marcia made sade steal the cigarette lighter.
And that's what I liked about The other side of truth.
It was quite confusing in the middle section
This book is really good - I would recommend it to Year 6's that are progressing to Year 7!
Step up for the boy at the back of the class. Excellent book but some sensitive themes. If reading with a class I would recommend knowing family backgrounds before choosing the text (could be upsetting for some).
I have just re-read this book, after reading in during my degree module on Children's Literature many years ago. This book is great for teaching children about empathy, and understanding the difficulties of refugees fighting for the right to stay in the UK.
Sade is a likeable character with good morals, whom you can't help but like, as she struggles to come to terms with the murder of her mother, whilst navigating her way through London with her brother as they flee Nigeria.
A great read, as good as I remember.
Although a very moving book, with wonderful language and description I didn't find that this book hooked me from the start as others have. It did get more engaging however, and I like that the information about when it was set was only revealed in later chapters instead of immediately, allowing the reader to identify with the main character.
I loved this book and would definitely recommend it - it really give an insight of the turmoil refugees go though in order to flee their country and would certainly allow children to see the desperation refugees experience. This is a fiction book however could quite easily be based on non-fiction - Some of its features (loss, bereavement, discrimination) could really resonate with many people.
great book.
This book was very interesting and depicted a side of life that I haven't experienced before. However it was quite depressing as it made me think about how I would feel if something similar happened to my family.
Amazing book. One of the best I've read.
I only read about half of the book before I decided it wasn’t the book for me. I didn’t rate the book lower because it had powerful emotions and good sentences.
However, I found this book quite boring and it wasn’t entertaining me at all. There was very little description about the setting so it was hard to imagine where they were. Finally, at the start I think the author introduced too many characters too quickly.
I would recommend this book to a person who likes reading books based off real life situations.
