Kaffir+Boy

Kaffir Boy By Mark Mathabane

This book is an autobiographical account of growing up under the rule of Apartheid in South Africa. Kaffir is actually a racist term that white South Africans used against the black South Africans (Goodreads, 2010). According to Goodreads, this book received 4.13 stars out of 5 stars. One teacher used this book along with Cry, the Beloved Country. This allowed the class to see information from different points of view.

It is an autobiography written for ages 15+.

This book has a long history of challenges, including the following: **2011** Challenged, but retained at the San Luis Obispo (CA) High School despite containing a passage that graphically details sexual assault. The book had been taught at the school for more than a decade without controversy. **2008** Banned from the Burlingame (CA) Intermediate School. **2007** Retained at the East Union High School in Manteca (CA) senior English class. The controversial autobiography was challenged as inappropriate because a passage uses the words "penis" and "anus" to describe a scene in which a group of young boys are about to prostitute themselves to a group of men for food. **2001** Removed from a sophomore reading list in Fairfield (CA) due to its sexual content. (Marshall. 2011.) Despite many challenges //Kaffir Boy// remains a favorite among high school teachers teaching multicultural education. Many say it is a very realistic view of the effects of Apartheid and a useful tool for teaching.

Marshall. (2011). Banned book week. //Marshall University.// Retrieved from [] on June 18th, 2012. Kaffir boy. //Goodreads Inc. 2012.//