City Boy

by Jan Michael

Set in contemporary Malawi, a poignant account of an orphaned boy's transition from city life to village life.

Sam's widowed mother has died from "the Disease," and Sam is claimed by his aunt Mercy, who lives in the small African village where Sam's mother was born and raised. The gap between Sam's life in the city, where he had his own room, attended private school, and used a computer, and his new life in the dirt-floored one-room hut, which he is to share with his aunt and cousins, is vast beyond imagining. Grief, loneliness, and the absence of everything familiar make for a rocky transition to a traditional culture where possessions count for little and everyone is expected to do his or her share.

Genres: Realistic Fiction, Teen, Childrens, Young Adult

188 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

Born on the Yorkshire moors, Jan Michael spent an idyllic childhood there and in the Seychelles. Then came boarding school in North Wales and visits home to different countries in Africa and Asia only once a year. After university at Bristol, she worked in a London publishing house as editor. She left the UK in 1976 to go and live and work in Amsterdam where she works mainly as a literary agent dealing with translation rights. She returns regularly to the UK especially to Suffolk where she has a base.
Jan Michael began to write for children after her third novel was accepted by her Dutch publishers. The first children's novel Hill of Darkness was published in 1995 by Faber and Faber, as well as by Leopold in the Netherlands and Mondadori in Italy. The Dutch translation of the next children's novel, Piggy in the Middle, came out in August 1997 and was runner-up in the Silver Pencil Award. Having completed another adult novel in the interim, Jan also had her children's novel, The Rock Boy, published by The O'Brien Press. Jan's latest novel, Just Joshua, was published the The O'Brien Press in spring 2003.

Reviews

[Richard Knight · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a well-written book! It's not often that I read a story that doesn't take place in America or Europe (Or Asia), but this is a great look at Africa, and what the people are like. The story centers around an orphan who just lost his mother and gets sent to his aunt, and that's pretty much it. The rest is just his culture and inner turmoil, but it works on so many levels. If I have only one complaint, it's that it lags a bit in the middle. But other than that, a solid read for children and adults alike.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sam has lived in the city in Malawi with his father and mother and has lived a "modern" life with his own bedroom, lots of clothes, and a computer. His father died three years before the start of the novel and his mother has just died of "the Disease" when the book begins. Sam's relatives get together and decide that Sam should go live with his Aunty out in the country instead of being sent to an orphanage in the city. The bonds of family are chosen over the advantages of modern life.

Sam's Aunty is loving and his cousin Ezza is friendly. But they live in a one room house with a concrete floor and share everything. His cousins go through all his things and he is expected to share. No one is impressed with his stories on city life and he feels like he will never be included and he will be forever separated from his mother's presence.

Despite the death in the beginning of the book and Sam's mourning, this is not a depressing story. The comparison of the two cultures, both foreign from mine, was familiar and fresh at the same time. The theme of what it means to be family and to take of each other is universal. The author does a good job of expressing the desire to appear impressive, to rise above others, to try to progress beyond old ways, even when the new ways are not much of an improvement. There's an early scene when Sam experiences the shame of riding on an open bus right past his old school and classmates. An airconditioned bus passes by just to add salt to the wound.

[Yusuf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Attention:Spoiler Alert!!!

“City Boy” by Jan Michael is a book about a Malawi boy named Sam who had to move out of his fancy house in the town to a poor village that his aunt and his cousins in after the death of both his parents. Even worse, he is expected to share his possessions with his cousins. I highly recommend “City Boy” because it shows the difference of life between the rich and poor community. In addition, I also recommend this book because Sam began in an environment very similar to the environment with the students here at Chadwick. Making it very easy to relate with.
First of all, I highly recommend “City Boy” because it talks about a Malawi boy named Sam who is forced to move out of the town he lived in to a poor village that his aunt and cousins live in after the death of both his parents. Here, the book shows the difference of life between the rich community and poor community, such as when Sam’s aunt says “We have no electricity” (pg. 14) when Sam asked why he couldn’t bring the computer with him. This shows that the village is a poor community that has little communication with the outside world. Sam also compares his aunt’s house in the village to his house in town by saying “The house, if you could call it that, was no bigger that the sitting room at home in town”(Pg.31), and “There was a table, but it was small and plain, not like the polished dining table at home” .(Pg. 31) This shows how small and plain his aunt’s house is in the village, compared to the fancy and big house that he used to live in back in town. All these evidence point to the fact that the difference between the rich and poor community is great. Especially for Sam, whom will have to adapt to living in a poor community.
Secondly, I highly recommend “City Boy” because Sam began in an environment very similar to the environment with the students here at Chadwick before he left the town. A few similarities from the book are “To Thint Mungo’th Thchool?.....It ith an expenthive thchool.”(pg.6) Here, Sam’s mother’s friend describes his school being expensive, which is similar to Chadwick, which is also an expensive school. Another example from the book is “....Sam had turned on the computer and fiddled with Invaders 3, his favorite game...” (pg.7). This is also very similar to the students in Chadwick because many students from Chadwick love to play computer games, just like Sam enjoying playing the game Invaders 3 on the computer. Lastly, another example from the book is when Mr. Gunya explains how Sam lives to the other members of the family by saying “He has been having a good education, he has smart clothes, he is used to television and computers. His parents have brought him up the modern way”. This makes Sam very similar to the students of Chadwick as the students of Chadwick were also brought up the modern way with computers, television, and all students in Chadwick have good education. This allows people to really relate to Sam, his life in town.
Overall, “City Boy” by Jan Michael is a great book about Sam and the huge change he had to adapt, from living in a rich town, to living in a poor village after the death of his parents. “City Boy” is also a book in which people could really relate to, especially the students of Chadwick as Sam began with a rich life, just like the life the students in Chadwick are living in right now. Also, people could understand how hard it is to live without all the things we are used to live with such as electricity and technology. This is why I highly recommend “City Boy”.

References:
Michael, Jan . City Boy . Boston New York : Clarion Books, 2009 . Print

[Edward Park · Rating 3 out of 5]

Warning!! Contains Spoilers!!

1. The story starts with this boy Sam who lost his parents because of unknown diseases. He is worried about his future but he still wants to live where he used to live with his parents. However, his aunt Mercy decided to take him to Malawi, Africa with her. First, Sam doesn't get along with Africa. The house he has to live in was really small and everything has to be shared. His cousins try to help him sort out. However, one of there happens a big conflict between Sam and his cousin Macdonald. Sam was playing soccer with some of his friends and his shoes was gone. It was a special shoes that his mom gave it to him before her death. Sam thought Macdonald has stolen it because Macdonald was the only person that did not like Sam. Sam tries to persuade people to believe that his cousin Macdonald stole his shoes but no one believed him. Sam had hard time feeling alone. Later, Sam's aunt finds the shoes for him and says it was not Macdonald who stole his shoes but Sam didn't believe her. However, there occurs another conflict. Macdonald's friend Mavuto came to aunt Mercy and asked if he can stay with her. Aunt refused but Mavuto mentions Sam and how he could have lived with aunt it Sam didn't exist. Sam gets astonished by Mavuto's word and ran away from his house. He ran as much as he could and ended up locked at some strange place. He thought something went wrong so he escapes from this place and returned to home. When he arrived everyone was worried about him. Also they told him that Mavuto had stolen his shoes not Macdonald. After finding out the truth, they kind of have a happy life.

2. There is 2 conflicts. One is Sam versus Macdonald and the other one is Sam versus himself. First, Sam versus Macdonald is resolved when Sam came back from this strange place and realized that Mavuto has stolen it. Second conflict, which is Sam versus himself is also resolved. This conflict occurs late but was resolved really fast. When he came back to home from this strange place and realized that everyone loved him and was worried about him, Sam's mind changes. He thought his family didn't like Sam but it turned out that he was one of the most important member of their family.
Like we can see, all the conflicts are pretty much resolved at the end of the story.

3. Yes, I like this book. It was interesting. I especially liked the part where the conflict between Sam and Mavuto is solved by Aunt Mercy but was really solved. It was only a temporary resolution to make readers more interesting. Also because the story it self was easy to understand, I was able to understand it without any difficulty. Last, the conflict was very clear. First, I thought when I read it in the middle part there was a story of Macdonald and Sam and it was easy to feel that the major conflict is this part. Also when Sam ran away from his house, it was obviously the second major conflict because running away is mostly the major conflict.

[Elaine Bearden · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an interesting book. Focusing on the life of a boy living in Malawi named Sam whose mother dies from "the disease" (two years after his father has died) early in the book and he must leave his life in the city to live with his mother's sister and her family in the country. The author really gives you a feel for what it is like to live in this country. What will connect with kids, I think, is that Sam's life in the city is so much like what their lives are in America today - computer, special sports shoes, friends, etc. So they will identify with him when his shoes are stolen. (They are blue shoes with flashing lights, which makes them cool. But what makes them so special to him is that they are one of the last gifts from his mother, or Amai.) As the reader you really feel for him as he struggles to find his place when everything he knows is gone. The concept of community property is so strong in this setting - that if you don't need something you leave it for someone else because they may need it. Good discussion stuff.

Content Areas: Social Studies, Social/Emotional

Lesson Idea: After learning about a foreign country or doing country reports, use this book as a read aloud and together as a class compare Sam's life in Malawi before and after his mother dies with our lives in this country.

[Christin · Rating 4 out of 5]

"City Boy" carries the timeless tale of a boy who has to grow up quicker than he would like to when his mother dies. He is forced to move from his high position home in the city to the "back country" of Africa to live with his aunt who takes in multiple family members whose parents have died of the coughing sickness (AIDS related deaths). His acclimation to the country life and all of its myth, folklore, and magic is full of minute adventures and emotional scenes.
As the story progresses the reader can find themselves immersed in the Malawi culture. Their beliefs, actions, language, surroundings, and people are laid out before the reader as temptations. Just enough is said about them to make the story, but enough left untold to make the reader want to do some research and learn more.
The book does not take a happy or uplifting tone, and remains fairly serious and mournful throughout. The overall message of growing up and learning to think about how you impact others around you, instead of staying in your own world, far outweighs the moodiness of the main character. I would recommend this as a fifth through eighth grade read. It is almost too simplified in the text for high school literature.
On the whole this is a good book to look into a small piece of African culture, through the eyes of a boy mourning the loss of his mother.

[Becky · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars
The unusual southern African setting in Malawi is probably the reason this book has found itself on several best-of-the-year lists. It is rare to see children’s fiction with an African setting that is accessible to middle grade readers. The European author has lived in Africa and spent time in Malawi, giving the book authenticity.

The story centers around a young orphan boy. His parents have recently died of AIDS and Sam, an only child, is suddenly uprooted from his relatively affluent life in a Malawian city and sent to live with an aunt and her children in an extremely poor rural village. Not only is Sam dealing with extreme grief, he is also struggling with culture shock. His clothes, fancy running shoes, Gameboy, books—the few items that he has from his previous life--are suddenly considered community property. He does not feel that he fits into village life and feels resentment from some in his new home.

While interesting, without adult guidance, I don’t feel the story will be compelling enough to balance the extremely unusual setting and topics for most American children--though I could be wrong.

Themes: the devastating effects of AIDS on family and community life in Africa; grief; poverty; cultural differences

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

When only child Sam Salanga's mother dies of the Disease in Malawi, he is taken in by his Aunt Mercy, because his father died of the Disease a few years earlier. Sam must adjust to a very different life in the rural village of his aunt and cousins (Ezelina, Enock, Chikondi, and the annoying MacDonald). He goes from a house to a mud hut without electricity, with no computer, where he sleeps on a mat on the floor instead of a bed, and where he has some difficulty learning to share. Worst of all, he is too far from where his mother is buried to talk to her. He is loved and well cared for by his aunt, and his cousin Ezzie is a good friend to him. He meets a tea taster with a motorcycle and an ill old man at the mission hospital who give Sam good advice and help him learn to identify what is important. This book may not be tremendously popular, but it is an excellent addition to multicultural and coming of age book lists for middle schoolers.

[Miki Garrison · Rating 4 out of 5]

After Sam's mother dies of AIDS, he has to leave the only life he has known in urban Malawi and return with his aunt to the rural village where his mother grew up. This was a really interesting, thought-provoking story about the struggles and changes Sam goes through as he tries to deal with his grief while being plunged into a completely different world -- one without electricity or computers or video games, to begin with. Sam has a hard time figuring out where he fits in, and his frustration and isolation feel very real.

While the pace is uneven in places, I think this is a book that would appeal to a lot of readers. I'd consider it a "must have" for libraries, and think it would also be a great choice for 5th-6th grade reading or social studies classes.

[Gilles · Rating 4 out of 5]

City Boy
By: Jan Michael

"Sam looked at the whole that was being dug and the smell of the newly dug earth". City boy is about a boy that looses both his parents to a really bad cough, at one point he had to move to the village. Whiles the is at the village he has to cope with the new things that he has to do everyday. Something that I can connect to is that I also live in Africa where this book takes place. When i am reading this book I start to feel bad for Sam and what he is going through. This is a african themed book, most of the words that are in the book that you can't read are on the language of Malawi. This is a realistic fiction book because this actually happened to a person whilst they where a kid.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book takes place in Malawi where a city boy is orphaned when both parents die from AIDS related illnesses. He goes with his aunt to live in a very rural village and the book is primarily about his rocky adjustment to a very different lifestyle than he was used to. I enjoyed they setting of the book but found myself often annoyed at the personality of the main character and it felt like the problems he faced were somewhat forced.

[Colleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book about Sam an only child in Malawi whose parents die from AIDS. Not only does he have to come to terms with the loss of his parents, he has to adjust to living with his aunt and four other children, sleeping on a mat in a village without electricity. It's a compelling read with a hint of adventure as well as the emotional issues and I think it will resonate with all children regardless of where they live.

[Jackie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sam, who lives in a city in Malawi, is taken to live with his aunt's family after the death of his mom and dad from the "disease" He learns that he will no longer have a computer, he will no longer go to a private school, he will have to share his clothes, and he will no longer live in a house, when he ends up in a country village living in a mud hut.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Somewhat likeable protagonist. Set in contemporary Malawi. A city boy's parents both die of AIDS and is sent to live in a small village with his aunt and cousins. A good story of culture shock within one's own country. Sometimes I was a little annoyed with the main character, but then I remembered the trauma he was experiencing.

[Vicki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Samuel's mother is late(dead) from Aids, as was his father before him. They live in modern Malawi where Samuel know electricity, computers, and a bed. But as an orphan he must go live with his Aunt Mercy in the country in a mud hut, with no power or modern conveniences while dealing with his grief.

[Eric W · Rating 4 out of 5]

In africa people lived in
houses with cement floors and
slept on mats at night.

[Betsy · Rating 4 out of 5]

One Sentence Review: This really slipped under the radar, but it was quite the remarkable book and if you haven't read it yourself I recommend it highly.

[Ian · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book taught me how life is in africa and those areas of culture. It was good but slow and i wouldn't recommend it for a report since some things in the book are hard to understand.

[Butzki · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great book but would recommend to read with a group of several other people like a book club.

[Robbin Melton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Brief, cute tale about a little African boy forced to live in a village with his aunt and cousins after being orphaned by his parents who died from AIDS.

[Bobbie]

City Boy by Jan Michael (2009)

[Liamd]

this book was as nice book and not that much action