Photo cred: Nelson Mandela Foundation
Mandela Day on 18th July (Nelson Mandela’s birthday) every year is a call to action to donate 67 minutes of service in our communities. Each minute is representative of one of the years that Nelson Mandela devoted to the service of humanity – as a human rights lawyer, a prisoner of conscience, an international peacemaker and the first democratically elected president of a free South Africa.
So what should our children be reading this week? There are several great biographies of Nelson Mandela in the Book Village library that children would enjoy reading themselves.
One of my favourites is Nelson Mandela’s autobiography, Long Walk to Freedom adapted for children and is beautifully illustrated. This is a moving and inspirational introduction to his life from his traditional childhood in a rural village to becoming one of the greatest leaders in history.
In Thembi and Themba learn about Nelson Mandela, the life of Nelson Mandela is written in an easy, story-telling style which makes this the perfect book for you to read aloud and share with your own children.
For a factual biography, look at the excellent Nelson Mandela – Nobel Peace Prize winning champion for Hope and Harmony and the National Geographic Readers Nelson Mandela. Both books have photographs and clear, appealing layouts and are written for readers at a grade 3 level.
If you are flagging a bit under the lockdown, and need some inspiration, listen to the audio history, Mandela – an audio history. This is a comprehensive oral history, which weaves together many interviews and includes a recording of the 1964 trial that resulted in Mandela’s life sentence, as well as secretly taped meetings between Mandela and his family. At 1 hr 17 minutes, the whole thing might be a bit long to keep your children’s attention, but all of you will surely be moved by hearing Madiba’s voice.
These books are available on the Book Village library and are only available to the schools we work in, however, most of them may be borrowed from the Gauteng Provincial Library on-line, or purchased from Amazon via the hyperlinks.
The children of the 21st century have been born in an era where our beloved Madiba has passed on.
To ensure his legacy continues to thrive in our rainbow nation, it’s so important – now more than ever – to share stories and pieces that educate our youth and inspire them to be a part of a better tomorrow.