The Mzungu Boy by Meja Mwangi
HM Productions Intl.                                        All Rights Reserved
copyright 2008 by HM Entertainment Inc.
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Meja Mwangi's novel captures a child's-eye
view of village life in Kenya in the late 1950s
- a time of innocence, wild beauty, and the
growing violence that would change the
entire structure of colonial Africa.
The Mzungu Boy
"[The] Mzungu Boy, with its play of light
and dark, innocence and experience,
goodness and evil, is a superb
achievement on the part of its author,
Meja Mwangi." - Globe and Mail
"Mwangi's characterization is accurate
and insightful..." -   The Bulletin of
the Center for Children's Books
"...many readers will easily connect
with the friendship, the exhilarating
freedom of exploring nature, and the
boys' bewilderment at the adult
world." -   Booklist
The Mzungu Boy
groundwood books
2005
The Mzungu Boy by Meja Mwangi
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CHILDREN'S
AFRICANA BOOK
AWARD
Society of
School
Librarians
Honour Book
2006
The Mzungu Boy
For young Kariuki, life in a small village in central
Kenya is one great adventure. And when he
meets Nigel life becomes even more interesting.
Nigel is from England and he has come to visit
his great grandfather, the fearsome Bwana Ruin
who owns the farm where all the villagers work.
The villagers call Nigel the mzungu boy, and they
view him with suspicion and fear.

Nevertheless, Kariuki becomes friends with Nigel
and the two spend happy days exploring the
forest together. Then one day the two boys
decide to hunt down Old Moses, the biggest,
ugliest, oldest and meanest warthog in the
forest. The hunt takes them deeper into the
jungle than Kariuki has ever gone, and his
beloved forest becomes a frightening place, filled
with dangerous creatures, including the
mau-mau, the mysterious men who have guns
and are plotting against Bwana Ruin and the
white soldiers. And when Nigel suddenly
disappears, Kariuki realizes that it is up to him
to save his friend.
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