Around the World: South Africa - Lwazi's Story

High school is hard enough without a country divided by hate. For Lwazi, it's the backdrop to everyday life.

Around the World: South Africa follows a teenager navigating high school in a country still living with the aftermath of racial division and discriminatory policy. Lwazi faces real tension in his hallways and his community, forcing him to figure out (at an age when most kids are worried about tests and friendships) what it means to build a life in a place still working through its history.

Written for middle and high school readers, this book doesn't shy away from the hard parts of Lwazi's world. Instead, it uses his story to help young readers understand how discriminatory systems affect real people, and why building something better requires courage, honesty, and hard work rather than easy answers.

Around the World is PragerU's flagship series for young readers, exploring big, complex ideas (from communism to freedom of speech to global history) through relatable characters and age-appropriate storytelling. Each book is designed to give kids 6th grade and up, a new appreciation for what makes American values worth protecting, while helping them understand the wider world.

Ideal for:

• Parents looking for a conversation-starter about history, race, and resilience
• Grandparents seeking values-driven gifts for tweens and teens
• Teachers and homeschool educators building global history or civics content

Pair with the rest of the Around the World series for a full library of age-appropriate lessons in history, freedom, and resilience.