The Other Side of Truth by Beverly Naidoo

Naidoo, Beverley (2000.)  The Other side of truth.  New York: HarperCollins Publisher.  

Summary:  12-year-old Sade and her younger brother, Femi, escape from Nigeria where her father is a journalist whose political writing results in Sade's mother's murder.  The children are sent to London with fake passports, but they are abandoned by their escort upon arrival. They end up in the hands of social services and put in a foster home and a school while waiting for temporary asylum as refugees, but they worry about their father's safety.  They face bullies at school and must face difficult decisions about telling the truth and how to stand up to aggressors and injustice.

Additional Comments:  A suspenseful story that explores ethical decisions and personal values on different levels.  On one hand, the father is standing up to censorship by writing about the corrupt government, but the government persecutes him by killing his wife.  Sade faces aggression at school and must decide if she will succumb to the pressure.  Also explores the complications of right and wrong when it comes to telling the truth.  Is it okay to lie when your safety depends on it?