Parents' Guide to It's Trevor Noah: Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood

Parents need to know that It's Trevor Noah: Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood is an adaptation for younger readers of comedian and Daily Show host Noah's 2016 memoir Born a Crime. Noah grew up as the ultimate outsider: the son of a black South African mother and a white European father, at a time when laws under Apartheid made it illegal for mixed-race couples to marry or have children. The book explores gender roles, and the relationships between different factions within the black community, as well as between blacks and whites and "colored" (mixed race) people. There are incidents of disturbing violence against Trevor and his mother, who's beaten and shot by his stepfather. The publisher's epilogue on the history of Apartheid mentions the Sharpeville Massacre, when white police opened fire on a crowd of unarmed black protesters, killing dozens of people. Noah, who was a mischievous kid, makes a distinction between the corporal punishment he receives from his devoted mother and the callous violence of his stepfather. Abel, the stepfather, is frequently drunk and has a history of marijuana use. Trevor describes the petty crimes he committed as a young adult, as well: He and his friends were loan sharks and music pirates before Trevor began his career as a comedian and television host. Fans of Noah's stand-up comedy or The Daily Show will find plenty of his trademark sharpness and self-effacing humor even as he relates memories of suffering poverty and abuse.