Early one morning, Sipho takes a few coins from his mother's purse and slips silently into the darkness outside his family's shack. He is headed for Johannesburg, where he has heard that boys his age are able to survive on their own, living in the streets. He feels he has no choice: running away is the only way he can escape his stepfather's frequent beatings. The gang of street children Sipho joins offers camaraderie and the hard wisdom they have gained on the streets. They show him how to earn some money pushing grocery carts for shoppers and helping people find parking places. They share the cardboard slabs they use as beds, as well as the glue they sniff to dull the cold and the pain so they can sleep. Naidoo's compelling novel provides a stark portrait of post-apartheid South Africa, where life is still cruel and, for street children like Sipho, dangerous. Amidst the violence at home and the violence on the streets, Sipho must figure out whom he can trust as he tries to build a new life for himself in a new South Africa. (Ages 11-14)

Escaping from his violent stepfather, twelve-year-old Sipho heads for Johannesburg, where he has heard that gangs of children live on the streets. Surviving hunger and bitter-cold winter nights is hard'but learning when to trust in the ‘new' South Africa proves even more difficult.

No Turning Back appeared on the short list of both the Guardian and Smarties book prizes on the United Kingdom.