A young girl participates in a West African masquerade with a special plan to honor her grandfather who has passed away.
This book is part of the Worlds of Words Global Reading List for 2023/24.
West Africa
A Song Of Wraiths And Ruin
In Roseanne A. Brown’s captivating debut novel, “A Song of Wraiths and Ruin,” readers are transported to a world inspired by West African folklore, where two unlikely adversaries find themselves drawn together by fate and circumstance.
Malik, a desperate refugee fleeing war-torn lands, sees the Solstasia festival in the prosperous desert city of Ziran as a chance to secure a better life for himself and his sisters. However, when his younger sister Nadia is abducted by a vengeful spirit demanding the life of Karina, the Crown Princess of Ziran, Malik strikes a dangerous bargain—to assassinate Karina in exchange for Nadia’s freedom.
Set against a backdrop of ancient evils and simmering tensions, “A Song of Wraiths and Ruin” is a gripping tale of injustice, magic, and romance. With its richly imagined world and compelling characters, this New York Times bestseller is sure to enchant readers.
Abeni’s Song
On the day of the Harvest Festival, the old woman who lives in the forest appears in Abeni’s village with a terrible message:
You ignored my warnings. It’s too late to run. They are coming.
Warriors with burning blades storm the village. A man with a cursed flute plays an impossibly alluring song. And everyone Abeni has ever known and loved is captured and marched toward far-off ghost ships set for even more distant lands.
But not Abeni.
Abeni is magically whisked away by the old woman. In the forest, Abeni begins her unwanted magical apprenticeship, her journey to escape the witch, and her impossible mission to bring her people home.
Abeni’s Song is the beginning of a timeless, enchanting fantasy adventure about a reluctant apprentice, a team of spirit kids, and the village they set out to save.
Skin Of The Sea
Transformed by the goddess Yemoja into a Mami Wati, an African mermaid charged with collecting the souls of those who die at sea, Simi goes against the gods to save a living boy, Kola, from drowning.
The Gilded Ones
The start of a bold and immersive West African-inspired, feminist fantasy series for fans of Children of Blood and Bone and Black Panther. In this world, girls are outcasts by blood and warriors by choice. Sixteen-year-old Deka lives in fear and anticipation of the blood ceremony that will determine whether she will become a member of her village. Already different from everyone else because of her unnatural intuition, Deka prays for red blood so she can finally feel like she belongs. But on the day of the ceremony, her blood runs gold, the color of impurity–and Deka knows she will face a consequence worse than death.
Then a mysterious woman comes to her with a choice: stay in the village and submit to her fate, or leave to fight from the emperor in an army of girls just like her. They are called Alaki–near immortals with rare gifts. And they are the only ones who can stop the empire’s greatest threat. Knowing the dangers that lie ahead yet yearning for acceptance, Deka decides to leave the only life she’s ever known. But as she journeys to the capital to train for the biggest battle of her life, she will discover that the walled city holds many surprises. Nothing and no one are quite what they seem to be–not even Deka herself.
The Deep Blue Between
In 1890s West Africa, when a brutal raid leaves their home in ruins, twin sisters Hassana and Husseina are kidnapped, sold into slavery, and separated, remaining connected through shared dreams of water, but will their fates ever draw them back together?
The Magic Doll: A Children’s Book Inspired By African Art
Families Of All Kinds Will Appreciate This Simple Tale Of Love And Longing, Motherhood And Magic. In A Small Village In West Africa, A Young Girl Explains The Special Way She Was Born. Her Mother Had Difficulty Getting Pregnant, So She Seeks Help In The Form Of A Doll Which She Treats Like A Human Baby, Carrying It On Her Back And Covering It With Kisses. Months Go By And Finally The Woman’s Belly Begins To Grow! This Beautiful Story Explores The Akua-ba Fertility Figures Of The Akan People Of Ghana, While Also Depicting The Deep Love A Mother Has For Her Children. Élodie Nouhen’s Subtle, Gorgeous Illustrations Combine Collage And Prints That Are Reminiscent Of Traditional African Art, While Remaining Uniquely Contemporary. Each Spread Communicates The Look And Feel Of West Africa–the Blazing Yellow Of The Sun, The Deep Blue Of The Sky, The Richly Patterned Textiles, And Vibrant Flora And Fauna. Adrienne Yabouza’s Text Echoes The Rhythms Of Life In Her Homeland–the Central African Republic. The Book Closes With A Short Introduction To African Art And The Importance Of Fertility Statues In African Cultures.
Kente Colors
A rhyming description of the kente cloth costumes of the Ashanti and Ewe people of Ghana and a portrayal of the symbolic colors and patterns.
B Is For Baby
“Atinuke and Angela Brooksbank, creators of the award-winning Baby Goes to Market, pair up again for a bright and beautiful first book of words. B is for Baby. B is for Brother. B is for going to see Baba! One morning after breakfast, Baby’s big brother is getting ready to take the basket of bananas all the way to Baba’s bungalow in the next village. He’ll have to go along the bumpy road, past the baobab trees, birds, and butterflies, and all the way over the bridge. But what he doesn’t realize is that his very cute, very curious baby sibling has stowed away on his bicycle. Little ones learning about language will love sounding out the words in this playful, vibrantly illustrated story set in West Africa”–Amazon.com.
B is for Baby is a WOW Recommends: Book of the Month for September 2019.
Nana Akua Goes to School
Zura is worried about how her classmates will react to her Ghanaian Nana’s tattoos on Grandparents Day, but Nana finds a way to show how special and meaningful they are.