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yaworldchallenge · 2 years

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🇨🇮 Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast)

Region: West Africa

Aya: Life in Yop City

Author: Marguerite Abouet, Clément Oubrerie

376 pages, published 2012

Original language: French

Native author? Yes

Age: Teen

Blurb:

Ivory Coast, 1978. It's a golden time, and the nation, too-an oasis of affluence and stability in West Africa-seems fueled by something wondrous. Aya is loosely based upon Marguerite Abouet's youth in Yop City. It is the story of the studious and clear-sighted nineteen-year-old Aya, her easygoing friends Adjoua and Bintou, and their meddling relatives and neighbors. It's a wryly funny, breezy account of the simple pleasures and private troubles of everyday life in Yop City.

Clément Oubrerie's warm colors and energetic, playful line connect expressively with Marguerite Abouet's vibrant writing.

Other reps:

Genres: #historical 20th century #slice of life #romance #graphic novel

My thoughts:

So far the only graphic novel on my world list. This book looks like a lot of fun and I can’t wait to see it.

Review to come.

Link to buy

#cote d'ivoire #ivory coast #ya world challenge #diverse books #graphic novel #historical 20th century #slice of life #romance #africa #west africa #aya life in yop city #Marguerite Abouet #Clément Oubrerie #yop city

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khagihan2000 · 2 years

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Little Dark Age - Foreign animation These are the foreign animations that deserved love. A response to Oscar. Version: Vimeo GD Youtube (Extended)

Song: Little Dark Age - MGMT Inspiration: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dae1m2Z6fQ0&t=7s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DwlCXVujrWE&t=28s

List of the clips (including overlays): Breadwinner Song of The Sea The Secret of Kells The Phantom Boy The Illusionist Birdboy: The Forgotten Children The Swallow of Kabul Klaus The King of Pigs The Congress Waltz with Bashir The Tragedy of Man April and The Extraordinary World Calamity, A Childhood of martha Jane Cannary The Bear’s Famous Invasion of Sicily. Flee Johnny Corncob Son of The White Mare Wolfwalker Yellow Submarine Where is Anne Frank? The Swallows of Kabul Have A Nice Day Gandahar The Time Masters Fantastic Planet The Triplet of Belleville The Rabbi’s Cat Nocturna The Cat in Paris Felidae Plague Dogs Watership Down The Prophet Chico and Rita Another Day of Life MFKZ Funan Cinderella The Cat The King and The Mockingbird I Lost My Body Kirikou and The Sorceress The Crossing Marona’s Fantastic Tales Long Way North Josep Mia and The Migoo The Summit of Gods Ernest and Celestine Eleanor’s Secret My Life as a Courgette Aya of Yop City One Night In City The Big Bad Fox and the Other Tales Ruben Brandt Collector The Painting Loving Vincent Azur and Asmar The Red Turtles Buñuel in the Labyrinth of the Turtles Crulic Allegro Non Troppo The Nose or The Conspiracy of Maverick Wrinkles My Sunny Maad Ethel and Ernest

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deadassdiaspore · 2 years

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#African women writers #Graphic novels #Marguerite Abouet #Clément Oubrerie #Ivory Coast

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stiener · 1 year

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This year I challenged myself to read 100 books, these are the 100 I managed to read.

I had to read lots of very short books to hit this target including some Faber Stories which have been particularly good and Vintage Minis which cover some big ideas, the best of which this year was Toni Morrison's Race.

Another theme that cropped up (unintentionally) was people killing their family members (3 books) or narrators who are the murderers (5 books). My favourite of these was I think PD James, The Victim.

I've also read some great non-fiction including books on the history of Opium, Tea and the Bible, and some brilliant graphic novels, my favourite of which was Aya, Life in Yop City.

Other highlights:

- Last Night at the Telegraph Club, Malinda Lo

- The White Dress, Nathalie Léger

- Folk, Zoe Gilbert

- Love After Love, Ingrid Persaud

#books #literature #fiction #non-fiction #reading

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ya-world-challenge · 2 years

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from @diversereadingchallenge

I thought I would fill in the prompts with as many titles from my own list as I could find! Check by the ones I’ve already read so far. My only missing ones seem to be because I don’t have many older books on my list.

Diverse Reading Challenge 2022

1. A book about current civil rights issues

The Grief Keeper by Alexandra Villasante

2. A book with an intersex protagonist

✔️ An Ordinary Wonder by Buki Papillon

3. An #ownvoices book

Aya Vol 1: Life in Yop City by Marguerite Abouet

4. A book with an LGBTQ+ protagonist

From Dust, a Flame by Rebecca Podos

5. A book that takes place in the future with a protagonist of color

Binti by Nnedi Okorafor

6. A historical fiction book set in Africa, Asia or Latin America

Daughter of Xanadu by Dori Jones Yang

7. A memoir or autobiography by an author from a marginalized community

Her Father’s Daughter by Alice Pung

8. A book published over 100 years ago by an author from a marginalized community

??

9. A middle grade book with a LGBTQ+ protagonist

The One Who Loves You Most by medina

10. A book with a person of color on the cover

Dear Haiti, Love Alaine by Maika & Maritza Moulite

11. A book with a rainbow on the cover

The Rainbow Troops by Andrea Hirata (it’s in the title?)

12, A book with a biracial protagonist

Entwined by Cheryl S. Ntumy

13. A magical realism book by a Latinx author

Lobizona by Romina Garber

14. A book with multiple character POVs who are members of a marginalized community

The Wild Ones by Nafiza Azad

15. A book with a woman of color protagonist

Hurricane Summer by Asha Bromfiedl

16. A book with a protagonist who is neurodiverse, mentally ill, or has an intellectual disability

The Weight of Our Sky by Hanna Alkaf

17. A book where the main character struggles against and/or overcomes homophobia

If You Could Be Mine by Sarah Farizan

18. A book written by an indigenous author

The Things She's Seen (Catching Teller Crow) by Amebelin & Ezekiel Kwaymullina

19. A romance book with a trans and/or non-binary protagonist or love interest

The Brilliant Death by A.R. Capetta

20. A book with a protagonist on the asexual and/or aromantic spectrum

Kaikeyi by Vaishnavi Patel

21. A book with an immigrant protagonist

Girl at War by Sara Nović

22. A biography of a person from a marginalized community

With a Star in My Hand: Rubén Darío, Poetry Hero by Margarita Engle

23. A book inspired by non western mythology, folk tales or fairy tales

✔️ Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan

24. A romance book focusing on a same sex romance

The Boy from the Mish (Ready When You Are) by Gary Lonesborough

25. A romance book with a fat protagonist or love interest

Here the Whole Time by Vitor Martin

26. A book with a Black protagonist

Son of the Storm by Suyi Davies Okungbowa

27. A book with a Latinx protagonist

Wild Beauty by Anna-Marie McLemore

28. A romance book focusing on a polyamorous relationship

Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao

29. A book taking place in a world and/or future without homophobia

Once & Future by AR Capetta (not sure, haven’t read it yet)

30. A book by a Muslim author

The Theft of Sunlight by Intisar Khanani

31. A romance book focusing on an interracial romance

The Island of Missing Trees by Elif Shafak

32. A book about a religion other than Christianity

✔️ Alif the Unseen by G. Willow Wilson

33. A book with a Middle Eastern protagonist

Code Name: Butterfly by Ahlam Bsharat

34. A speculative fiction book by an author of color

Called By the Blessed by Jali Henry

35. A speculative fiction book set in Africa, Asia, or Latin America

Sofia and the Utopia Machine by Judith Huang

36. A book taking place in a world and/or future without racism

The Darkness Outside Us by Eliot Schrefer (maybe, haven’t read it)

37. A book from the Harlem Renaissance

??

38. A non-fiction book by an author from a marginalized community

Every Falling Star by Sungju Lee

39. A book written by a trans and/or non-binary author

Map of Salt and Stars by Zeyn Joukhadar

40. A YA book with a protagonist of color

Beasts of Prey by Ayana Gray

41. A book with an Asian protagonist

Sisters of the Snake by Sasha & Sarena Nanua

42. A book originally written in a language other than English

Run for Your Life by Silvana Gandolfi

43. A book with a physically disabled and/or chronically ill protagonist

One for All by Lillie Lainoff

44. A book with a fat protagonist

Piglettes by Clementine Beauvais

45. A poetry collection by an author from a marginalized community

Iep Jāltok : Poems from a Marshallese Daughter by Kathy Jetnil-Kijiner

46. A book written by a Pacific Islander

Scar of the Bamboo Leaf by Sieni A.M.

47. A contemporary book that takes place in Africa, Asia, or Latin America

Patron Saints of Nothing by Randy Ribay

48. A book by a Jewish author

The Sisters of the Winter Wood by Rena Rossner

49. A book published in 2022 by an author from a marginalized community

The Final Strife by Saara El-Arifi

50. A book written by an LGBTQ+ author of color

The Black Tides of Heaven by Neon Yang

#diversity reading challenge #diverse ya #diverse books #reading challenge #queer books #poc books #bookblr #booklr #bookish

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nevinslibrary · 4 years

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Comic Book Saturday

I wasn’t totally sure about this graphic novel because it was originally in French and I’ve had good experiences and bad experiences with translations, especially of graphic novels. But, it was amazing.

It takes place in the 1970s in the Ivory Coast. It’s about Aya, as well as her friends Adjoua and Bintou and everyone’s relatives and neighbors. It’s funny, and apparently is based on the author Marguerite Abouet’s childhood in Yop City.

The story was great, but, it was the art by Clément Oubrerie that really hooked me. I’m definitely looking forward to reading the second book collection of this too!

You may like this book If you Liked: In Zanesville by Jo Ann Beard, Blue is the Warmest Color by Julie Maroh, or Luisa by Carole Maurel

Aya: Life in Yop City by Marguerite Abouet

#comicbooksaturday #nmlRA #nevins memorial library #aya life in yop city #aya #marguerite abouet #graphic novel #ivory coast

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richincolor · 3 years

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Reading Beyond the U.S.

Earlier this year I saw a thought-provoking video from a BookTuber named Saajid considering the question, "Is the book community American-centric?" I've been pondering things Saajid mentioned in the video for several months. On our blog we're definitely trying to read and recommend books that are from a wide variety of creators, but when I examine my personal reading history, the books are indeed mostly American-centric. Over the past few years, I've read a few titles in the list below, but I’m starting to make more of an effort to read books from other areas of the world.

One resource I found helpful in my search for titles is the Global Literature in Libraries Initiative. It led me to Here the Whole Time which is a book I really enjoyed. The author, Vitor Martins, lives in Brazil and the book was translated from Portuguese by Larissa Helena. I would love to see more translations getting attention. One of the organizations trying to make that happen is Project World Kid Lit. They have many helpful resources for finding, discussing, and encouraging the use of translated children's and YA literature.

Here are titles of books set in countries beyond the U.S. and the Global North with a few links to resources to find more. Some of the authors no longer live in the places where these books are set, but grew up there. If you have other titles to recommend or know of other resources for finding International titles, please let us know.

South Korea - b, Book and Me by Kim Sagwa translated by Sunhee Jeong & Banned Book Club by Kim Hyun Sook, Ryan Estrada & Hyung-Ju Ko North Korea - Every Falling Star: The Story of How I Survived and Escaped North Korea* by Sungju Lee and Susan Elizabeth McClelland India - I was excited to find an article by Prasanna Sawant at The (Curious) Reader which traces the development of Indian YA literature and includes many titles. The site focuses on Indian lit, but also includes other world literature for all ages. Sri Lanka - Swimming in the Monsoon Sea* by Shyam Selvadurai Malaysia - Kampung Boy by Lat & The Weight of Our Sky by Hanna Alkaf Burt Award for African Young Adult Literature (Lists from 2017-2018) Ghana - Aluta* by Adwoa Badoe Zimbabwe - Hope is Our Only Wing* by Rutendo Tavengerwei Ivory Coast - Aya: Life in Yop City Marguerite Abouet Bahamas - Learning to Breathe* by Janice Lynn Mather Central America - The Other Side: Stories of Central American Teen Refugees Who Dream of Crossing the Border* by Juan Pablo Villalobos Trinidad and Tobago - Dreams Beyond the Shore* by Tamika Gibson Argentina - Furia by Yamile Saied Méndez Dominican Republic - Before We Were Free by Julia Alvarez Brazil - Where We Go From Here* by Lucas Rocha & Here the Whole Time by Vitor Martins both translated by Larissa Helena Multi-national - Girlhood: Teens Around the World by Masuma Ahuja

*They're on my TBR, but I don't have enough knowledge about the titles to recommend them or not.

#global literature #YA Lit

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thingsiateingeneral · 5 years

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Before we left for Côte d’Ivoire, I read Marguerite Abouet’s brilliant graphic novel series Aya of Yop City. Set in the 1970s -- a decade after the country gained independence from France -- the story and rich illustrations describe Ivorian life in the economic boom years under president Félix Houphouët-Boigny.

It was from Abouet’s writing that I first learned of the Ivorian maquis -- a type of casual, open-air restaurant that abounds in Côte d’Ivoire. his one, Espace Tropical, was located just down the road from our hotel in the beach town of Assinie. Most of the hotel food we encountered in Côte d’Ivoire (and particularly in Assinie) was prohibitively expensive (like $25 for a salad), so we chose to eat most of our meals elsewhere.

This particular lunch at Espace Tropical consisted of poulet braisé (grilled chicken), attiéké (fermented ground cassava), and alloco (sweet fried plantains). With, as always, a heap of raw tomatoes and onions on the side.

#Côte d'Ivoire #Ivorian Food #Assinie #Espace Tropical #Maquis #Aya of Yop City #Graphic Novels #West Africa

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bsherriel911 · 6 years

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Adjoua Aya Bintou

A Graphic Novel

Aya, Life in Yop City

by Marguerite Abouet

This edition brings together the first three volumes of the series

Aya is a 19-year-old teenager, with friends Adjoua and Bintou. Aya, her friends, and relatives all live in Yop City short for Yopougon City. Aya hopes to become a doctor one day, but her father would rather see her marry. Aya is the one who everyone turns to for help. In this colorful graphic novel, Aya and her friends are funny, playful teenagers. This trilogy revolves around the pleasure and private troubles of everyday life in Yop City which portrays life contemporary life in an African setting. Aya and her friends have the same experiences desires and needs like any other teens around the world.

Recommended for middle and high school library collections.

Series: Aya

384 pages $21.55 Paperback

Winner of the Best First Album award at the Angouleme International Comics Festival

The Children’s Africana Book Award

Glyph Award

Nominated for the Quill award, the YALSA “s Great Graphic Novels list

Eisner Award

ISBN: 978-1770460829

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luvallstuff · 6 years

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So I'm trying to create a letterboxd list of Western feature animated films directed by people of color and I'm having the most difficult time to find films and I've been researching for a while now. I always knew diversity in animation was trash, but this is crazy.

So far my list only has 8 films and 2 of them haven't come out yet and another 2 are obscure indie French films.

They are:

Kung Fu Panda 2 and 3 by Jennifer Yuh Nelson (Korean-American)

Book of Life and Kung Fu Space Western (not out yet, like this is very pre-production) by Jorge Gutierrez (Mexican)

Aya of Yop City by Marguerite Abouet (Ivorian-French)

Rise of the Guardians and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-verse (not out yet) by Peter Ramsey (African American)

Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi (Iranian-French)

So five directors is all found, it's so sad. Also half these films have white co-directors as well. Hopefully things change in the coming years, it feels like animation is advancing at a glacial pace compared to the rest of film and tv.

#disney animation #independent animation #animation #dreamworks #dreamworks animation #diversity #representation matters

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unsoundedcomic · 7 years

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Probably been asked before, but are there any other good web graphic novels / webcomics that you enjoy / read / were inspired by?

I’m not reading anything on the web these days - I hate reading on a computer screen - but Lackadaisy, The Meek, Shadoweyes, and Oglaf are all titles I’ve enjoyed in the past (and have sitting up on my shelf in print form). I did just finish a fun graphic novel called Aya: Life in Yop City. Charming characters with cool art. I reread Howl’s Moving Castle while I was travelling over the weekend - I couldn’t remember the major differences between it and the film.

We are so lucky to live in a world with such incredible art in it~~

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mfcommand · 4 years

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Black Panther, Vol. 7: The Intergalactic Empire of Wakanda, Part Two Aya: Life in Yop City Nameless I Kill Giants Pumpkinheads

Visited library to check out some things recently. I’ve fallen behind on Black Panther, I still have some more to catch up on. Aya piqued my interest some time ago, cool to get around to reading it. Looking forward to the follow-up. Been meaning to read Nameless for some time. A lot more wild than I was expecting. I liked the world created here, leaves much curiosity to know more. Would be cool if it were an ongoing series, or possible tie-ins by the creators in the future. Heard of I Kill Giants some years ago, just ain’t got around to it sooner & watched the movie adaption some time ago. Familiar with some of Faith Erin Hicks previous works & was intrigued to see what she fixed up with Pumpkinheads.

All nice stuff! 👍

https://www.instagram.com/p/B9pObgKh1yo/?igshid=1rtx6gfktosxz

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blackrosebooks · 7 years

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AvailableNow@BlackRoseBooks BlackRoseBooksPDX.net [email protected] $25.00each *YoungAdult*

"Aya is an irresistible comedy, a couple of love stories and a tale for becoming African. It's essential reading." -Joann Sfar, cartoonist of The Rabbi's Cat

Ivory Coast, 1978. It's a golden time, and the nation, too-an oasis of affluence and stability in West Africa-seems fueled by something wondrous. Aya is loosely based upon Marguerite Abouet's youth in Yop City. It is the story of the studious and clear-sighted nineteen-year-old Aya, her easygoing friends Adjoua and Bintou, and their meddling relatives and neighbors. It's a wryly funny, breezy account of the simple pleasures and private troubles of everyday life in Yop City.

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owleyesreviews · 7 years

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52 Book Challenge 2016

2016 was a pretty great reading year for me. I was able to read more diversely when it comes to genre’s than I ever have before and I really loved it! I plan to continue that in 2017 :)

January

1. We All Looked Up by Tommy Wallach (Dec. 30-Jan. 2)

2. Awaken by Katie Kacvinsky (Dec. 26 - Jan. 3)

3. P.S. I Still Love You by Jenny Han (Jan. 3-7)

4. Shades of Earth by Beth Revis (Jan. 2-9)

5. Bird by Crystal Chan (Reread)

6. The Three Incestuous Sister by Audrey Niffenegger (Jan.11)

7. Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo (Jan. 7-11)

8. Aloha, Say the Pretty Girls by Naomi Iizuka (Jan. 13)

9. Accelerando by Lisa Loomer (Jan. 14)

10. The Shape of Things by Neil Labute (Jan. 19)

11. All This Intimacy by Rajiv Joseph (Jan. 21)

12. Ruined by Lynn Nottage (Jan. 21)

13. Speech & Debate by Stephen Karam (Jan. 21)

14. Reasons to Be Pretty by Neil LaBute (Jan. 22)

15. Dead Man’s Cell Phone by Sarah Ruhl (Jan. 22)

16. Shakin’ the Mess Outta Misery by Shay Youngblood (Jan. 22)

17. Before It Hits Home by Cheryl L. West (Jan. 23)

18. A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness (Jan. 13-24)

February

19. Dirty Hands by Jean-Paul Sartre (Feb. 17)

20. Veils by Tom Coash (Feb. 19)

21. For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/ When The Rainbow is Enuf by Ntozake Shange (Feb. 19)

22. The Burial at Thebes by Seamus Heaney (Feb. 21)

March

23. The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander (March 8-13)

April

None :(

May

24. A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers (Jan. 22 - May 17)

June

25. The Secret History by Donna Tartt (Jan. 25 - June 1)

26. Lost at Sea by Bryan Lee O'Malley (June 1-2)

27. Chopsticks by Jessica Anthony and Rodrigo Corral (June 2)

28. Calling Dr. Laura by Nicole J. Georges (June 3)

29. Sisterhood Everlasting by Ann Brashares (May 17-June 4)

30. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (May 17-June 8)

31. Maybe in Another Life by Taylor Jenkins Reid (June 9-13)

32. Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen (June 4-15)

33. Jitney by August Wilson (June 15-16)

34. The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson (June 16-19)

35. I Don’t Want to Talk About It by Terrence Real (May 20-June 20)

36. Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt (June 19-23)

37. The Crown by Kiera Cass (June 24-27)

July

38. Summer Days and Summer Nights by Various Authors (June 23 - July 4)

39. The Color Purple by Alice Walker (June 28 - July 6)

40. Cat’s Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut (Reread)

41. Joined at the Head by Catherine Butterfield (July 11)

42. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling (June 10 - July 15)

43. Girl Gone by Jacquelyn Reingold (July 15-16)

44. The Good Woman of Setzuan by Brechet (July 16-17)

45. Aya of Yop City by Margurite Abouet (July 18)

46. Soppy by Philippa Rice (July 19)

47. Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami (July 18-23)

August

None :(

September

48. Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech (Aug. 31-Sept. 28)

October

49. Breadcrumbs by Anne Ursu (Sept. 20 - Oct. 10)

50. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling (July 15-Oct. 15)

November

51. The Circuit by Francisco Jimenez (Oct. 9 - Nov. 13)

52. Adulthood is a Myth by Sarah Anderson (Nov. 15)

53. Love That Dog by Sharon Creech (Nov. 28)

December

54. Paper Girls Vol. 1 by Brian K. Vaughn (Dec. 9)

55. Flight Vol. 1 (Dec. 10)

56. Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling (Oct. 15 - Dec. 16)

57. Love is the Higher Law by David Levithan (Dec. 14-17)

58. The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood (July 18 - Dec. 21)

59. Teaching My Mother How to Give Birth by Warsan Shire (Dec. 25-26)

60. Our Men Do Not Belong to Us by Warsan Shire (Dec. 26)

61. Wonder by R.J. Palacio (Oct. 2 - Dec. 28)

62. milk and honey by rupi kaur (Dec. 29)

63. Rookie Yearbook Three edited by Tavi Gevinson (Dec. 30)

64. Rookie Yearbook Four edited by Tavi Gevinson (Dec. 30)

62/52 = 119% done with reading challenge!

#reading challenge

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richincolor · 5 years

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#ReadingAfrica

Catalyst Press held a #ReadingAfrica Week during the first week of December. The campaign just ended, but we encourage everyone to #ReadAfrica all year long. Here are some of the Young Adult books we’ve enjoyed and recommend:

It's Trevor Noah: Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood (Adapted for Young Readers) by Trevor Noah - Delacorte

The host of The Daily Show, Trevor Noah, tells the story of growing up half black, half white in South Africa under and after apartheid in this young readers' adaptation of his bestselling adult memoir Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood.

Trevor Noah shares his story of growing up in South Africa, with a black South African mother and a white European father at a time when it was against the law for a mixed-race child like him to exist. But he did exist--and from the beginning, the often-misbehaved Trevor used his smarts and humor to navigate a harsh life under a racist government.

How Dare the Sun Rise: Memoirs of a War Child by Sandra Uwiringiyimana, Abigail Pesta - Katherine Tegen Books

This profoundly moving memoir is the remarkable and inspiring true story of Sandra Uwiringyimana, a girl from the Democratic Republic of the Congo who tells the tale of how she survived a massacre, immigrated to America, and overcame her trauma through art and activism. Sandra was just ten years old when she found herself with a gun pointed at her head. She had watched as rebels gunned down her mother and six-year-old sister in a refugee camp. Remarkably, the rebel didn’t pull the trigger, and Sandra escaped. Thus began a new life for her and her surviving family members. With no home and no money, they struggled to stay alive. Eventually, through a United Nations refugee program, they moved to America, only to face yet another ethnic disconnect. Sandra may have crossed an ocean, but there was now a much wider divide she had to overcome. And it started with middle school in New York. In this memoir, Sandra tells the story of her survival, of finding her place in a new country, of her hope for the future, and how she found a way to give voice to her people.

Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie - Harper Perennial

Fifteen-year-old Kambili and her older brother Jaja lead a privileged life in Enugu, Nigeria. They live in a beautiful house, with a caring family, and attend an exclusive missionary school. They're completely shielded from the troubles of the world. Yet, as Kambili reveals in her tender-voiced account, things are less perfect than they appear. Although her Papa is generous and well respected, he is fanatically religious and tyrannical at home—a home that is silent and suffocating. As the country begins to fall apart under a military coup, Kambili and Jaja are sent to their aunt, a university professor outside the city, where they discover a life beyond the confines of their father’s authority. Books cram the shelves, curry and nutmeg permeate the air, and their cousins’ laughter rings throughout the house. When they return home, tensions within the family escalate, and Kambili must find the strength to keep her loved ones together. Purple Hibiscus is an exquisite novel about the emotional turmoil of adolescence, the powerful bonds of family, and the bright promise of freedom.

Aya: Life in Yop City by Marguerite Abouet, Clément Oubrerie (Illustrator) - Drawn and Quarterly

Ivory Coast, 1978. It’s a golden time, and the nation, too—an oasis of affluence and stability in West Africa—seems fueled by something wondrous. Aya is loosely based upon Marguerite Abouet’s youth in Yop City. It is the story of the studious and clear-sighted nineteen-year-old Aya, her easygoing friends Adjoua and Bintou, and their meddling relatives and neighbors. It’s a wryly funny, breezy account of the simple pleasures and private troubles of everyday life in Yop City. Clément Oubrerie’s warm colors and energetic, playful line connect expressively with Marguerite Abouet’s vibrant writing. This reworked edition offers readers the chance to immerse themselves in Abouet’s Yop City, bringing together the first three volumes of the series in Book One.

Hope is Our Only Wing by Rutendo Tavengerwei - Soho Teen [Rich in Color Review]

For fifteen-year-old Shamiso, struggling with grief and bewilderment following her father's death, hope is nothing but a leap into darkness. For Tanyaradzwa, whose life has been turned upside down by a cancer diagnosis, hope is the only reason to keep fighting. As the two of them form an unlikely friendship, Shamiso begins to confront her terrible fear of loss. In getting close to another person, particularly someone who's ill, isn't she just opening herself up to more pain? And underpinning it all - what did happen to her father, the night of that strange and implausible car crash? Rutendo Tavengerwei's extraordinary debut takes an honest look at hope, and the grit and courage it can take to hang on to it.

This Book Betrays My Brother by Kagiso Lesego Molope - Mawenzi House Publishers [Rich in Color Review]

What does a teenage girl do when she sees her beloved older brother commit a horrific crime? Should she report to her parents, or should she keep quiet? Should she confront him? All her life, Naledi has been in awe of Basi, her charming and outgoing older brother. They've shared their childhood, with its jokes and secrets, the alliances and stories about the community. Having reached thirteen, she is preparing to go to the school dance. Then she sees Naledi commit an act that violates everything she believes about him. How will she live her life now? This coming-of-age novel brings together many social issues, peculiar not only to South Africa but elsewhere as well, in the modern world: class and race, young love and physical desire, homosexuality. In beautiful, lyrical, and intimate prose, Molope shows the dilemmas facing a young woman as she attempts to find her place in a new, multiracial, and dynamic nation emerging into the world after more than a century of racist colonialism. A world now dominated by men. There are no simple answers.

Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor - Speak [Rich in Color Review]

Sunny Nwazue lives in Nigeria, but she was born in New York City. Her features are West African, but she's albino. She's a terrific athlete, but can't go out into the sun to play soccer. There seems to be no place where she fits in. And then she discovers something amazing—she is a "free agent" with latent magical power. And she has a lot of catching up to do. Soon she's part of a quartet of magic students, studying the visible and invisible, learning to change reality. But just as she's finding her footing, Sunny and her friends are asked by the magical authorities to help track down a career criminal who knows magic, too. Will their training be enough to help them against a threat whose powers greatly outnumber theirs?

Akata Warrior by Nnedi Okorafor - Viking Books for Young Readers

A year ago, Sunny Nwazue, an American-born girl Nigerian girl, was inducted into the secret Leopard Society. As she began to develop her magical powers, Sunny learned that she had been chosen to lead a dangerous mission to avert an apocalypse, brought about by the terrifying masquerade, Ekwensu. Now, stronger, feistier, and a bit older, Sunny is studying with her mentor Sugar Cream and struggling to unlock the secrets in her strange Nsibidi book. Eventually, Sunny knows she must confront her destiny. With the support of her Leopard Society friends, Orlu, Chichi, and Sasha, and of her spirit face, Anyanwu, she will travel through worlds both visible and invisible to the mysteries town of Osisi, where she will fight a climactic battle to save humanity. Much-honored Nnedi Okorafor, winner of the Hugo, Nebula, and World Fantasy awards, merges today’s Nigeria with a unique world she creates. Akata Warrior blends mythology, fantasy, history and magic into a compelling tale that will keep readers spellbound.

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