Onyeka, by TOLA OKOGWU

A resemblance of the new age of children’s literature.

Not my usual choice. As a bookseller at Waterstones we are advised to read at least one of the book’s of the month, and in June my choice was Onyeka. A story of a girl with afro hair who feels othered in her London based school. She discovered that when her anger boils, her hair has a life of its own. This causes her to find out that she has routes to a superhero father and she must attend a school for other gifted children in Nigeria. She is then set on a quest to discover the depths of her powers and herself. This Marvel-esque children’s book marks our distinct age of children’s writing. Children’s and Teen fiction is deeply interested in representation and disfiguring otherness. It is a joy to see works such as this on the rise, and I hope they serve their purpose and help young girls feel empowered by their big curly hair. However, I work in a very white middle class area and I know from company statistics that this book sells better in more diverse areas of the country. Unsurprising and disappointing, I would ask any parents who buy books for their children, how diverse is your bookshelf? No matter what we read, I think we can all do better and choose more books like Onyeka.

If you know a child aged 9-12 who wants adventure, action, and magic, Onyeka is the one for them.

Written by Stephanie Ornithari Roberts