Overview

Nnedi Okorafor's acclaimed first novel for middle grade children introduces a boy who can access super powers with the help of the magical Ikenga. Nnamdi's father was a good chief of police, perhaps the best Kalaria had ever had. He was determined to root out the criminals that had invaded the town. But then he was murdered, and most people believed the Chief of Chiefs, most powerful of the criminals, was responsible. Nnamdi has vowed to avenge his father, but he wonders what a twelve-year-old boy can do. Until a mysterious nighttime meeting, the gift of a magical object that enables super powers, and a charge to use those powers for good changes his life forever. How can he fulfill his mission? How will he learn to control his newfound powers? Award-winning Nnedi Okorafor, acclaimed for her Akata novels, introduces a new and engaging hero in her first novel for middle grade readers set against a richly textured background of contemporary Nigeria.

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9781665191098

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Reviews

"""A propulsive, juju-filled novel...Okorafor's narrative provides comfort precisely because she refuses to gloss over violence, loss, and pain."" -- ""New York Times"" ""Offers all the traditional superhero satisfactions--colorful baddies, thrilling fight scenes, a hero with morality and justice on his side--in a fresh and distinctive modern-day setting where magic hums just below the surface."" -- ""Wall Street Journal"" ""Okorafor has created unique, multifaceted characters that will have young readers hoping for Nnamdi's next adventure."" -- ""School Library Journal (starred review)"" ""With his remarkably deep and resonant voice, narrator Ben Onwukwe adds even more intrigue to this nuanced superhero story...Onwukwe's dramatic pacing and exaggerated characterizations are perfectly in keeping with the story's heightened world-building...A superlative listen for superhero fans. Winner of the AudioFile Earphones Award."" -- ""AudioFile"""

A propulsive, juju-filled novel...Okorafor's narrative provides comfort precisely because she refuses to gloss over violence, loss, and pain. -- New York Times Offers all the traditional superhero satisfactions--colorful baddies, thrilling fight scenes, a hero with morality and justice on his side--in a fresh and distinctive modern-day setting where magic hums just below the surface. -- Wall Street Journal Okorafor has created unique, multifaceted characters that will have young readers hoping for Nnamdi's next adventure. -- School Library Journal (starred review) With his remarkably deep and resonant voice, narrator Ben Onwukwe adds even more intrigue to this nuanced superhero story...Onwukwe's dramatic pacing and exaggerated characterizations are perfectly in keeping with the story's heightened world-building...A superlative listen for superhero fans. Winner of the AudioFile Earphones Award. -- AudioFile

Author Information

Nnedi Okorafor, born to Igbo Nigerian parents in Cincinnati, Ohio, on April 8, 1974, is an author of fantasy and science fiction for both adults and younger readers. Her Tor.com novella Binti won the 2015 Hugo and Nebula Awards; her children's book Long Juju Man won the 2007-08 Macmillan Writer's Prize for Africa; and her adult novel Who Fears Death was a World Fantasy Award winner. She is an associate professor of creative writing and literature at the University at Buffalo. Ben Onwukwe is a stage, screen, and radio actor from London. His heritage is Nigerian and Swiss, which was and still remains a fairly unique biracial convergence. Ben has appeared in theater productions with the Royal Shakespeare Company, The Globe Theatre, Almeida, Old Vic, Young Vic, and countless regional theater houses throughout the UK. One of his favorite productions that he starred in was at the Gate Theatre in 2012, Sunset Baby, a play by Dominique Morrisseau. After several stints as a radio performer with the BBC radio drama repertory company Ben has found his metier through the medium of audio and oral acting. He has recorded countless audiobooks and has found that his favorite genre is magical realism, a form that has a myriad of inventive and enchanting devices that can inspire one to see the possibilities of the conscious and unconscious in human existence. Ben has recently specialized in literature from contemporary authors from Nigeria, a rich seam of astonishing work.

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