Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor
Okorafor, N. (2011). Akata Witch. New York. Viking by the Penguin Group
Brief Summary: Sunny Nwazue was born in New York and moved back to Nigeria, where her family is from, when she was 9 years old. Sunny has a difficult time with classmates in school because she is different. She is albino but that isn’t all that is different about her. She discovers that she is a free agent leopard person. Leopard people come from a family lineage of magic. Sunny can see troubling visions of the future and together with her three best friends, who teach her how to use her magic, she faces a man who has been using his magic for evil and murdering children in Nigeria. This book the exciting African version of Harry Potter.
Age Range: 12 & up
Related Works: Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling
Specific Appeal: The magic in this book will stir anyone’s imagination reminding the reader that their greatest weakness can be their greatest power. The characters are likable and the story is highly entertaining and easy to read. This book was hard to put down.
Limitations or Weaknesses: The magic talked about in this book is similar to African witch craft or Voodoo. This aspect of the book has been criticized.
Overall Assessment: I really loved this book 5/5
Books for Youthful Readers 