Onyeka and the Academy of the Sun

Written by Tolá Okogwu

Narrated by Nneka Okoye

NAMED A 2023 ALA NOTABLE CHILDREN’S RECORDING!

Black Panther meets X-Men in this “fast-paced, action-packed, and empowering” (A. F. Steadman, New York Times bestselling author of Skandar and the Unicorn Thief) middle grade adventure about a British Nigerian girl who learns that her Afro hair has psychokinetic powers—perfect for fans of Amari and the Night Brothers, The Marvellers, and Rick Riordan!

Onyeka has a lot of hair­—the kind that makes strangers stop in the street and her peers whisper behind her back. At least she has Cheyenne, her best friend, who couldn’t care less what other people think. Still, Onyeka has always felt insecure about her vibrant curls…until the day Cheyenne almost drowns and Onyeka’s hair takes on a life of its own, inexplicably pulling Cheyenne from the water.

At home, Onyeka’s mother tells her the shocking truth: Onyeka’s psychokinetic powers make her a Solari, one of a secret group of people with superpowers unique to Nigeria. Her mother quickly whisks her off to the Academy of the Sun, a school in Nigeria where Solari are trained. But Onyeka and her new friends at the academy soon have to put their powers to the test as they find themselves embroiled in a momentous battle between truth and lies…

• Language: English
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
• Release date: Jun 14, 2022
• ISBN: 9781797148953

Tolá Okogwu

Tolá Okogwu is a British Nigerian author, journalist, and hair care educator. Born in Nigeria but raised in London, she holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism. Having spent several years exploring the world of blogging, haircare, and freelance writing, she finally returned to her first love: fiction. She is the author of the Onyeka middle grade series, the self-published picture book series Daddy Do My Hair, and Aziza’s Secret Fairy Door under the name Lola Morayo. Tolá lives in Kent, England, with her husband and two daughters. An avid reader and lover of music, she’s also a sucker for melted cheese. Learn more at TolaOkogwu.com.

Reviews for Onyeka and the Academy of the Sun

[Jenna Vaughn · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This was cute and I liked the obvious love for Nigeria that came through. Onyeka has always been different and has a love/hate relationship with her strict mother. Her father has been missing her entire life. When suddenly she saves her best friend from drowning in an unexpected way, she learns that she has magical powers. Her mother quickly moves them from England to Nigeria and Onyeka learns more about where she came from and about herself. She finds friendship and more about herself.

[Chelsea · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Nice easy read. A sort of Harry Potter for Nigerian context. Validating and encouraging for young black girls with unruly hair.

[Damilola · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The narrator really helped bring this story to life. Loved the use of music at certain times to help add to the story.

The only thing i didn’t particularly care for was the use of drum sounds after each chapter but you get used to it.

Now the actual story itself is easy to understand with loveable characters & an overall great plot. Looking forward to book 2