As we continue into the summer, it’s a great time to start reading! Whether you are looking to fill your shelves or do some casual summer reading, here is a list of five incredible young adult books by African authors to check out:
Between Sisters, by Adwoa Badoe
Between Sisters tells the journey of a teenage girl who travels to Kusami, Ghana, where she looks after a distant relative, and lives out her dream of becoming a dressmaker.
The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, by William Kamkwamba
The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind documents the story of young William Kamkwamba of Malawi, who, despite his young age and the extreme poverty he was born into, persevered to create a collection of windmills that generated electricity. The book would go on to inspire an award winning Netflix original film based on the story.
The Scattering, by Lauri Kubuitsile
The Scattering follows the life and journey of two young women who are caught amidst the tragedy of colonial wars in Southern Africa, elegantly capturing the essence of human resilience and the human spirit throughout.
Tropical Fish: Tales from Entebbe, by Doreen Baingana
Through a series of short stories, Tropical Fish depicts the life of a family living in Entebbe Uganda, and the uncertainty of adolescence and the reality of life after a dictatorship.