Ikenga

by Nnedi Okorafor

Book Overview

Nnedi Okorafor's acclaimed first novel for middle grade readers 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...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0593113527
• ISBN13: 9780593113523
• Release Date: August 2020
• Publisher: Viking Books for Young Readers
• Length: 240 Pages
• Weight: 0.84 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.7" x 8.5"
• Age Range: 10 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 5 and higher

Customer Reviews

An imaginative and suspenseful middle grade mystery

Nnamdi's father, the chief of police, has been murdered and his killer has not been discovered or brought to justice. Nnamdi is consumed with grief, anger and helplessness. One year later, he is approached by the ghost of his father and given a figurine called an Ikenga. The Ikenga allows Nnamdi to become something like a superhero as he thwarts local criminals and tries to solve the mystery of his father's murder. Along the way, he learns that the assumptions he has made are not always true and that life and crime are complex. He also learns to value his friends and loved ones. The story is well paced with lots of action and suspense. I enjoyed the imaginative descriptions of the small Nigerian town and its people. The nicknames of some of the characters are very creative and funny.