AKATA WITCH Akata Witch, Book 1

Nigeria and the world of the Leopard people come to life with Yetide Badaki’s engaging multi-accented narration. Sunny Nwazue is Igbo and American, albino, and about to discover she is magic. Badaki smoothly switches between Sunny’s and her friend Sasha’s American accents and the voices of her new Nigerian friends, cheeky Chichi and solemn Orlu. Chapters start with briskly read selections from “Fast Facts for Free Agents,” a guide for people like Sunny who are born of “Lambs,” those without magical powers. Sunny and her friends juggle Lamb school with their lessons from magic teachers and mentors, learning to control their juju and discovering the dark side of the Leopard world. This rich fantasy is made all the better by Badaki’s dynamic narration. E.E.C. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine [Published: APRIL 2018]