YA/ Children's books set in Africa?

[[deleted user]]

I'm re-reading Zulu Dog at the time of this post. It's pretty good. What are your favorite juvenile books that take place in Africa (or the Middle East)?

[Cheryl has hopes her life will calm down soonish, Newbery Club host]

A Bone From a Dry Sea and The Kin, both by Peter Dickinson, are good for prehistory. Of course there's Nancy Farmer's thriller The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm which is more modern.

Great idea for a topic - I definitely need more recommendations!

[[deleted user]]

Thanks. :)

[Carolien]

A friend asked for recommendations earlier this year. Here's my list:

Non-fiction:
Jock of the Bushveld - this is a true story, but I first read it when I was about 8 or 9. There's an animated movie based on some of the story.

Nelson Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom. (This is a version adapted for children)

Picture books:
I love Alex Latimer's art. Try Lion vs Rabbit

Younger children:
Goal!
Dogtective William and the Pirates
The Herd Boy (lots of other books as well)
Anna Hibiscus (series)


Young adult
Sharp Edges
Spud (4 book series)
Deadlands (trilogy)

You can also visit http://www.africanstorybook.org/ for public domain readers.

[Fjóla]

I had compiled a list for picture books a while ago: Picture Books on Africa. Any further suggestions are welcome, so if you're aware of more titles please add them to that list.

[Jean]

Bimwili and the Zimwi - my kids loved this one (sigh, so long ago...) It is set in Zanzibar

For young adult readers, A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier It is a harsh real read, but my teens boys were very much impacted by it.

[Jenny]

Listening for Lions is partly set in Africa. I really loved the book.

[June]

A Girl Named Disaster, Facing the Lion: Growing Up Maasai on the African Savanna, Joseph Lekuton, Beverley Naidoo, The Heaven Shop

[Cheryl has hopes her life will calm down soonish, Newbery Club host]

This list: https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1... includes some relevant books. They're based on this award: http://www.janeaddamspeace.org/jacba/...

[Laura]

Raevyn wrote: "I'm re-reading Zulu Dog at the time of this post. It's pretty good. What are your favorite juvenile books that take place in Africa (or the Middle East)?"

Alexander McCall Smith wrote a wonderful series of children's books set in Africa a few years ago. The series is called Akimba. Titles are Akimba and the Lion, Akimba and the Snake, well you get the idea. They are middle grade books and very well done. The books never really took off but I thought they were wonderful.

[June]

A co-worker just recommended A Girl Called Problem

[Manybooks]

Lacey and the African Grandmothers, while not set in Africa (it is about a young Native American girl), the project with which she becomes involved is African (helping African grandmothers who are struggling to raise grandchildren orphaned due to the AIDS epidemic).

[Jenny]

Anna Hibiscus and its follow up books are all set in Africa.

[Anne]

Alexander McCall Smith has some children's mysteries about Precious Ramotswe as a child in Botswana. I think the first is The Great Cake Mystery: Precious Ramotswe's Very First Case There are three.