In the Ooni Kingdom, children born dada—with vines growing in their hair—are rumored to have special powers. Zahrah Tsami doesn’t know anything about that. She feels normal. Others think she’s different—they fear her. Only Dari, her best friend, isn’t afraid of her. But then something begins to happen—something that definitely marks Zahrah as different—and the only person she can tell is Dari. He pushes her to investigate, edging them both closer and closer to danger. Until Dari’s life is on the line. Only Zahrah can save him, but to do so she’ll have to face her worst fears alone, including the very thing that makes her different.
Nnedi Okorafor-Mbachu’s short stories have been published in anthologies and magazines, including Dark Matter II, Strange Horizons, and Writers of the Future, Volume XVIII. Nnedi lives with her daughter, Anyaugo, and family in Illinois.
"A welcome addition to a genre sorely in need of more heroes and heroines of color." ––Booklist Booklist, ALA
Teachers, scholars, and students...will appreciate this book.
KLIATT
"...Refreshingly different, Zahrah's coming-of-age story introduces...a vibrant new world." -- Bulletin Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books —
