Title:  The Missing Clock

Author: Mai Nasara 

Publisher: Visa Books                                 

Number of pages: 96            

Type of Book: Fiction

Age: 10+

Available here: http://www.amazon.com/The-Missing-Clock-Mai-Nasara/dp/9789088868 or contact the author on twitter

Price: $9.99 or N1.300

MY SUMMARY

Banji Tobe learns that planting leads to multiplication and he has something he loves that he would love to share. So Banji decides to plant this item in a bid to multiply it. This singular act sets off a series of events that start off badly but end very well for the Tobes. Join Banji and his family on their journey as they search for the missing clock and discover the joys of planting seeds and other objects.

THUMBS UP AND DOWN

UP: It teaches quite a few things about farming in general and planting Ugu seeds in particular. It was a bit didactic but then it’s a book that’s meant to teach as well as entertain and it does both quite well.

DOWN: Having read the blurb on several sites on the Internet, I expected a rather comic, adventurous tale about a mischievous 9-year-old-boy told in the first person. I was therefore a bit disappointed that it was neither written in the first person nor written in a child’s voice. In so many ways, adult assistance would be required for some readers to fully grasp the contents of the book.

RATING

3.5 stars

TRIVIA

1. What misfortune befell the Tobe family? Lanre Tobe, Banji’s father and head of the Tobe family lost his job.
2. What seeds did Rashida plant in the Tobe garden? Ugu seeds
3. “It would help if everyone tried to grow things other than flowers in their garden”. Who made this statement: Meyiwa Ashiru
4. What was the source of the Tobe fortune? Ugu
5. What did Banji plant instead of seeds? The bunny clock
6. These 2 loved mangoes. One kept climbing trees to pluck them and the other kept taking them from him. Alphonso and his madam, Mrs. Ekwensi.

CHALLENGE: The Missing Clock

“It would help if everyone tried to grow things other than flowers in their garden.”

Can you answer the question below?

Describe the process for planting and harvesting Ugu.

Send your answers to ugochinyelu.anidi@gmail.com

Entry requirements: Entrants must be within the 9-12 age range. The first correct entry will be announced on this page and will win a copy of this book.

Answers must be submitted before 12:00am on Tuesday, October 27^th.

Next Book of the Week:

JELLY BABY by Phillip Begho