Tag Archives: Farafina

30 Tips for Writing Delightful Children’s Books Day 3

ARTICLES, LITERARY RAMBLES, Writing Picture Books Course, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

WRITING CHILDREN’S BOOKS TIP #3: KNOW YOUR ONIONS, well, GENRES

Let’s talk about genres. Children’s books have been divided into so many genres and categories that it is so hard to keep up. But here are the major ones.

NB: This post features children’s books by Nigerian authors.

GENRES*

Picture Books

Heavily illustrated; ages 3 – 8; 100 – 1000 words

Greatest Animal in the Jungle by Sope Martins

Juba and the Fireball by Yejide Kilanko

Mayowa and the Masquerades by Lola Shoneyin

Early Chapter Books

Illustrated; ages 4/5 – 8; 1000 – 3000 words

Welcome Home, Anna Hibiscus by Atinuke

Feyi Fay and the Mysterious Madam Koi Koi by Simisayo Brownstone

Chapter books

Few Illustrations; ages 6 – 9; 5000 – 20,000 words

Mafoya and the Finish Line by Ayo Oyeku

No 1 Car Spotter by Atinuke

Middle Grade:

Rarely illustrated; ages 8 – 12; 25,000 – 50,000

A-Files by Victoria Afe Inegbedion

Akata Witch/What Sunny Saw in the Flames by Nnedi Okoroafor

Mirror on the Wall by Jesutofunmi Fekoya

Young Adult

Almost never illustrated; ages 13+ ; 40,000 – 100,000 words

Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi

Beasts Made of Night by Tochi Onyebuchi

Other genres:

Concept Books

Diary of a Toddler by Olubunmi Aboderin Talabi

A Fun ABC by Sade Fadipe

Plays

Mouth Almighty by Salihah Agbaje

Graphic Novels

Anike Eleko by Sandra Joubeaud and Alaba Onajin

Comics

1897: Okiojo’s Chronicles Series

Nonfiction*

My Nigeria, Peoples, Places and Culture by Constance Omawumi Kola-Lawal

Social Justice Books

Eno’s Story by Ayodele Olofintuade

The Red Transistor Radio by Fatima Akilu

OTHER CATEGORIES

Action/Adventure

Ginika’s Adventures by Nnenna Ochiche

The Adventures of Obi and Titi: Queen Idia’s Mask

Series

Illesanmi Twins Series. Book #1 Mystery at Ebenezer Lodge by Dunni Olatunde

Half Hour Hara Series. Book #1 The Case of the Broken Eggs by Ugo Anidi

Science Fiction

Zahra the Windseeker by Nnedi Okoroafor

Folktales/Fairytales

Folktales are Forever by Efe Farinre

Biographies

Idia of the Benin kingdom by Ekiuwa Aire

Please note: This list is by no means exhaustive!

  1. Action: Get a library subscription

Try Bookworm Café. This outfit specializes only in children’s books and its Director is a children’s literature connoisseur.

Try ZODML, Zaccheus Onumba Dibiaezue Memorial Libraries too!

OR

Be like me, buy every single book on this list … AND MORE 😊

2. Read.

Read 2 to 3 books in each genre to determine which one appeals to you😊

Then when you find your niche, read as many books as possible in that genre. Good luck!

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*post on nonfiction coming soon

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30 Tips for Writing Delightful Children’s Books

ARTICLES, LITERARY RAMBLES, Writing Picture Books Course, , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

WRITING CHILDREN’S BOOKS TIP #1: WRITE WHAT YOU KNOW –

Ernest Hemingway

This could mean, write about the things you’ve seen, done, heard, loved, felt, basically experienced. If you’ve flown upside down in a plane, that could be the beginning of a story set in year 3054 with human characters who walk on their heads! If you’ve felt sadness over the loss of a pet, you can write about the loss of a loved one.

Basically, take what you know, add sprinkles of salt and pepper to it and voila! Your story!

I have always loved stories! Long before I discovered stories in written form, I found love in oral stories, particularly Igbo folktales. I heard tons of Igbo folktales as a child. I know Igbo folktales like the back of my hand. Naturally, when I started writing seriously, my first thought was to recreate Igbo folktales. But I couldn’t reproduce all the folktales I’d heard, could I?

… Enter Fractured Folktales

A fractured folktale is a folktale that is revised or rewritten to appeal to a contemporary audience. It can be laced with humour or restructured to a deliver a social justice message.

  1. Action: Take that folktale you know and love and change something about it.
  • Give it a different main character (or rewrite it from another character’s point of view) or change the human characters to animals or vice versa OR
  • Change the theme OR
  • Give it a different beginning or ending OR
  • Give it a different setting. Take it from year 1601 to year 2075!

2. Read:

Picture Book:

The Greedy Ostrich by Olusayo Ajetunmobi (Original Folktale: Yoruba)

The Missing Chicken by Ugo Anidi (Original folktale: Igbo: How Tortoise Married a Wife with a Grain of Corn)

Chapter Book:

Afro the Girl with the Magical Hair by Okechukwu Ofili (Original fairytale: Brothers Grimm: Rapunzel)

These books are available on the Farafina Books website.

3. More research: Read my blogpost on creating contemporary stories from Igbo folktales here

Want to write a story for children, don’t know where to start? Try a fractured folktale (or fairytale) today. Tell me all about it.

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Dada Ade and the Good Hair Fairy

AGES 4 - 8, BOOK REVIEW, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Title: Dada Ade and the Good Hair Fairy

Author: Venessa Scholtz

Publisher:  Farafina Tuuti

Number of pages: 24

Type of Book: Picture Book, African, African Folktales.

Age: 4 – 8

Buy it here: https://farafinabooks.com/book?b=2074; @thebookwormcafeng on Instagram.

Price: N1,000

MY SUMMARY

In this book by the 2016 Golden Baobab picture book award-winner Venessa Scholtz, the reader embarks on a journey with young Dada Ade who doesn’t like her kinky, curly, crimped, wild and unruly hair. Wanting to exchange her hair for something better, Dada Ade sets out to find the Good Hair Fairy. On her way, she meets several animals who offer her their ‘hair’: the furry cat, the feathered duck, the scaly chameleon. But the best part of the story comes when Dada Ade finally meets the Good Hair Fairy. Read the story to find out the grand surprise at the end.

THUMBS UP AND DOWN

UP: Told in a manner reminiscent of the folktales I heard as a child, this made me smile. My boys and I loved it. The text is lyrical and makes for a great read-aloud. The story is fun and educational; readers learn about different types of animal body coverings/hair. Alaba Onajin again provides vibrant illustrations which make an already good book even better. The icing on the cake is the surprise at the end of the book plus the lesson.  

DOWN: None

RATING

🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟

HAVE FUN WITH THIS BOOK

  1. Learn about hair, fur, feathers and scales here: https://mothernatured.com/animal-exploration/fur-feather-and-scales-a-cover-up/

CHALLENGE: Dada Ade and the Good Hair Fairy

CREATE (WRITE a Story/Poem OR DRAW)

  1. Draw and colour 4 creatures, 1 of which must have hair, feather, fur or scales.

4 – 6 year olds

  • Make a list of 15 animals, 5 of which must have fur, scales or feathers.

7 – 8 year olds

Send your answers to ugochinyelu.anidi@gmail.com.

Entry requirements: Entrants must be within the 4 – 8 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 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, January 31st 2021.

Next Book of the Week:

HOLES by Louis Sachar

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Tristan Strong Punches a Hole In The Sky

AGES 8 - 12, BOOK REVIEW, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Title: Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in The Sky

Author: Kwame Mbalia

Publisher:  Rick Riordan Presents

Number of pages: 528

Type of Book: Middle Grade, African, African Folktales, African American, Mythology.

Age: 8 – 12

Buy it here: https://www.amazon.com/Tristan-Strong-Punches-Hole-Novel/dp/1368042414/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

Price: $ 8.99

MY SUMMARY

Seventh grader Tristan Strong is down in the dumps. He has just lost his best friend as well as his very first boxing match. His parents send him off to Alabama to spend a month with his grandparents to cool off. There, he literally punches a hole in the sky and falls through earth into another dimension and the adventure of a lifetime!

THUMBS UP AND DOWN

UP: The world building, the setting and the characters particularly, the folktale heroes, Anansi!!!!, the 10” tall doll baby Gum Baby, the iron monsters, the haunted bone ships and the burning sea! I loved them! It’s an adventure story with some of my favourite Ms: magic and mythology. The specificity Mbalia uses to describe the setting is out of this world! The worldbuilding was extraordinary and I feel like this book is a good mentor text for writers on the subject of setting.

DOWN: A lot of description slowed the action down. Because life is what it is, the actual highlight of the novel was also its undoing. Oh my!!! The description was just too much. I feel like I was buried under a mountain of details. I have been trying to read this book for 8 weeks but I still haven’t made it halfway. It is unbelievably putdownable, in fact, 1 of 2 things happens each time I pick it up: I come up with something more interesting to do or I fall asleep. In summary, I still haven’t finished reading it but at this point, I honestly cannot. go. on. This will be the first time I am consciously abandoning a book halfway, I am sad and I really struggled to avoid this but …

RATING

🌟 🌟 🌟

HAVE FUN WITH THIS BOOK

  1. Read an excerpt (Chapter 1) here: https://www.readriordan.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Tristan-Strong-Hole-in-Sky_pp1-33.pdf

CHALLENGE: Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in The Sky

CREATE (WRITE a Story/Poem OR DRAW)

  1. Write a 300-word essay on any African God.

Send your answers to ugochinyelu.anidi@gmail.com.

Entry requirements: Entrants must be within the 8 – 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 11:59 p.m. on Friday, January 15th 2021.

Next Book of the Week:

DADA ADE AND THE GOOD HAIR FAIRY by Vennessa Scholtz

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*open to US residents only

The Greatest Animal in the Jungle

AGES 4 - 8, BOOK REVIEW, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Title: The Greatest Animal in the Jungle

Author: Sope Martins

Publisher:  Farafina Tuuti

Number of pages: 28

Type of Book: Fiction, African, Folktale

Genre: Picture Book

Age: 4 – 8

Buy it here: https://farafinabooks.com/book?b=2029

Price: N1,000.

MY SUMMARY

Afuwe nearly gets eaten by an owl on his birthday!!! Naturally, he’s terrified and decides he doesn’t like being small. So when Tortoise gives him a magical birthday present which grants 5 wishes, his ultimate wish is to be the greatest animal in the jungle so he can be all powerful.

THUMBS UP AND DOWN

UP: It’s funny and action packed, 2 of my favourite ingredients in any book. Afuwe is such a lovable character and he is so relatable. Sope Martins is great with words and imagery. Afuwe’s fear when the owl chases him is so palpable. With a few words, Martins draws readers in, sucking us into Afuwe’s world so that we sweat with Afuwe in the beginning, and laugh with him at the end and she does this with less than 1000 words!

My kids love it!! B3 tries to read it every night. We laughed and laughed at Afuwe antics and I am sad because I really cannot share the joy this book gave us without putting up lots and lots of spoilers. Take it from us, this is a GREAT BOOK to give as a Christmas present!!

DOWN:  None

RATING

🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟

CHALLENGE: The Greatest Animal in the Jungle

CREATE (WRITE a Story/Poem OR DRAW)

  1. The greatest animal in the jungle is the …
  2. Give 5 reasons for your answer.  

Send your answers to ugochinyelu.anidi@gmail.com.

Entry requirements: Entrants must be within the 4 – 8 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 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, December 6th 2020.

Next Book of the Week:

IDIA OF THE BENIN KINGDOM by Ekiuwa Aire

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The Adventures of Obi and Titi: Queen Idia’s Mask

AGES 8 - 12, BOOK REVIEW, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Title: The Adventures of Obi and Titi: Queen Idia’s Mask

Author: O. T Begho

Publisher:  Evolution Media

Number of pages: 120

Type of Book: Fiction, adventure, African

Genre: Chapter Book

Age: 8 – 12

Buy it here: https://www.amazon.com/Adventures-Obi-Titi-Queen-Idias/dp/0955496640

Price: $9.99

MY SUMMARY

This book is the fourth in a chapter book series about Ancient Africa. In this book, Obi and Titi must warn Queen Kehinde that she is in imminent danger but their plans are continuously thwarted by assassins. With the help of a masked rider who turns out to be a young girl named Idia (named after Queen Idia) and her mask which helps her see a few minutes into the future, Obi and the Titi must overcome the tyrant Ezomo and a giant man-eating spider to get to the Queen.

THUMBS UP AND DOWN

UP: I struggled to find the highlights of this book because I was a bit offended by the disservice to Queen Idia. It was well-written and easy to read. It had some humourous bits and it does give a bit of insight into life in Ancient Yoruba land. It has all the makings of a good adventure series and would have been much better if it had left the African part out of it, rather than giving ambiguous information. It features a mini vocabulary list and another list of African facts.

DOWN: I struggled to get to the end of this book because I don’t know how to abandon a book halfway. I had bought this with the hope of adding to my research library on Queen Idia but I was sorely disappointed. First of all, Queen Idia was mentioned in about 8 out of 120 pages and the mask was a piece of wood with magical powers. I also feel like the facts were mixed up. Young readers will not be able to tell which bits of the story were fiction and which were nonfiction and the academic in me found that really stressful. There was a lot of telling and not enough showing but I guess I was particularly annoyed because I have a great deal of respect for Queen Idia and what the pendant mask represents and this book just basically trampled all over her. Matters came to a head when I found grammatical errors.

RATING

⭐️ ⭐️

HAVE FUN WITH THIS BOOK

  1. Read an excerpt here: https://www.amazon.com/Adventures-Obi-Titi-Queen-Idias/dp/0955496640 (use the Look Inside function)

CHALLENGE: The Adventures of Obi and Titi: Queen Idia’s Mask

CREATE (WRITE a Story/Poem OR DRAW)

  1. Write a 500-word essay on Queen Idia and the pendant mask.

Send your answers to ugochinyelu.anidi@gmail.com.

Entry requirements: Entrants must be within the 8 – 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 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, November 29th 2020.

Next Book of the Week:

THE GREATEST ANIMAL IN THE JUNGLE by Sope Martins

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Our Top Ten Nigerian Bookshops for Children

ARTICLES, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

OUR TOP TEN NIGERIAN BOOKSHOPS FOR CHILDREN

*in no particular order

  1. LEARNINGTON BOOKSTORE

 JUST FOR KIDS

ADDRESS: Surulere, Lagos

CONTACT PHONE NO: 08025018312

EMAIL: orders@learnington-ng.com

ONLINE BOOKSTORE: http://www.learnington-ng.com

EASE OF NAVIGATION: Very easy

BOOK CLUB: No

BOOK RELATED EVENTS FOR CHILDREN: No

OUR REVIEW: Their books are absolutely scrumptious. We love them because their site is so blissfully easy to navigate. It’s almost as good as walking around in a bookshop.

  1. TAMS INK

 JUST FOR KIDS 

ADDRESS: None

CONTACT PHONE NO: +2348097489086

EMAIL: hello@tamsinkbooks.com.ng

ONLINE BOOKSTORE: http://www.tamsinkbooks.com.ng

EASE OF NAVIGATION: Easy

BOOK CLUB: No

BOOK RELATED EVENTS FOR CHILDREN: No

OUR REVIEW: They have quite a number of books for kids. We absolutely love them for their quirky list. Pick up the most random books from here, international bestsellers, books you’ll likely not find in other bookshops. Warning, they’re a bit pricey.

  1. THE BOOKWORM CAFÉ

  JUST FOR KIDS

ADDRESS: Kaldi Africa House, 1 Adeyemi Bero Crescent, Ilupeju, Lagos

CONTACT PHONE NO: 08023388640

EMAIL: info@thebookwormcafe.com

ONLINE BOOKSTORE: http://thebookwormcafe.com

EASE OF NAVIGATION: Relatively easy

BOOK CLUB: Yes

BOOK RELATED EVENTS FOR CHILDREN: Yes!!

OUR REVIEW: We love them for their books yes, BUT we love them TO BITS because they have the most fun book-related events for kids.

  1. READING CORNER NIGERIA

 JUST FOR KIDS

ADDRESS: 3 Bayo Kuku Road, Ikoyi, Lagos

CONTACT PHONE NO: 0812 406 8181; 2348140000041

EMAIL: info@ReadingCorner.ng

ONLINE BOOKSTORE: http://readingcorner.ng/

EASE OF NAVIGATION: Very easy

BOOK CLUB: Yes

BOOK RELATED EVENTS FOR CHILDREN: Yes

OUR REVIEW: We love this store to pieces!! They have quite an extensive booklist for babies and toddlers, basically kids age 0 – 4 (including international bestsellers) and we love them for it.

  1. CHELISBOOKAZINE

JUST FOR KIDS

ADDRESS: Plot 12 Johnson Street, Off Bode Thomas Road, Surulere, Lagos.

CONTACT PHONE NO: 01-7742241, 08152854860, 08152854846, 08037128290, 08033324289, 09030096733 (helpline)

EMAIL: customercare@chelisbookazine.com

ONLINE BOOKSTORE: http://chelisbookazine.com

EASE OF NAVIGATION: Relatively easy

BOOK CLUB: Yes

BOOK RELATED EVENTS FOR CHILDREN: Yes

OUR REVIEW: For the longest time, this was our favourite bookshop in Nigeria. They are a favourite with many schools in Nigeria too! They have tons of books, (fiction and non-fiction) for kids 0 – 12 especially those in the 0 – 8 age group and lots of classics too. The highlight of this store: Their prices are quite pocket-friendly!!

  1. LATERNA VENTURES

ADDRESS: 13, Oko-Awo Close, Off. Adetokunbo Ademola Street, Victoria Island, Lagos.

CONTACT PHONE NO: 08100234441 (online store only); 08033014462,012715376

EMAIL: info@laternabooks.com; sales@laternabooks.com

ONLINE BOOKSTORE: https://www.laternabooks.com/index3.php?c=5

EASE OF NAVIGATION: Relatively easy

BOOK CLUB: No

BOOK RELATED EVENTS FOR CHILDREN: Yes

OUR REVIEW: This is a great bookstore. It has quite a good list but do you know what we absolutely love about it? Their events! They have lots of ‘reading’ events for kids! Go to Laterna to meet your favourite Nigerian authors!

  1. BIBLE WONDERLAND

 ADDRESS: 33 Funsho Williams Avenue, Surulere Lagos; OANDO Filling Station, 4th Roundabout, Lekki, Lagos.

CONTACT PHONE NO: Surulere: 08105682169, 08105682185; Lekki: 08105682183

EMAIL: biblewonderlandng@gmail.com; bookcityng@gmail.com

ONLINE BOOKSTORE: http://biblewonderlandng.com/store/index.php?route=common/home

EASE OF NAVIGATION: Not so easy. (Best to go to the Lekki and Surulere Stores)

BOOK CLUB: No

BOOK RELATED EVENTS FOR CHILDREN: No

OUR REVIEW: Our go-to store for great Christian books for kids! They have a wide range of non-fiction on history and geography!!

  1. TERRAKULTURE 

ADDRESS: Plot 1376, Tiamiyu Savage, Off Ahmadu Bello Way, Victoria Island, Lagos

CONTACT PHONE NO: +234-1-2700-588

EMAIL: info@terrakulture.com

ONLINE BOOKSTORE: Work-in-progress

EASE OF NAVIGATION: Not Applicable

BOOK CLUB: No

BOOK RELATED EVENTS FOR CHILDREN: No

OUR REVIEW: This is hands-down our best store for extraordinary books for children, ‘Made in Nigeria’

  1. FARAFINA

ADDRESS: 253 Herbert Macaulay Way, Alagomeji, Yaba, Lagos.

CONTACT PHONE NO: 08077364217

EMAIL: info@kachifo.com

WEBSITE: https://www.konga.com/kachifo-farafina or https://www.jumia.com.ng/fiction/farafina/

EASE OF NAVIGATION: Easy

BOOK CLUB: No

BOOK RELATED EVENTS FOR CHILDREN: Yes

OUR REVIEW: Farafina is an imprint of the Kachifo publishing house so you will be able to buy only books published by Kachifo. Their titles for kids (under the Farafina Tuuti Imprint) are GREAT!! Over the phone orders are pretty easy and straightforward and (A huge plus!) you can get same day delivery in Lagos!

  1. CASSAVA REPUBLIC

ADDRESS: Shop 62, Abuja Arts and Crafts Village, Opposite Sheraton Hotel, Central Business District Abuja

CONTACT PHONE NO: 081-85802634

EMAIL: info@cassavarepublic.biz

ONLINE BOOKSTORE: http://www.cassavarepublic.biz/collections/childrens-books

EASE OF NAVIGATION: Easy

BOOK CLUB: No

BOOK RELATED EVENTS FOR CHILDREN: No

OUR REVIEW: A great store for home-grown books! It is owned by a publishing house so it carries only the house’s titles.

  1. KONGA

ADDRESS: None

CONTACT PHONE NO: 01 460 5555; 0809 460 5555

EMAIL: help@konga.com

ONLINE BOOKSTORE: http://www.konga.com/childrens-books

EASE OF NAVIGATION: Relatively easy

BOOK CLUB: No

BOOK RELATED EVENTS FOR CHILDREN: No

OUR REVIEW: They have quite a few titles for kids. We absolutely love them for the old Nigerian classics.

 

Do you know any bookshops that should make this list? Email us at ugochinyelu.anidi@gmail.com

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photo credit: twickermum.com

News/Events January 23rd Week

ARTICLES, NEWS/EVENTS, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

OUR TOP TEN NIGERIAN BOOKSHOPS FOR CHILDREN

*in no particular order

  1. LEARNINGTON BOOKSTORE  (Just For Kids)

ADDRESS: None

CONTACT PHONE NO: 08025018312

EMAIL: orders@learnington-ng.com

ONLINE BOOKSTORE: http://www.learnington-ng.com

EASE OF NAVIGATION: Very easy

BOOK CLUB: No

BOOK RELATED EVENTS FOR CHILDREN: No

OUR REVIEW: Their books are absolutely scrumptious. We love them because their site is so blissfully easy to use. It’s almost as good as walking around in a bookshop.

  1. READING CORNER NIGERIA (Just For Kids)

ADDRESS: 11 Bayo Kuku Road, Ikoyi, Lagos

CONTACT PHONE NO: 0812 406 8181; 2348140000041

EMAIL: info@ReadingCorner.ng

ONLINE BOOKSTORE: http://readingcorner.ng/

EASE OF NAVIGATION: Very easy

BOOK CLUB: Yes

BOOK RELATED EVENTS FOR CHILDREN: Yes

OUR REVIEW: We love this store to pieces!!!!!!!! Unlike most children’s bookshops in Nigeria, they have quite an extensive booklist for babies and toddlers, basically kids age 0 – 4 (including international bestsellers) and we love them for it. 

  1. CHELISBOOKAZINE  (Just For Kids)

ADDRESS: Plot 12 Johnson Street, Off Bode Thomas Road, Surulere, Lagos.

CONTACT PHONE NO: 01-7742241, 08152854860, 08152854846, 08037128290, 08033324289, 09030096733 (helpline)

EMAIL: customercare@chelisbookazine.com

ONLINE BOOKSTORE: http://chelisbookazine.com

EASE OF NAVIGATION: Relatively easy

BOOK CLUB: Yes

BOOK RELATED EVENTS FOR CHILDREN: Yes

OUR REVIEW: For the longest time, this was our favourite bookshop in Nigeria. They are a favourite with many schools in Nigeria too! They have tons of books, (fiction and non-fiction) for kids 0 – 12 especially those in the 0 – 8 age group and lots of classics too. The highlight of this store: Their prices are quite pocket-friendly!! (Caveat: They’re currently updating their site. Prices may change from February 2017)

  1. LATERNA BOOKS

ADDRESS: 13, Oko-Awo Close, Off. Adetokunbo Ademola Street, Victoria Island, Lagos.

CONTACT PHONE NO: 08100234441 (online store only); 08033014462,012715376

EMAIL: info@laternabooks.com; sales@laternabooks.com

ONLINE BOOKSTORE: https://www.laternabooks.com/index3.php?c=5

EASE OF NAVIGATION: Relatively easy

BOOK CLUB: No

BOOK RELATED EVENTS FOR CHILDREN: Yes

OUR REVIEW: This is a great bookstore. It has quite a good list but do you know what we absolutely love about it? Their events! They have lots of ‘reading’ events for kids! Go to Laterna to meet your favourite Nigerian authors! 

  1. BIBLE WONDERLAND

ADDRESS: 33 Funsho Williams Avenue, Surulere Lagos; OANDO Filling Station, 4th Roundabout, Lekki, Lagos.

CONTACT PHONE NO: Surulere: 08105682169, 08105682185; Lekki: 08105682183

EMAIL: biblewonderlandng@gmail.com; bookcityng@gmail.com

ONLINE BOOKSTORE: http://biblewonderlandng.com/store/index.php?route=common/home

EASE OF NAVIGATION: Not so easy. (Best to go to the Lekki and Surulere Stores)

BOOK CLUB: No

BOOK RELATED EVENTS FOR CHILDREN: No

OUR REVIEW: Our go-to store for great Christian books for kids! They have a wide range of non-fiction books on history and geography!!

  1. TERRAKULTURE

 ADDRESS: Plot 1376, Tiamiyu Savage, Off Ahmadu Bello Way, Victoria Island, Lagos

CONTACT PHONE NO: +234-1-2700-588

EMAIL: info@terrakulture.com

ONLINE BOOKSTORE: Work-in-progress

EASE OF NAVIGATION: Not Applicable

BOOK CLUB: No

BOOK RELATED EVENTS FOR CHILDREN: No

OUR REVIEW: This is hands-down our best store for extraordinary books for children, ‘Made in Nigeria’

  1. FARAFINA

ADDRESS: 253 Herbert Macaulay Way, Alagomeji, Yaba, Lagos.

CONTACT PHONE NO: 08077364217

EMAIL: info@kachifo.com

WEBSITE: https://www.konga.com/kachifo-farafina or https://www.mobiashara.com/farafina

EASE OF NAVIGATION: Easy

BOOK CLUB: No

BOOK RELATED EVENTS FOR CHILDREN: Yes

OUR REVIEW: Farafina is an imprint of the Kachifo publishing house so you will be able to buy only books published by Kachifo. Their titles for kids (under the Farafina Tuuti Imprint) are GREAT!! Another huge plus: over the phone orders are pretty easy and straightforward

  1. KONGA

ADDRESS: None

CONTACT PHONE NO: 01 460 5555; 0809 460 5555

EMAIL: help@konga.com

ONLINE BOOKSTORE: http://www.konga.com/childrens-books

EASE OF NAVIGATION: Relatively easy

BOOK CLUB: No

BOOK RELATED EVENTS FOR CHILDREN: Yes

OUR REVIEW: They have quite a few titles for kids. We absolutely love them for the old Nigerian classics. 

  1. THE HUB

ADDRESS: 1st Floor, The Palm Shopping Mall, Lekki, Lagos, Lagos

CONTACT PHONE NO: 01 813 1268

EMAIL: Not available

ONLINE BOOKSTORE: Not available

EASE OF NAVIGATION: Not applicable

BOOK CLUB: No

BOOK RELATED EVENTS FOR CHILDREN: No

OUR REVIEW: They have quite a number of books for kids. We absolutely love them for their quirky list. Pick up the most random books from here, books you’ll likely not find in other bookshops. 

  1. CASSAVA REPUBLIC

 ADDRESS: Shop 62, Abuja Arts and Crafts Village, Opposite Sheraton Hotel, Central Business District Abuja

CONTACT PHONE NO: 081-85802634

EMAIL: info@cassavarepublic.biz

ONLINE BOOKSTORE: http://www.cassavarepublic.biz/collections/childrens-books

EASE OF NAVIGATION: Easy

BOOK CLUB: No

BOOK RELATED EVENTS FOR CHILDREN: No

OUR REVIEW: A great store for home-grown books! They also double as a publishing house so they sell only their titles.

Do you know any bookshops that should make this list? Email us at ugochinyelu.anidi@gmail.com

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photo credit: twickermum.com

Children’s Day and Pint-sized Bookworms Reading Club

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Dear Pint-sized Bookworms (and their mummies, daddies, aunties, uncles and teachers),

HAPPY CHILDREN’S DAY!!!!! (in arrears)

 I hope you had a swell day!!!!

 Here’s how we celebrated. PBW Reading Club had its first ever reading event at Learning Ladder Montessori School, Ajah, Lagos.We had loads of fun!

We read 3 books,

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IMG_6444did some exercises on the books, 

 

made DIY reading journals

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And lots more!!!

Stay tuned for more pictures!!

Do you want us to come to your school? Write us here: ugochinyelu.anidi@gmail.com The subject of your mail should read PBW Reading Club.

We look forward to hearing from you!

 

Happy Reading!!

Many thanks to our Sponsors and Volunteers 

CAIN PROJECTS, JulieCecil Photography, A.S Homes & Designs, PinPoint Creatives, Blunch Foods Nig. LTD, Dr. N (author of Adaeze, the True Princess); Tolu Banjo (keepingfaithwithtolu) 

 

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NEWS/EVENT THIS WEEK May 22-26th

NEWS/EVENTS, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Dear Pint-sized Bookworms (and their mummies, daddies, aunties, uncles and teachers),

It’s a new week and boy, do I have news for you!

  1. PBW Reading Club

Our first reading club event will take place on Children’s Day, May 27th 2016 and we’re raring to go! The new Pint-sized Bookworms will be reading three books: HANDA’S HEN by Eileen Browne (read review here); AFRO: THE GIRL WITH THE MAGICAL HAIR by Okechulwu Ofili (read review here) and HOW TO BUILD YOUR OWN COUNTRY by Valerie Wyatt (read review here) and two stories with lots of activities like word games, puzzles, and an arts and craft session. We will also have one author book reading by newbie author Nnenna Ochiche. She will read her new book, ADAEZE, THE TRUE PRINCESS (read review here).

 

  1. Connect Nigeria’s Writer’s Conference

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The annual conference for writers, ‘The Business of Writing’ organized by ConnectNigeria held two days ago at the Sleek Center, in Victoria Island, Lagos. It featured speakers like Okechuchukwu Ofili of Afro: The Girl with the Magical Hair, Eghosa Imasuen of Fine Boys, Efe Paul Azino, poet par excellence, Adebola Rayo of Artyliving and Director and screenwriter Ike Nnaebue. Yours truly attended with the latest Pint-sized Bookworm. More information on the conference can be found here.

  1. Movies  

a. Through the Looking Glass

The movie, Through the Looking Glass, sequel to Alice in Wonderland, will premier in the US on May 27th! Yes! Children’s Day! Produced by Walt Disney Pictures, it features actors like Anna Hathaway (Princess Diaries), Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter. The movies are based on the books of the same title by Lewis Carroll. Be sure to read the two books before going to see the movie!

b. The BFG Movie

Fans of Roald Dahl and the BFG (read review here) will be glad to know that the BFG is about to hit the big screen. Premiering this July in the US, this sure to be blockbuster was directed by Stephen Spielberg and produced by Dreamworks!!! Can you imagine?! Definitely a feast for the senses!

You can find last week’s news here

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Happy Reading !!