Title: Adaeze the True Princess

Author: Nnenna Ochiche

Publisher: Grace Springs Africa Publishers

Number of pages: 164

Type of Book: Contemporary, Fiction

Age: 8+

Buy it here: Laterna Books 13 Oko Awo Street, Victoria Island, Lagos; The Hub, Palms Shopping Mall, Lekki, Lagos;  http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1523963271?keywords=adaeze&qid=1457472822&ref_=sr_1_2&sr=8-2

Price: N1,000; N1,000;16.80 GBP

MY SUMMARY

Eight-year-old Adaeze was born with a silver spoon in her mouth. With a name that literally means ‘Daughter of a King’ she considered herself a princess and was treated as such by her parents. She had bad grades in school, stuffed herself with food till she became overweight and got everything she wanted WHEN she wanted, either by simply asking or throwing herself on the floor and screaming her head off. She was spoilt beyond belief.

Then one day, everything changed. Adaeze’s dad got into trouble with the law and skipped town, her mum became sick. All of a sudden, Adaeze had to leave her illustrious life in urban Lagos to move to almost remote, Aba to live with her strict, poorly dressed and almost impoverished aunt. Suddenly, she couldn’t eat pizza and ice cream at will, make intermittent phone calls, go shopping, watch TV and play computer games.

Read the book to find out how Adaeze fared in Aba and how Aunty Felicia helped her become a true princess.

THUMBS UP AND DOWN

UP: I enjoyed reading this book. It reminded me (sooo much) of Shakespeare’s “The Taming of the Shrew”. It also reminded of my primary school days especially the Iburibu incident. Like Adaeze’s mother, the incident made me laugh till I cried. It brought memories of fighting in school. Humor! Adaeze was so badly behaved sometimes that the reader is shocked into laughter. Some of the tricks/antics Aunty Felicia employed to try to change Adaeze were downright funny.

Honestly, where the child hero of this book is Adaeze, the adult hero is Aunty Felicia. She was the highlight of the book for me. I recommend for older independent readers, boys and girls alike.

DOWN: It was a bit slow-paced and there were minor grammatical errors. It almost had a didactic tone, almost.

RATING

4 Stars

TRIVIA

1. Adaeze’s reaction when she saw her cousin Jones riding her bike. She yelled at him, grabbed his shirt, pulled him off the bike, threw him on the floor and bit his ear!
2. A typical day in Adaeze’s life? She would go to school, come home, eat lunch and wail to avoid doing her homework with her private tutor. Her mum would apologize, send the tutor away and try to pacify her with pizza and ice cream, then she would watch cartoons till 10pm. When her dad returned, he would bring chocolate and a bucket of fried chicken. She would eat as much as she could and then go to bed.
3. What did Adaeze’s parents do whenever she failed in school? They blamed the teacher(s) and moved Adaeze to another school.
4. “So many diseases just love a child with excess fat.” Who said this and why? Aunt Felicia. She was trying to get Adaeze to lose weight.
5. Adaeze told this person everything? Isi, her equally spoilt best friend.
6. Why did Adaeze get into a fight in church? Because a child told her she was fat. She called her Iburibu (literally: you are fat)

Visit Adaeze here:  https://www.facebook.com/Adaeze-the-True-Princess-906886066073899/  

CHALLENGE: Adaeze the True Princess

CREATE (WRITE a Story/Poem OR DRAW)

1. True princesses treat others with kindness. True or False? Write a 600-word essay on the most important qualities a prince/princess must have.

OR

2. Write a 600-word short story with any of the following themes: Service to others OR Friendship

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 12:00am on Sunday, March 14^th 2016.

Next Book of the Week:

THE WIZARD OF OZ by L. FRANK BAUM

*A copy of this book was given to me in exchange for an honest review