Onyeka and the Academy of the Sun: A superhero adventure perfect for Marvel and DC fans!

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I really enjoyed the friendships and some of the supporting characters, and I like that we didn't spend too much time waiting for a certain character to get better. Okogwu has created an exciting fantasy with Nigerian culture and customs woven into the plot to create excellent world building with interesting characters. A story of a young girl’s journey to self-acceptance, this title will leave readers on the edge of their seats in anticipation for the next part in this new series." Onyeka and the Academy of the Sun (Onyeka #1) by Tolá Okogwu". www.publishersweekly.com . Retrieved 2022-12-10.

This is the first book in a series. There was a lot of setting up the world and the villain was fairly generic and easy to predict.It's not earning any points for twists because everything is laid out very standardly. But that did make it easier to follow. Families can talk about Onyeka and the Academy of the Sun and how superhero stories work across various cultures. That, and the fact she’s the only other Nigerian I know. Mum never talks about Nigeria or why we left, so the little I know about how it became so rich and powerful comes from history class. It’s been this way for as long as I can remember. The friendship she developed with some of the other Solari was also really sweet. Although they felt very typical at first, I ended up liking them in the end! Adanna in particular. She seemed like a very cliche character at first, but as we got to know her, I really grew to like her. Cheyenne, Onyeka’s best friend in London, was also a really cool character, even if she didn’t play as big a role as some of the other characters in the story.Onyeka is a twelve-year-old girl living in the U.K. with her Mom. They moved there from their native Nigeria when Onyeka was very young. In fact, she was so young she doesn't remember anything about her life in Nigeria where they lived with her father. Common Sense is the nation's leading nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of all kids and families by providing the trustworthy information, education, and independent voice they need to thrive in the 21st century. Children's and teens roundup – the best new picture books and novels | Children and teenagers | The Guardian". theguardian.com . Retrieved 2022-12-10. Fans of superhero movies will enjoy the spectacular fight scenes, the ethical conundrums and the timeless clash between good and evil. The pacing of the book was interesting. There were quite a few twists and turns towards the end that I didn't necessarily see coming and were strongly connected to Onyeka's missing father. It will definitely read a little slow because a lot doesn't necessarily happen until the end of the book. This is a first in a series, so a great portion of this was dedicated to the set up of the characters, the school environment, the magic system, vast descriptions of abilities, and more. This definitely provided a touch of issue for me because I typically gravitate towards books that are heavy on the action, but I could respect how this was primarily about introducing readers to a new and exciting world.

Night Mayor Franklefink has vanished from the Transylvanian Express - and it's up to you to solve the case! Part of the Solve Your Own Mystery seri... Cheyenne hesitates for a moment, then pulls it from my clenched fist. “I don’t know why you let what other people think bother you so much,” she says, smoothing it out. She reaches toward me, the cap resting between her small fingers. “We don’t need to fit in.”So here I am, trying to fit the ugly thing over my hair, and all Cheyenne can do is laugh. She finally stops spluttering long enough for me to get a word in.

Her hands stilled and silence descended on the salon. All conversation stopped as eager ears waited to hear Mum’s reply. It’s thoroughly fulfilling getting to know the characters we met in the first book even more deeply. Tolá masterly creates such vivid imagery of her characters in your mind. Each so unique with diverse skills that blend together wonderfully. The Reader gets to go along with Onyeka as she learns all about the Solari, their history and challenges. She trains with other students, who although all Solari, have very different powers from one another. Onyeka and the Academy of the Sun would make a brilliant class read, rich in cultural references, for children in UKS2, both those who love superheroes and those who love a good story. The ending implies there is more to come from Onyeka, which I look forward to reading!It was a lot of fun to be in a magic school setting. There were a lot of interesting characters and Onyeka learned so much about herself from interacting with the others. She made some close friends and was able to really be herself for the first time. The beauty, magic and power of Onyeka’s hair is interwoven throughout the story and I can see lots of children reading this story wanting hair just like Onyeka’s. However, the book shows the true treasure is embracing you and what makes you unique. Each character having their own superpower – even in the case of Cheyenne where her superpower is simply being an incredible friend. I ignored the bit about my rubbish swimming skills because she was right and I’d already told Cheyenne as much. Mum was also right about the ear infections. Cheyenne gets them a lot because of the Turner’s syndrome. But Onyeka’s new reality brings challenges and she soon finds herself in the midst of a battle for truth, freedom and life itself. It was such a distinctive and daring choice by Okogwu to have Onyeka’s power be derived from her hair. It was beautiful to witness Onyeka’s transformation in her feelings regarding her hair. She went from hating it and thinking it needed to be fixed/contained to loving it and relishing the strength it provided her.

What had me less enthusiastic, however, was the ending. Imagine any derivative kids' film where the generic villain reveals their dastardly evil plan and then gets foiled at the last second by sheer stupidity. That's ONYEKA's climax. The villain first thoroughly underestimates Onyeka and friends. Powers get hurled around everywhere in a confusing word mishmash of limbs and bodies, and even though there are a dozen or so trained adults who presumably know the dangers of fighting Solari as they understand what Ike is, they lose badly to four thirteen-year-olds. Then the villain gets captured, only to mysteriously manage to escape so there can be higher stakes in the second book. I wasn't expecting anything hugely mind-blowing, but come on, maybe something a little more exciting than that?Before she found work in the salon, Mum cleaned toilets in one of the local primary schools. She was so thin then, her secondhand clothes hanging off her. She doesn’t think I remember, but I do. I also remember how long it took for her to find a salon willing to ignore the fact she doesn’t have a British passport and also willing to pay in cash. I absolutely adored this story from the very first chapter. Getting to know Onyeka, she is such a special character, the kind who is easy to root for. Shinji Takahashi and the Mark of the Coatl is the first book in a globe-trotting adventure that combines high-tech wizardry, old-world legends and a little bit of magic.