Anna Hibiscus is the antidote to the loud, frantic energy of most modern kids' media. It’s warm, it’s smart, and it actually has something to say about the world.

Atinuke writes with a voice that feels like a real person telling a story by a fire, not a corporate committee. If you're tired of the same three settings in every kids' book, get this. It's a window into a part of the world that kids usually only see through a very narrow, often sad lens. Here, Africa is just 'amazing,' and the problems are the kind any kid can relate to—like having to share your toys with way too many relatives.