Anna Hibiscus

Product Information

For example, when Anna refuses to get her hair done any more, all her grandmother has to say is “Leave her. When Anna's parents decide to go on a vacation to the beach just by themselves, her mom is looking forward to some time alone. One of the first stories in the book is about Auntie Comfort who lives and has a job in America and whom Grandfather worries may have forgotten her African roots (no reason to fear). I read some previous reviews about how excited readers were to have an authentic "African" story, but there's nothing authentic about this. Anna Hibiscus Series 8 Books Collection Set by Atinuke - Anna Hibiscus, Hooray for, Welcome Home, Good Luck, Have Fun, You are Amazing, Go Well : Atinuke, 140630655X 9781406306552 Anna Hibiscus by Atinuke 978-1406306552, 1406349127 9781406349122 Love from Anna Hibiscus by Atinuke 978-1406349122, 1406320811 9781406320817 Welcome Home, Anna Hibiscus!

The chapters each feel like a stand-alone story, and are filled with wonderful descriptions and details about Anna's life in Africa with her large family. Anna Hibiscus, a new series of short chapter books, provides a wonderful view into the world of a young girl living in a modern, middle-class African city.Atinuke, a Nigerian born storyteller, has written a series that addresses issues such as cultural identity and economic issues with grace and a light hand, being both serious and humorous at the same time. Her books include a Boston Globe–Horn Book Honor Winner, a Notable Book for a Global Society, a Cybils Award Winner, and an Africana Award Winner. Atinuke maintains a light tone throughout but there are some thought-provoking episodes, particularly when Anna sells oranges and later comes to understand that she has deprived some poorer children of their income.

And once you understand the living situation (everyone lives in one big house) the rest of the book will make that much more sense. If kids start yearning to belong to a gigantic fun family like the one Anna Hibiscus belongs to, at least some of the credit is going to have to go to Lauren Tobia for capturing this idyllic community. Anna Hibiscus is looking forward to visiting her grandmother in Canada, where she will see snow for the first time!The conclusion is not moralistic, necessarily, nor is it simplistic--but it does seek to reinforce the status quo of Anna's family as normal and good. The author's note at the end of each book says that Atinuke's "stories are a medley of traditional folklore and contemporary urban life," and that description is so apt. There is poverty in Africa, but there are plenty of normal people who go about their lives just like us and I think it’s so important for young readers to see that as much as(or more than!