Award Winning Author Tola Okogwu!
The Prep School was buzzing with excitement on Monday! Tola inspired us all as she shared her journey of overcoming challenges to find books for her daughters by writing her own. Her story was a testament to creativity and resilience, and it sparked so many meaningful conversations among us. What a powerful way to motivate and connect with everyone! Tola “believes that it’s important for children to read books that are reflective of their own experiences, as well as other cultures and she seeks to create these opportunities through her books and wider writing.”
Infants
Reception, Year 1 and 2 were enchanted as Tola read the heartwarming story of “Bekah and the Moon”. Waterstones describe the book as “A moving and magical picture book about the love between a young girl and the moon
“Luna’s here, there’s no need to fear.”
Bekah loves the moon, and she knows the moon loves her too. Each night, when shadows or strange noises frighten her, she is visited by Luna, who bathes the room in moonlight and chases away her fears. But as Luna appears less and less often, Bekah begins to doubt whether her love was ever real. When Luna returns, Bekah finds that even when someone can’t always be by your side, their love never leaves you.
From the author of Daddy Do My Hair and the highly acclaimed Onyeka series, Tolá Okogwu, and FAB prize shortlisted illustrator, Abeeha Tariq.”
The girls enjoyed learning about the names of the phases of the moon and about what a solar eclipse is.
Year 3 and 4 Aziza’s Fairy Door
Year 3 and 4 were introduced to Aziza’s Fairy Door!
The Aziza series is described as “inclusive magical adventure series, perfect for readers of 6-8 from debut author Lola Morayo. It is inspired by world mythology and is gorgeously illustrated in black and white throughout by Cory Reid.
Open the door to a world of magic and adventure …
. . .a secret fairy door that will whisk her away to Shimmerton, a magical world with princesses, naughty fairies, shapeshifters, unicorn shopkeepers and mischief around every corner.” Waterstones.
Tola revealed that the books were written under a pen name and shared how she and Jasmine Richards teamed up as Lola Morayo. The girls learnt how collaboration can spark creativity.
The room was filled with energy as the girls imaginations ran wild, leading them to create two story settings, characters and plots. The session finished with a competitive element to see who could write the best ending to one of the stories!
Year 5 and 6
Tola shared her personal journey, highlighting how she often transforms her appearance with different hairstyles—sometimes even changing her look three times in a single day! This inspired her to create a character who learns that what she perceived as a weakness is actually her superpower!
The girls were thrilled to join in an experiment, trying on superhero costumes to see if they could tap into their own superpowers.
The Onyeka series is described by Waterstones as “an action-packed and empowering middle-grade superhero series about a British-Nigerian girl who learns that her Afro hair has psychokinetic powers.
I close my eyes, trying to push the power bubbling in me back down… Hairbands snap as my hair shoots out like superfine arrows, tearing through everything in its path.
Onyeka has a lot of hair – the kind that makes strangers stop in the street. She’s always felt insecure about her vibrant curls, until she makes an important discovery: she can control her hair with her mind!
Her mother quickly whisks her off to the Academy of the Sun, a school in Nigeria where Solari – children with superpowers – are trained. But Onyeka and her new friends at the Academy soon have to put their powers to the test as they find themselves embroiled in a momentous battle between truth and lies.”
Do have a look at our Instagram Reel of her visit with us!
