CCBC booklist are compiled from books we have recommended in various editions of CCBC Choices. Most of these booklists are updated annually. You can also select books from one or more booklists to create a custom list, which can also include additional books from the CCBC-Recommended Book Search.
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Somadina
CCBC Review:
Long before Sọmadịna and her twin, Jayaike, were born, the creation of the Split ended the Starvation War. A yawning chasm, the Split severs the rest of the world from Sọmadịna’s island, where most people receive one magical ability from the goddess, Ala, when they come of age. When the twins manifest multiple gifts—and one of Sọmadịna’s gifts causes her to murder a violent peer against her will—they are deemed “abominations” and shunned by the community. And then Jayaike is snatched in the night, abducted by the sinister “hunter,” who has appeared in Sọmadịna’s dreams. Sọmadịna’s grandfather, Zerenjọ, and her sister, Nkadi, are dịbịas, “masters of medicine and spirit” who possess multiple powerful gifts; they help Sọmadịna prepare for the dangerous search for her brother. Together Sọmadịna, her best friend Ụwafụlamiro, and Nkadi set out on the journey. Along the way, Sọmadịna struggles to accept and control her gifts, especially an emptiness that can be harnessed to kill anything in her path. Sọmadịna and Jayaike have been claimed by Ala. But the “small gods” will not understand the full extent of their powers until they are reunited and facing death at the hands of the hunter. Set in a West African-inspired fantasy setting, this richly imagined coming-of-age novel brings to life a world in which magic is both coveted and feared. At its heart is a girl longing for acceptance as she discovers her place in her family and the world. ©2026 Cooperative Children’s Book Center
CCBC Age Recommendation: Age 14 and older
Age Range:
Grades 9-12 (Age 14 and older)
Format:
Novel
Subjects:
African Peoples
Fantasy
Journeys and Quests
Magic
Siblings
Diversity subject:
Black/African
On CCBC Booklist:
Fantastic Fiction: Great Fantasy Books for Ages 11 to 17
Publishers:
Knopf, Random House
Publish Year: 2025
Pages: 296
ISBN: 9780593309070
CCBC Location: Fiction, Emezi
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Please send questions or comments about CCBC booklists to ccbcinfo@education.wisc.edu.