When twelve-year-old Onyeka discovers that she has psychokinetic powers, her mother reveals that she is Solari, part of a secret group of Nigerian mutants that trains at the Academy of the Sun. - (Baker & Taylor)

A Solari, one of a secret group of people with super powers unique to Nigeria, Onyeka is sent to the Academy of the Sun where she and her new friends must put their powers to the test. 50,000 first printing. Simultaneous eBook. - (Baker & Taylor)

Black Panther meets X-Men in this “fast-paced, action-packed, and empowering” (A. F. Steadman, New York Times bestselling author of Skandar and the Unicorn Thief) middle grade adventure about a British Nigerian girl who learns that her Afro hair has psychokinetic powers—perfect for fans of Amari and the Night Brothers, The Marvellers, and Rick Riordan!

Onyeka has a lot of hair­—the kind that makes strangers stop in the street and her peers whisper behind her back. At least she has Cheyenne, her best friend, who couldn’t care less what other people think. Still, Onyeka has always felt insecure about her vibrant curls…until the day Cheyenne almost drowns and Onyeka’s hair takes on a life of its own, inexplicably pulling Cheyenne from the water.

At home, Onyeka’s mother tells her the shocking truth: Onyeka’s psychokinetic powers make her a Solari, one of a secret group of people with superpowers unique to Nigeria. Her mother quickly whisks her off to the Academy of the Sun, a school in Nigeria where Solari 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… - (Simon and Schuster)

Tolá Okogwu is a British Nigerian author, journalist, and hair care educator. Born in Nigeria but raised in London, she holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism. Having spent several years exploring the world of blogging, haircare, and freelance writing, she finally returned to her first love: fiction. She is the author of the Onyeka middle grade series, the self-published picture book series Daddy Do My Hair, and Aziza’s Secret Fairy Door under the name Lola Morayo. Tolá lives in Kent, England, with her husband and two daughters. An avid reader and lover of music, she’s also a sucker for melted cheese. Learn more at TolaOkogwu.com. - (Simon and Schuster)

Booklist Reviews

Onyeka is a British Nigerian girl who's always been self-conscious about her hair and the attention that it draws. A day at the pool changes Onyeka's life as she discovers that her hair can move on its own when she tries saving her best friend, Cheyenne, from drowning. She is further stunned when her mother reveals that she is one of many Solari: people with superpowers found only in Nigeria. Onyeka can control her hair with her kinetic powers, but her emotions cause her hair to get out of control, and using her powers can make her feel sick. Her missing father and the Academy of the Sun, located in Nigeria, may hold the answers to controlling her powers. 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. Grades 4-8. Copyright 2022 Booklist Reviews.

Kirkus Reviews

A young British Nigerian girl tangles with her hair's true power. Onyekachi hates her hair. She wishes there was a way to magically make her mass of gravity-defying, comb-breaking curls and coils behave. Maybe then she would fit in and not draw negative attention. Her overly cautious Mum constantly reminds Onyeka that she needs to blend in and not cause trouble. Onyeka is dutiful except when it comes to her best (and only) friend, Cheyenne, another British Nigerian girl. When Chey nearly drowns at the pool, Onyeka's hair forms a lifesaving bubble around them. Later, her mother reveals that Onyeka is a Solari, just like her missing father, and decides they must return to Nigeria to find him and help her gain control of her Ike, or powers. Scared and excited, Onyeka arrives at the Academy of the Sun, a Solari boarding school, while Mum heads off alone in search of her father. Unfortunately, Adanna, Onyeka's new roommate, is cold, rude, and the school's top student. While Onyeka slowly settles in, tragedy strikes: Her mother goes missing. This first series entry shines brightly as a tale of overcoming emotional scars, gaining confidence in our gifts, and forming new bonds. Onyeka's journey with her hair, both as the vessel of her magic and as a Black girl, is beautiful to witness. The rich worldbuilding makes the solar-powered Nigerian techno-wonderland feel palpable. The final twist will create a hunger for more. A delightful blend of adventure, heart, and Afrofuturism. (Fantasy. 9-13) Copyright Kirkus 2022 Kirkus/BPI Communications. All rights reserved.

Publishers Weekly Reviews

Okogwu's immersive Afrofuturist middle grade debut centers a British Nigerian girl with a blue-fire-tinged "tangle of curls, coils and kinks" that "has broken more combs trashed more hair-dryers... than I can count." In London, Onyekachi Adéyemi Adérìnólá lives with her hardworking mother, who makes her learn and repeat the Fibonacci sequence—imbued in the girl's mind with colors, textures, and tastes—to help control her emotions. When her British Nigerian best friend Cheyenne, an anime fan with Turner's syndrome, nearly drowns in a busy pool's deep end, Onyeka's feelings take over, and hair forms a bubble of safety around them both. Onyeka soon learns that she is Solari like her father, who disappeared after making a genetics breakthrough in Nigeria. To find him and learn more about her powers, she and her mother head to Lagos, seeking her father's mentor—founder of the elite Academy of the Sun, where Solari go to learn to use their abilities. But as Onyeka navigates the new surroundings and encounters other Solari, her mother, too, disappears. In Okogwu's vividly created Nigerian world, technology and an exploration of emotional internality interplay with a child's literalized relationship with her hair, making for an enjoyable X-Men-leaning series starter. Ages 8–12. (June)