Term 6: African Tales and Stories Written by African Authors

Discovery Storytime Term 6: African Tales and Stories Written by African Authors

For this term’s Discovery Story Time, all year groups at Southborough are reading traditional African folktales and books written by African authors. For fifteen minutes each day, our teaching assistants read from a selection of non-fiction and fiction books from our Discovery Centre’s rich collection.

During Discovery Story Time, classes will be introduced to the breadth of history, myth, art and culture found within stories written by African authors. Classes in the younger years will be reading texts set in various countries across the continent, reading about the New Yam Festival in Nigeria, the adventures of the life of a young girl living in Lagos, stories about ancient African civilizations and Ghanaian folktales. 

In KS2, children will be reading from a collection of traditional folktales from across the continent. These include creation stories, 'pourqoui' stories that explain how things came to be and tales of spirits and shape-shifters unique to the different regions across Africa. 

Children will also have access to a range of non-fiction texts about the continent, its various traditions and inspiring African artists. They will also be able to read last term's Reading Champions' texts, such as 'Zahrah the Windseeker' by Nnedi Okorafor. The book is a science-fiction fantasy novel that is heavily influenced by Okorafor's Nigerian-American heritage. 

Classes will be reading the following books:

Chicken in the Kitchen by Nnedi Okorafor

Ghanaian Goldilocks by Dr Tamara Pizzoli

Anansi the Spider: A Tale from the Ashanti by Gerald McDermott

Sleep Well Siba and Saba by Nansubuga Nagadya Isdahl

Idia of the Benin Kingdom by Ekiuwa Aire

Too Small Tola by Atinuke

The No.1 Car Spotter by Atinuke

Anna Hibiscus by Atinuke

African Tales: A Barefoot Collection  by Gcina Mhlophe

Africa, Amazing Africa: Country by Country by Atinuke

African and Caribbean Folktales, Myths and Legends by Wendy Shearer

Black Artists Shaping the World  by Sharna Jackson

Zahrah the Windseeker by Nnedi Okorafor