All summer, I’ll be sharing books for kids of all ages on topics that will interest them or offer them something new to learn about. Most of the time, these will be nonfiction books, but sometimes we can learn from fictional stories too. I believe reading over the summer is so important, and keeping kids interested in reading by finding books that are relevant and full of topics that they are interested in is very important. Kids should be reading at least 20 minutes every day, and I hope that these books offer you ideas to keep your kids reading and learning all summer.
Look for these posts every Friday. They will always have Summer Read-to-Learn in the title and the tags. There will be books from some of my favorite publishers as well as books on all kinds of topics kids love to read and learn about. Be sure to stop by each week to see what book I’m sharing as part of my Summer Read-to-Learn series.
To see all the books in the Summer Read-to-Learn series, click HERE.
ADI OF BOUTANGA
A Story from Cameroon
By: Alain Serge Dzotap
Illustrated by: Marc Daniau
Published: April 15, 2025
Publisher: Eerdmans Books for Young Readers
Fiction
Adi is a girl who lives in a village in Cameroon. Cameroon is located in Central Africa. Thirteen-year-old Adi is a big sister to six siblings. The author, also born in Cameroon, shares this story about a real girl named Adi that he met at Mama Ly’s school. Adi lives in a small nomadic village in Cameroon and even gets to go to school. But when something happens, she is forced to move away from her family and start a new school.
Although this is a fictional story, it is based on the real-life story of Adi, who was nearly forced to marry a man in the village at the age of 13. The author explains Adi’s fear so accurately, and the descriptions of her family’s feelings of helplessness to her uncle’s demands. Instead, her parents sent her away to Mama Ly’s school in Boutanga to escape what had always been done in their tribe. Even though Adi has to leave her family and is very scared about going to a new place, she knows this is the best thing for her because she has seen what happens to the other young girls forced into marriage.
At Mama Ly’s school, Adi makes new friends, learns new games, and most importantly, she finds that words have power. By the end of the story, Adi is 22, in love, and dreaming of what she will teach her daughter someday.
The end of the book includes an author’s note about the author’s reason for writing this story about Adi. Several pages include facts about Cameroon, the people in the story, such as Mama Ly and her school, and a glossary of terms that explains cultural words like dowry, Ndop cloth, and Sorrel juice.
It’s important for kids to learn about other cultures and what kids their age might be like in different parts of the world. This story is more appropriate for older elementary-aged kids due to the length of the story and subject matter. The illustrations show a much different, yet accurate, depiction of life in Cameroon. This book was translated from French by the author and reads easily without issues related to translation.
Adi’s story is compelling and shows a strong, independent girl whose family stood up against cultural norms to protect their daughter. Now, as an adult, Adi plans to do the same for her daughters, too.
Alain Serge Dzotap is a children’s author, poet, and literacy advocate. The Gift (Eerdmans), his English-language debut, was praised as “a beautiful look at the wonder of creativity and self-expression” by Kirkus Reviews. Alain’s books have received the Saint-Exupéry Valeurs Jeunesse Prize and have been included in the International Youth Library’s White Ravens catalog. Alain lives in Cameroon, where he has been awarded the country’s medal of knight of the order of merit.
Marc Daniau is the illustrator and author of Like a Giant (Tate) and over forty other books. He created the illustrations for Adi of Boutanga using oil paint. Marc lives in France. Visit his website at marcdaniau.fr.