Summer Reading Challenge
Summer Reading Challenge – our free printable Booktious card game uses an addictive and fun format to inspire reading for pleasure in children, young adult and teens aged 2-18. Download now!
Recommended reading books for elementary, middle & high school students
Nnedimma Nkemdili Okorafor, known as Nnedi Okorafor, was born on April 8, 1974, in Cincinnati, Ohio, to Igbo Nigerian parents. Her name, Igbo for “mother is good,” reflects her cultural roots. Her family’s relocation to the United States in 1969, amidst the Nigerian Civil War, granted her dual American and Nigerian citizenship.
Attending Homewood-Flossmoor High School in Illinois, Okorafor excelled in sports, particularly tennis and track, and demonstrated prowess in math and sciences. Despite aspiring to become an entomologist, her plans took a turn when, at 13, she was diagnosed with scoliosis. A spinal fusion surgery at 19, intended to address the condition, resulted in paralysis from the waist down.
Faced with physical challenges, Okorafor turned to writing during her recovery. Encouraged by a friend, she enrolled in a creative writing class, marking the beginning of her literary journey. Her first novel emerged by the end of that semester, setting the stage for her distinguished career.
Completing her college education at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Okorafor earned a master’s degree in journalism from Michigan State University. She further pursued a master’s degree and a PhD in English from the University of Illinois, Chicago. In 2001, she graduated from the Clarion Writers Workshop in Lansing, Michigan.
Nnedi Okorafor’s work, rooted in her West African heritage and American life, challenges genre norms. With a focus on diversity and grounded in Nigerian folklore, her stories explore societal issues through fantastical frameworks. Okorafor, rejecting the term “afrofuturism,” coined africanfuturism and africanjujuism to define her unique narrative style.
Summer Reading Challenge – our free printable Booktious card game uses an addictive and fun format to inspire reading for pleasure in children, young adult and teens aged 2-18. Download now!
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