Children of the Benin Kingdom

Product Information

In summary this book is about a girl who finds out her father is the Sky-king and that Papa Eze who is Ada’s guardian offered to look after her for Ada’s mother. My favourite character was Ada because she was strong, brave, and courageous and has an incredible family past.

Ada must now travel deep into the forest to discover the ancient Edo kingdom of Benin and use everything within her power to heal the terrible divisions that are tearing the kingdom apart. The book follows the story of Ada, who discovers her true identity and must travel into the heart of the rainforest to heal the divisions that are occurring within the kingdom. Polly Crosby tells ReadingZone about her novel, This Tale is Forbidden (Scholastic), a fractured fairy tale set in a dystopian world. I also appreciated the appendix where the author took the time to add a “facts and fiction” section that further introduces the reader to this ancient kingdom!

A riveting historical adventure… as much about friendship and loyalty and the bonds of family as a quest for identity. While Eze is away consulting a diviner, Ada with the help of Mbe, Eze’s apprentice, risks a journey of her own to find some Golden-leaf bark as she has noticed Eze is becoming weaker.

But when Papa Eze himself becomes unwell he knows it s time to reveal to Ada her true heritage – a closely kept secret that has so far protected his daughter from her enemies.

On the path of the hunters, often Ada and her friends are the ones being hunted and this journey is a test of strength, self-belief, faith and bravery in the face of warriors and chiefs who show no mercy. The thing that most stands out was the three descriptions of the journey through the forest that Mbe and Ada took. Books for Topics, children’s fiction reviews blog “A riveting historical adventure… as much about friendship and loyalty and the bonds of family as a quest for identity. There will also be plenty of opportunities to practise reading skills and take part in discussions around the events of the story. The historical Benin Kingdom is an option for UK primary teachers at KS2, and is a great choice for those who are keen to diversify their curriculum.

This is a fast-paced adventure story of a resourceful and feisty young girl determined to find out where she came from and where she fits into society. But when Papa Eze himself becomes ill, he knows he must tell Ada the truth about her real identity – something he has kept hidden to protect his daughter from danger. Ada has to go on an adventure with Mbe to find Ada’s twin brother and stop her father from trying to kill her. Children of the Benin Kingdom is fast paced adventure story, set in one of Africa’s most fascinating civilisations, the Edo Kingdom of Benin.This beautifully written story is immersed in accurate historical knowledge that takes the reader on a fast-paced adventure based around an ancient West African civilisation.