Welcome back, dear readers! Last week, we shared a fun booklist celebrating 15 African Children's Books for Boys. We're back with an equally thrilling sequel, specially crafted for all the incredible young girls out there! So, if you have a daughter, niece, or young female student(s) in your life, this one's for you.
We know how important it is to nurture young minds with empowering stories, and this curated list is designed to do just that. From fearless heroines to inspiring tales of resilience, these books celebrate the strength, dreams, and limitless potential of African girls.
As always, we encourage you to add to our list! Please feel free to add your favourite empowering books to our list because, as passionate bookworms ourselves, we adore discovering new literary gems!
Before we dive into these empowering reads, take a moment to explore some of our other enriching booklists. You can start with African children's books that impart valuable life lessons to children books written by talented African authors, and children's storybooks delving into African history and culture.
So, without further ado, let's celebrate girl power and embark on an empowering adventure through 15 Empowering African Children's Books for Girls.
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Afia the Ashanti Princess: A Visit to the MotherlandAfia is a young girl who dreams of being a princess but she doesn't know of any princesses who look like her. As she travels to her motherland Ghana, Afia is about to find out something truly extraordinary about her family history. Maybe, after all, princesses like Afia do exist and their stories still inspire. Recommended Age: 5 - 8 years |
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Anna Hibiscus lives in Africa, amazing Africa, with her mother and father, her twin baby brothers (Double and Trouble), and lots of extended family in a big white house with a beautiful garden in a compound in a city. Anna is never lonely—there are always cousins to play and fight with, aunties and uncles laughing and shouting, and parents and grandparents close by. Readers will happily follow as she goes on a seaside vacation, helps plan a party for Auntie Comfort from Canada (will she remember her Nigerian ways?), learns firsthand what it’s really like to be a child selling oranges outside the gate, and longs to see sweet snow. Recommended Age: 4 - 9 years |
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In a small African village in Malawi, Prisca and her brother Caleb work together and play together, chasing each other as fast as they can. But when Caleb has to leave home to attend a good school, Prisca misses him terribly. Hoping to earn enough money to visit him, Prisca begs a local peddler to sell her crafts—but no one buys what she’s made. However, thanks to Prisca’s kindness and compassion, her dreams of reuniting with Caleb just may come true. Recommended Age: 4+ years |
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A track scholarship could put thirteen-year-old Auma one step closer to leaving her small village in Kenya. She is determined to become a doctor, and nothing--not her classmates, not her marrying age, and not the night runners who come by the house while she sleeps--will stop her. Recommended Age: 8 - 12 years |
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Eve loves living next to a forest because it means being close to her favorite baobab trees. Doing her best to imitate them, Eve practices patience. She feeds and shelters birds, just as her beloved trees do, stretching toward the sky as if her arms were branches. Eve longs to communicate with the leafy giants she admires, and while she can’t become a tree, she can contribute to the beauty of the forest—just like her dad and grandma before her—by nurturing her very own baobab seedling.
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Mangoshi lives with her mom and dad in a village near the forest. When her mom becomes ill, Mangoshi knows only one thing can help her—a special flower that grows deep in the forest. Recommended Age: 4 - 8 years |
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Gloria is making a delicious porridge, but she's too hungry to share it with the cat. When Gloria goes to fetch some water, cat eats all the porridge . Angry Gloria shakes her spoon at the cat, and the scared cat runs away, starting a chaos around her. A retelling of an Ethiopian folktale by acclaimed author, Elizabeth Laird.
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Idia of the Benin KingdomIdia of the Benin Kingdom is an African folklore about Queen Idia of the ancient Kingdom of Benin. The young heroine sees her future in a dream and works her way to becoming one of the most loved, praised, and successful queens of the African Kingdom of Benin. The book is beautifully illustrated to keep the kids engrossed. This story will teach your children about obedience, practicing one's art, and believing dreams can come true. Recommended Ages: 4 - 12 years |
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Njinga of Ndongo and MatambaNjinga of Ndongo and Matamba is a great African folklore based on the story of Queen Njinga, a renowned African legend. Queen Anna Njinga (circa 1581-1663) of Angola bravely fought against slave trade and European influence in the seventeenth century. The book teaches the historical truth behind Queen Njinga's story of bravery in a simple and relatable manner to today's kids. Recommended Age: 4 - 12 years |
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This picture book tells the inspiring story of Wangari Maathai, women’s rights activist and one of the first environmental warriors. Wangari began the Green Belt Movement in Kenya in the 1960s, which focused on planting trees, environmental conservation, and women’s rights. She inspired thousands across Africa to plant 30 million trees in 30 years and was the first African woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. Recommended Age: 7+ years |
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SulweSulwe has skin the color of midnight. She is darker than everyone in her family. She is darker than anyone in her school. Sulwe just wants to be beautiful and bright, like her mother and sister. Then a magical journey in the night sky opens her eyes and changes everything.
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The Girl Without A Sound was born out of defiance and as a response to the fairy tales we were told as little girls. Stories about white princesses with blue eyes, flowing locks of hair and an Recommended Age: All Ages |
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This East-African spin on the classic tale of the gingerbread man is sure to delight anyone familiar with the famous Ethiopian injera. The staple of Ethiopian cuisine becomes a hotly pursued fugitive as it rolls through the streets, pursued by hungry children.
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Tola lives in an apartment in the busy city of Lagos, Nigeria, with her sister, Moji, who is very clever; her brother, Dapo, who is very fast; and Grandmommy, who is very bossy. Tola may be small, but she’s strong enough to carry a basket brimming with groceries home from the market, and she’s clever enough to count out Grandmommy’s change. When the faucets in the apartment break, it’s Tola who brings water from the well. And when Mr. Abdul, the tailor, has an accident and needs help taking his customers’ measurements, only Tola can save the day. Recommended Age: 7 - 9 years |
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Today, Wanda is visiting the hair salon where she’ll use all the hair secrets Makhulu taught her. But Aunty Ada wants her to straighten her hair with a white chemical. Wanda and her new friend Nkiruka come up with a plan and both girls stand strong and brave in the face of this big challenge. Recommended Age: 3 - 9 years |
Books have a remarkable way of touching our hearts and inspiring us to reach for the stars. We hope these empowering tales will ignite a fire within the young girls in your life, reminding them that they are capable of anything they set their minds to.
But the journey doesn't end here – it's just the beginning. Let's continue to uplift and celebrate the voices and stories that empower girls everywhere. Happy reading, and may these stories continue to inspire and empower for generations to come!
