Children of the Quicksands

by Efua Traoré

Overview

A richly imagined magical adventure set in West Africa by a prize-winning new voice in children's writing, Children of the Quicksands introduces readers to Yoruba myths and legends while showcasing the wealth of culture, traditions, adventure, joy, pride, and love found in Nigeria.

In a remote Nigerian village, thirteen-year-old Simi is desperate to uncover a family secret. Ajao is nothing like Lagos -- no cells phones, no running water or electricity. Not a single human-made sound can be heard at night, just the noise of birds and animals rustling in the dark forest outside. Her witchlike grandmother dispenses advice and herbal medicine to the village, but she's tight lipped about their family history. Something must have happened, but what?

Determined to find out, Simi disobeys her grandmother and goes exploring only to find herself sinking in the red quicksand of a forbidden lake and into the strange parallel world that lies beneath. It must have been a dream… right?

Wrong. Something isn’t right. Children are disappearing and it’s up to Simi to discover the truth.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781338781946
Publisher:	Scholastic, Inc.
Publication date:	07/26/2022
Sold by:	Scholastic, Inc.
Format:	eBook
Pages:	304
File size:	7 MB
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Efua Traoré is a Nigerian-German author who grew up in a small town in Nigeria. For as long as she can remember, her head was filled with little stories, but it was not until much later that she began to write them down. Children of the Quicksands is her debut novel.

Editorial Reviews

★ 08/08/2022

When 13-year-old Simi travels from Lagos to the rural Nigerian village of Ajao to spend her summer holidays with Iyanla, the estranged grandmother she’s never met, she is not sure how she’s going to last two full months without electricity or running water, let alone TV, internet, or phone. But Simi soon discovers that beneath its sleepy surface, Ajao is a town brimming with magic—and a mystery around the forest on the edge of town, in which children seem to disappear. As Simi begins to unravel the tragedies and secrets surrounding Ajao, her mother’s never-discussed past, and the forbidden lake in the forest’s heart, a mystical golden bird tempts more and more children to stray from home. Alongside her wise and esteemed grandmother and a few new friends, Simi searches for answers and bravely risks it all to make Ajao—and her family—whole again. Sleekly weaving together otherworldly occurrences, elements of the hero’s journey, and Yoruba legend in vivid, place-centered prose, this action-packed debut from Traoré will keep readers engaged in the mysteries of Ajao. An author’s note and glossary of Yoruba words conclude. Ages 8–12. (July)

Publishers Weekly

A 2023 Bank Street Children’s Book Committee Best Book of the Year – Book List: Ages 9-12

A 2023 Children’s Africana Book Awards Honor: Best Book for Older Readers

Sunday Times Best Book for Children 2021

A Guardian Best Book for Children 2021

Shortlisted for the Waterstones Children's Book Prize

“The rural Nigerian milieu that Efua Traoré evokes in ‘Children of the Quicksands’ is by far the eeriest and most imaginative of the three [books reviewed].” — The Washington Post

"Traoré’s writing is enchanting, and it immerses readers into the colorful, rich world of Yoruba mythology. Simi is a protagonist that readers can root for, while the charming cast of side characters provides the reader with a multitude of personalities to enjoy. Vibrant and imaginative." — Booklist

“A beautifully evoked story.” — The Telegraph

“Traore's storytelling feels almost otherworldly ... exhilarating” — The Times

"[A] beautifully evoked story of a girl sent to stay with her grand-mother in a remote Nigerian village. When Simi suspects her grandmother is hiding family secrets, she sets out across the forbidden quicksands to discover the truth." — The Telegraph (UK)

"The fantasy creates tension and drama, but the best aspect of this book is the evocation of place, with such detail as the skills Simi has to learn and the village traditions of drumming and dancing. It is powerful too in its treatment of loss and of the relationships between Simi, her mother, her grandmother and the friends she makes. Clear, vigorous prose beckons the reader in." — The Sunday Times (UK)

"Full of secrets and myths that we discover alongside Simi, whose mother raised her far from the old-fashioned reach of her own mother, priestess of the Yoruba deity Oshun. Drawn by a power greater than her own will, Simi discovers a forbidden lake of quicksand, what lies beneath it and what it means to her broken family." — The Observer (UK)

From the Publisher

Tyla Collier’s narration of this imaginative story set in West Africa is warm and folkloric. Thirteen-year-old Simi is sent to stay with her mystical grandmother whom she didn’t even know existed. While there, she uncovers secrets about her family and the other children of her grandmother’s Nigerian village. Collier authentically portrays the characters in this adventure. Her pace is steady and captivating, and her youthful tone draws listeners into the adolescent world of this award-winning novel. She gives the West African characters credible accents and then removes them when speaking in the third person. This technique creates a direct connection to the people, the village, and the eerie forbidden forest where Simi finds herself venturing. T.E.C. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine

SEPTEMBER 2022 - AudioFile

Tyla Collier’s narration of this imaginative story set in West Africa is warm and folkloric. Thirteen-year-old Simi is sent to stay with her mystical grandmother whom she didn’t even know existed. While there, she uncovers secrets about her family and the other children of her grandmother’s Nigerian village. Collier authentically portrays the characters in this adventure. Her pace is steady and captivating, and her youthful tone draws listeners into the adolescent world of this award-winning novel. She gives the West African characters credible accents and then removes them when speaking in the third person. This technique creates a direct connection to the people, the village, and the eerie forbidden forest where Simi finds herself venturing. T.E.C. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine

SEPTEMBER 2022 - AudioFile

2022-04-27
A Nigerian city girl visits her estranged grandmother in a remote village and is confronted with family secrets.

Thirteen-year-old Simi has only known Lagos—until her mother needs to go to London for work. Her parents are divorced, and Simi can’t stay with her perpetually busy father, so she is reluctantly shipped off to spend her summer vacation with her maternal grandmother in Ajao, a remote village with no modern technology. Soon after her exhausting journey by bus and taxi, Simi goes for a walk and is drawn to go the wrong way—into the forest and toward a forbidden lake, where she is briefly transported to a different world, something she at first believes is a dream. Although her staunchly Christian mother does not want her exposed to the Yoruba gods and goddesses her grandmother follows, Simi later learns a story that is connected to her family about Oshun, the river and water goddess. As more children are lured toward the lake, Simi feels compelled to come forward and risk everything to heal the wounds in her family and help the village that has come to feel like home. Traoré’s debut is brimming with earnest, admiring details about Yoruba culture and traditions that are woven into the worldbuilding. As Simi’s fast-paced adventure unfolds, readers will be swept away by the limited omniscient narration in this plot-driven story with a strong sense of place.

A captivating adventure about the strength of love and family. (author's note, glossary) (Fantasy. 8-12)

Kirkus Reviews