If you think your morning hair is a bit wild, you haven’t met Onyeka. She is the star of Tolá Okogwu’s smash-hit book series, and she discovered her hair actually has psychokinetic powers. While most of us are just trying to find a brush, Onyeka is off to a secret academy in Nigeria to save the world. It is a brilliant story, and now 30,000 more kids in the UK can read it for free, thanks to a massive book donation from Okogwu herself.
The Kent based author has teamed up with the Bookmark Reading Charity to get these books into the hands of children who need them most. In a world where only 38% of kids actually read for pleasure, Okogwu is on a mission to bring the fun back. She knows that kids won’t pick up a book if they aren’t enjoying it, so she is serving up superhero adventures instead of dry textbooks.
Mind the Gap (The Literacy Kind)
Bookmark has just launched their “Mind the Gap” campaign to tackle the rather depressing reality of the UK literacy divide. Apparently, 1 in 4 children leave primary school unable to read well, and if you are from a disadvantaged background, those odds are even worse.
| The Reading Reality Check | The Numbers |
| Children Reading for Fun | Only 38% do it frequently. |
| No Books at Home | 1 in 8 children aged 5 to 8 own zero books. |
| The Payout | 30,000 copies of Onyeka donated. |
| Volunteer Time | Just 1 hour a week can change a child’s life. |
Why Aren’t Kids Reading?
It turns out that “digital distractions” and a lack of library access are killing the joy of a good story. Disadvantaged families feel the pinch the most, which puts their kids on the “back foot” before they even hit secondary school. Poor literacy is even linked to a shorter life expectancy, which makes this about much more than just passing an English exam.
To help fix this, Bookmark is begging for adults to step up. They want volunteers to spend just one hour a week reading one-to-one with a child. Most of this happens online, so you can literally help a kid learn to love books without even taking off your slippers.
A Global Page Turner
Okogwu isn’t just focusing on Kent or London. She has sent her Daddy Do My Hair series and Onyeka adventures to refugee camps across Africa and Asia. She believes that every child deserves to see themselves reflected in a story, whether that is through Afro-textured hair or Nigerian superheroes.
Representation matters, and so does having a copy of a book you can actually call your own. If we want to close the literacy gap, we might need to stop lecturing kids about “important” books and start giving them stories that actually make them want to turn the page.
So, if you have an hour to spare, why not help a kid discover their own inner superhero?
Your hair doesn’t even need to have superpowers to make a difference.
Tola Okogwu Instagram: tolaokogwu
Related topics: Entertainment
