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Anna Hibiscus #6
Go Well, Anna Hibiscus!
Anna Hibiscus and some of her family are going to Grandfather and Grandmother’s village. In the village, there is no running water, no electricity, no road and no school. Very little has changed, but Anna Hibiscus' life might be about to.
96 pages, Paperback
First published April 3, 2014
4 people are currently reading
146 people want to read
About the author
Atinuke
43 books205 followersAtinuke is a Nigerian-born author who started her career doing traditional oral storytelling. Her books include a Boston Globe–Horn Book Honor Winner, a Notable Book for a Global Society, a Cybils Award Winner, and an Africana Award Winner. She lives in Wales.
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
August 23, 2023
Oh! My library picked up a few of these!
This one is even more about the wise lessons from the grandparents, but the story itself is still a lot of fun. In fact, I do believe youngsters will find it an engaging story first, and a chance to learn about Africa (urban vs. bush Nigeria) second, and the more universal lessons about growing up will probably make only a subconscious impression.
But as we know, the lessons we hear as children, whether we actively learn them or not, are the ones we absorb. So let's make 'em good ones.
"We cannot control what other people say to us, or what other people think of us. We cannot control what other people think is good and what they think is bad.... So we have to be clear about what we think, and what we say."
Making friends with the children who lived in the village was hard for our little girl. But finally: "They decided to like me when they had to help me too!"
(Good lesson for anyone falling into White Savior mode.)
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Reread. These are almost comfort reads for me. So much harsh stuff is referenced, but the joy and love and fun are foremost, and give me hope.
This one is even more about the wise lessons from the grandparents, but the story itself is still a lot of fun. In fact, I do believe youngsters will find it an engaging story first, and a chance to learn about Africa (urban vs. bush Nigeria) second, and the more universal lessons about growing up will probably make only a subconscious impression.
But as we know, the lessons we hear as children, whether we actively learn them or not, are the ones we absorb. So let's make 'em good ones.
"We cannot control what other people say to us, or what other people think of us. We cannot control what other people think is good and what they think is bad.... So we have to be clear about what we think, and what we say."
Making friends with the children who lived in the village was hard for our little girl. But finally: "They decided to like me when they had to help me too!"
(Good lesson for anyone falling into White Savior mode.)
---
Reread. These are almost comfort reads for me. So much harsh stuff is referenced, but the joy and love and fun are foremost, and give me hope.
December 6, 2019
Anna Hibiscus, her grandparents, and her older girl cousins all head to their ancestral village, far from their city home, in this sixth chapter-book devoted to Anna's adventures. Anna Hibiscus on the Bus chronicles the exciting journey from city to bush, while Anna in the Village describes Anna as she follows some of the village women on the long trek from the bus to their destination. Anna Hibiscus Is Brave sees Anna confronting both the village children, who call her an oyinbo (foreigner) because she is mixed race, and some wild dogs who frighten her grandmother. Finally, in Anna Makes Friends, our winsome little heroine finds a way to befriend the aloof village children, offering them something, and getting something in return...
Every bit as delightful as its predecessors, Go Well, Anna Hibiscus! pairs an engaging, entertaining and heartwarming narrative from expatriate Nigerian author Atinuke with appealing artwork from English illustrator Lauren Tobia. I continue to find the way that serious issues are explored in these books quite thoughtful, and deeply moving. The way in which Grandfather talks Anna through her hurt feelings, after the village children call her an oyinbo, the way he leads her to an understanding that there wouldn't be anything wrong with her, even if she were an oyinbo, displays sensitivity, and excellent moral reasoning. This is something I so often miss in today's children's books, even when they are ostensibly dealing with moral issues. Grandfather's use of the Socratic method here is excellent, and left me with a bit of a lump in my throat! Kudos to Atinuke, once again, for her clear vision, and for the fact that (much like in Have Fun, Anna Hibiscus! ) she doesn't make the prejudiced children into terrible villains. Recommended to anyone who has read and enjoyed previous installments of the Anna Hibiscus series.
Every bit as delightful as its predecessors, Go Well, Anna Hibiscus! pairs an engaging, entertaining and heartwarming narrative from expatriate Nigerian author Atinuke with appealing artwork from English illustrator Lauren Tobia. I continue to find the way that serious issues are explored in these books quite thoughtful, and deeply moving. The way in which Grandfather talks Anna through her hurt feelings, after the village children call her an oyinbo, the way he leads her to an understanding that there wouldn't be anything wrong with her, even if she were an oyinbo, displays sensitivity, and excellent moral reasoning. This is something I so often miss in today's children's books, even when they are ostensibly dealing with moral issues. Grandfather's use of the Socratic method here is excellent, and left me with a bit of a lump in my throat! Kudos to Atinuke, once again, for her clear vision, and for the fact that (much like in Have Fun, Anna Hibiscus! ) she doesn't make the prejudiced children into terrible villains. Recommended to anyone who has read and enjoyed previous installments of the Anna Hibiscus series.
July 23, 2020
We continue to LOVE this series. The author manages to make the kids double over with laughter on one page and tackle hard issues like race, friendship, cooperation, family issues, poverty, and equality on the next all through the eyes of little Anna Hibiscus. Her parents, grandparents, aunties, uncles, and cousins offer food for thought in gentle, wise ways. Highly recommended! We are going to be sad when we finish the last (8th) book.
January 9, 2021
Yet another wonderful book in this series. This time Anna Hibiscus leaves the city and visits her grandparents’ village. We liked seeing the differences and how Anna Hibiscus adjusts. The book also introduces ideas of how to deal with being called names and making friends and fear in a gentle way. I especially loved the end when Anna learns that making friends requires give and take. Such a wonderful series.
February 15, 2021
I love how Anna explores new situations like being on the bus for the first time, meeting new kids in the village, how to deal with being a bit different from the other kids in this book. Many of these are things our own family has experienced, and it’s great to see a mirror for some of those experiences, even though our circumstances are different than Anna’s.
January 10, 2021
Really getting to know Anna Hibiscus.
February 27, 2021
A great addition to the series. Tackles serious issues in a way that is accessible to children. Love it!
September 5, 2017
I flat out adored the first 4 Anna Hibiscus stories. Now Kane Miller has just released the final four books in the series here in the US. Early chapter books, usually with 4 interconnected stories, the books tell about little Anna Hibiscus's daily life in "Africa, beautiful Africa." Anna Hibiscus lives with her large extended family in a big white house in a modern African city. For American children whose mental image of Africa means villages or wide plains, these books are especially good. Anna's adventures are ones that children everywhere can relate to albeit filled with the often funny details of life in an African city.
In this adventure, Grandfather wants visit the village he was born in because the city noise is giving him a headache. He wants "to go somewhere quiet enough to hear his memories think." Anna Hibiscus and her cousin Joy and Snow White, Anna's chicken are going too but there is not enough room in the car so they have to ride the bus. For Anna Hibiscus the small dusty village is a VERY different place.
Sweet and funny! I also love Lauren Tobia's wonderful illustrations.
In this adventure, Grandfather wants visit the village he was born in because the city noise is giving him a headache. He wants "to go somewhere quiet enough to hear his memories think." Anna Hibiscus and her cousin Joy and Snow White, Anna's chicken are going too but there is not enough room in the car so they have to ride the bus. For Anna Hibiscus the small dusty village is a VERY different place.
Sweet and funny! I also love Lauren Tobia's wonderful illustrations.
October 8, 2017
Anna Hibiscus goes to the family's village with her grandparents for a visit & learns some difficult lessons about just how wonderful her large, caring, & comfortably-off family is. This entry presents some complex food for thought for kids about how to help out those less fortunate than you, & what each of us can do to try & change the world into a better place.
September 19, 2015
I love how Anna tackles childhood worries and deals with life's ups and downs, all with a little help from her extended family.
June 24, 2016
Oh, how I love these books well-well! It's been two years...I hope Atinuke isn't through yet! I want to find out what adventures Anne gets up to with the village kids!
February 18, 2018
I really liked this book because when Anna vists the vilige she finly made friend.
December 17, 2024
There continues to be something charming about this series set in Nigeria. Perhaps it's the books' protagonist, Anna Hibiscus, with her fondness for her home and extended family, including a rooster called Snow White. Maybe it's the unfamiliar setting. Or perhaps it's the almost hypnotic way each story is told. Or how relatable some of her adventures are, despite their setting. Whatever it may be, the same elements that have appealed to readers like me from the very first title in this series are still apparent in this, the sixth chapter book in the series. This time around Anna follows her grandparents to the village where both of them once lived. She's been told that travel on a crowded bus is fun, but that doesn't seem to be the case at first. Nor is it easy to get to the village after the bus drops her off since she must make her way through the bus. She also faces moments of being bullied by some of the village's youngsters due to her lighter skin. But as with every situation in which she has found herself in previous books, she eventually figures a way forward, solving problems with some sound advice from her elders. The illustrations, rendered in ink, capture some of the important moments in the book perfectly, and I wouldn't change a thing about the text or artwork. This one might be a good classroom read aloud choice.
December 23, 2024
In this heartwarming tale, young Anna embarks on an unexpected journey from the bustling streets of Lagos to her grandparents' rural Nigerian village. At the beginning of her adventure, Anna is thrust into an unfamiliar world, navigating the physical journey, a lengthy and uncomfortable bus ride with an equally arduous walk, until she arrives at her grandparent’s home. Through Anna's eyes, readers experience the contrasts between urban and rural Nigeria, from daily customs and traditions to the calmer rhythm of village life. Elegant black and white ink illustrations bring the narrative to life with their simple and expressive style. Early readers may relate with Anna's reluctance to leave her comfortable home as well as her ability to adapt, as she finds beauty and friendship in her new experience. As Anna acclimates to her grandparents' way of life, the story weaves in gentle lessons about embracing differences. The portrayal of contemporary Nigerian life offers a valuable perspective on the importance of maintaining connection with one’s heritage and building bridges between different ways of life. Link to complete review: https://ysbookreviews.wordpress.com/2...
July 23, 2020
My top recommended series for a read aloud for primary school aged children or an early reader series.
Heartwarming and entertaining with little nuggets of life lessons and wisdom written in an age appropriate manner that resonates with children (and adults like me). I could not love this series more and it's surprising that it is not a more well known children series and it is relatively hard to find the books (my library finally has them all when I requested them).
This book is one of my favourites of the series and has delightful themes of learning about different cultures and ways of life, bravery and friendship. Anna Hibiscus is completely delightful.
Heartwarming and entertaining with little nuggets of life lessons and wisdom written in an age appropriate manner that resonates with children (and adults like me). I could not love this series more and it's surprising that it is not a more well known children series and it is relatively hard to find the books (my library finally has them all when I requested them).
This book is one of my favourites of the series and has delightful themes of learning about different cultures and ways of life, bravery and friendship. Anna Hibiscus is completely delightful.
September 25, 2020
I've been reading the Anna Hibiscus books to my six year old granddaughter. This is the first of the chapter ones we've tried. We finished it in two sessions and when I asked her whether I should get another one to read together, her reply was a resounding 'Yes!' Not only are they colorful stories, they show an adventurous girl with a white mom and a Black father, growing up in Africa. The family names and social structure are well written, giving my granddaughter insights into places, foods, customs, etc. that are completely new to her.
April 30, 2023
I cannot love this series enough. These are chapter books just past the Magic Treehouse books, about a Canadian-Nigerian girl who lives in Africa (“Amazing Africa!”). Across the series, Atinuke takes on family, culture, travel, friendships, hair, school, fear, and more. In Go Well,, she travels from the city to her grandparents’ village, where she is labeled an outsider because of her mixed-race skin tone and has to negotiate space with the local kids. She figures out what she has to offer, and how to make friends of those she does not trust.
August 8, 2024
This wasn't my favorite of the series, but I liked it. The 4 stories in this book all revolve around Anna going to the village where her grandparents are from. She goes with her grandparents and 3 of her big girl cousins. At first the village kids make fun of her but she learns how to make friends with them. In the first story, she has to ride the bus there. In the 2nd shes just adjusting to life there. In the 3rd she's facing fears and helping her grandma with her own fears and then in the final one she is making friends.
May 9, 2022
Anna's grandfather wants to spend some time in the village he was born in, and some of the family, including Anna, go along. I love her pet rooster, Snow White, and his many shenanigans. I love the short, funny stories that keep a kernel of how to live right at the center. I love how village life is not presented in any way as lesser, just different. Lots of ways to be human, and make friends, and spend your days happily, in Africa, beautiful Africa.
August 19, 2024
I love Anna Hibiscus! And, I love this story of how she suffers culture shock when she visits the village her grandparents are from. It's such a great depiction of the diversity of lifestyles within modern Nigeria, all told in a well-written early chapter book style. Definitely recommended.
Review based on an eARC received from the publisher via Edelweiss+
Review based on an eARC received from the publisher via Edelweiss+
November 20, 2018
This is more like the Africa I know, having lived and/or worked in African villages for 14 years. I understand Anna's hurt over being called "Oyimbo." I'm glad her grandparents didn't just brush it off, as the Africans do here. Some tough topics with the slight racism being introduced.
March 28, 2021
Great book for kids - my two little boys loved Anna Hibiscus, and loved learning a little bit of what her life is like in AMAZING Africa. Over the course of this series, we laughed with Anna, cried with Anna, and learned some great lessons with Anna.
May 12, 2024
This is one of my all time favorite read aloud series. The audiobooks are amazing if you have access to them. In this book, Anna Hibiscus visits her grandparents’ village with her cousins Joy, Clarity, and Common Sense. We love Anna and her whole family.
October 8, 2024
Another satisfying Anna Hibiscus tale! My children all love this series, especially my daughter, and they are truly a delight to read. Witty and wise, this series brings us to laughter and tears and always teaches important life lessons.
January 12, 2021
Another wonderful Anna hibiscus book. We love the whole series. Family favorite.
January 10, 2022
This was not our favorite in the series, but still charming and enjoyable. The bus to the village felt familiar and warm to me from travels.
March 17, 2022
These books are amazing and I cry every time
September 22, 2024
I hadn't heard of this series until I picked up this book.
realistic and believable setting, compelling storyline, good intro to Africa
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews