Twelve-year-old Kwame Powell refuses to acknowledge any feelings about his grandmother's passing. And he certainly doesn't want to accompany his parents to her celebration of life ceremony in Ghana, where he knows he'll have to face his feelings about her death head-on. But when an aboatia -- a mischievous monkey from Akan mythology -- steals Kwame's grandmother's dashiki, his last physical reminder of her, Kwame decides to take matters into his own hands. He chases the little thief across town, to the edge of the pier, and... into a magical whirlpool that leads straight to Asamando, the Ghanaian underworld. With his best friend Autumn, and the crafty aboatia he names Woo, Kwame finds himself embroiled with angry nature gods intent on destroying humanity. And, matters only get more complicated when he runs into none other than his grandmother herself... except in the underworld, she's still a kid. And very much alive.

Ages 8-12. Roaring Brook Press.

Grades 7-9. Roaring Brook Press.

Coretta Scott King / John Steptoe New Talent Author Award Winner, 2025