Found myself reminiscing about the late Cyprian Ekwensi recently, when times were much simpler with lunch boxes and noise makers lists, so I decided to compile a list of elementary school readings that stoked our imaginations as kids.
Enjoy
1). An African Night Entertainment. – Cyprian Ekwensi.
Legendary.
My first Cyprian Ekwensi novel.
The first time I saw it was at my cousin’s, and it had this confusingly weird cover art that intrigued me.
It was our Basic 3 reading and ironically I ended up playing Dogo, the gang leader in the class drama.
Anyways, RIP Mallam Shehu; Karma did you there, boss.
2). Eze Goes to School – Onuora Ezeokwu and Michael Crowder
What a nice lad. Happy for him and his mum.
He probably ended up as a civil servant and went on to have kids and grandkids — who knows?
3). Trouble in Form Six – Cyprian Ekwensi.
Another one of Ekwensi’s masterpieces and part of our Basic 4 readings.
It holds a special place in my heart as it was the first time I’d feel the emotional payoff — that feeling as you re-adjust to reality after immersing yourself into a fictional material like you were there with them — from a book.
As young as I was, I stanned Akin Tayo because he was an irreverent rebel who operated by his own rules.
I mean, who brings a dog to disrupt a school race and then reports himself lol?
Included in his rap sheet were:
- Trying to ruin the strict housemaster’s relationship with a prank
- Launching a media campaign against the school
To mention a few!
What a lad!
He eventually found love, and I hope it worked out for him.
4). Chike and The River — Chinua Achebe.
It highlights Chike’s time in the big city of Onitsha. Living with his Uncle and his house boy Michael in a 10-room compound with over 50 inhabitants, Chike soon realises that being in a big city doesn’t guarantee comfort.
Fascinated by the River Niger, it is Chike’s dream to cross the Niger to Asaba before the bridge is built, but not only is he broke, his uncle won’t sponsor what he considers a waste of money.
The story revolved around Chike’s adventures, his time in school when he tried to be a yahoo boy (the first time I learned the words “nincompoop and scallywag”), his run-in with a money doubler, and Mr.Nwauba, his neigbour who turned out to be an armed robber.
We can only hope that Chike went on to chase bigger adventures and live an exciting life.
5). Sugar Girl. – Kola Onadipe
Don’t remember much from this. I think her name was Raila, and she went through some tough shit.
6). The Drummer Boy – Cyprian Ekwensi.
I couldn’t sing Cyprian Ekwensi’s praise enough even if I tried.
He was truly the GOAT of this era.
It wasn’t just how he told the story of Akin, the blind boy who travelled from town to town bringing happiness with his Samba, making friends along the way, including criminals, but how he portrayed old Lagos, the nightlife, stoking my imagination as a child who had never left his Parent’s sights.
7). Without a Silver Spoon — Eddie Iroh.
A book about a boy, Ure, who comes from a poor but honest family and works as a houseboy to pay his school fees but, along the line, is accused of stealing.
It highlighted the importance of honesty.
Tell me about anyone I missed.
Which was your most iconic?
