The Adventures of Yazzy and AJ

About the Book

Yazzy imagines her dad as a little boy in Freetown, Sierra Leone. She often asks what was this place that holds the answer to so many of her questions about her family’s history? The springtime visit to Sapelo Island was far beyond AJ and Yazzy’s imagination! They couldn’t believe that there was so much history on the island! The best part of the visit was learning that the people who live there have a family history that is exactly like hers – ancestors from Freetown, Sierra Leone! The twins become intrigued with the continent of Africa, especially Sierra Leone. They ask lots of questions and become increasingly curious about the land, the people, the animals, and traditional foods like her dad and grandma cooks. At the start of summer vacation, Yazzy’s wish comes true and the twins are overjoyed to know they will now see the place their father grew up!The family arrives in Freetown and is greeted to many hugs and kisses, lots of food and laughter, and the wonderful sights and sounds of the land. They are introduced to many family members and make many new friends. The most interesting friend they meet is Colobus, the monkey. Colobus introduces the twins to the lovely habitats and history of Sierra Leone. AJ and Yazzy are more curious about all of Africa with more questions than Colobus can answer, so he seeks the answers from the Wise Old Owl who lives on Bunce Island. The Wise Old Owl answers questions for the two in the form of a riddle. In order to find the answer to questions and riddles, the pair will have to travel back in time through the Old Slave Fort to understand more about present day cultures after their explorations.

About the Author

Cheryl Allie was born on April 8, 1972 in Atlanta, Georgia. Cheryl has always been an avid reader because of the imagination and learning that stemmed from the books she read. The joy of learning from a book transitioned into becoming an educator in Atlanta since 1998, but the desire to write children’s books never diminished. As a native of the south, the author has enjoyed storytelling told by her elders. The dream of becoming an author of children stories began at the age of nine with winning entries into the Young Authors Writing Competition in 1982 and 1983. She is married to Abass Allie with two children, Abass Isiah who is 18 years old and Yasmin Aneesa who is 9 years old. She is currently teaching English in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.