Welcome to another installment of Display This. Continuing our theme in world travel, which began with Australia/New Zealand, then moved to the Middle East, then Europe, this week we’re going to Africa. Because young adult books set in Africa are extremely difficult to find, I’ve included a very limited number of non-fiction titles. First books in a series are included, but I’ve left off sequels or companions. Many of the northeastern countries were covered in the Middle East post, so they’ve been left off. Again, I’m open to any titles you know of, and I’m happy to include them on this list. If you would like to steal this, go for it; just give credit to me for putting it together.

Hacking Timbuktu by Stephen Davies: This action-adventure thriller combines computer hacking, parkour, and a wild West African setting. A little reality bending story.

Chanda’s Secrets by Allan Stratton: Set in a small South African city, this story looks at the impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic and the stigmas surrounding the disease in Africa.

The Devil’s Breath by David Gilman: Max learns his father is missing and after receiving a cryptic clue of his potential whereabouts, Max is led to the wilderness of Namibia in this action adventure.

A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park: This dual-narrative tells the story of a girl in 2008 and a boy in 1985, both in Sudan, and the way their lives as a native and a refugee intersect.

Broken Memory by Elisabeth Combres: This is the story of the 1994 attacks in Rwanda, told through the eyes of Emma, who watched her mother be killed. It’s a story of survival, guided through Emma’s mother’s last words to her daughter.

The Bite of Mango by Mariatu Kamara and Susan McClelland: This non-fictional title tells the story of Mariatu’s life, which began in a quiet home in Sierra Leone. But a trip to a neighboring village changed her life forever when rebel soldiers attacked, cutting off both her hands. She survived, and this is the story of that attack and how she moved on to her new life in Toronto years later.

Aya by Marguerite Abouet and Clement Oubrerie: The first in a series set in the Ivory Coast, circa 1978, tells the story of a 19-year-old girl eager to grow up and become an independent woman. This is the golden time for the Ivory Coast, though things are about to change, and the story is actually more light hearted than most set in Africa — though it hits on heavy issues.

A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier by Ishmael Beah: This non-fictional tale is Beah’s own, about growing up in Sierra Leone, where first he was brutally attacked and then forced to become a solider at the age of 13.

Zahrah the Windseeker by Nnedi Okorafor: This African fairy tale follows Zahrah, born with the dada (vines in her hair). Though she feels like a normal child, the dada gives her magical powers she soon discovers.

Spud by John van de Ruit: Set in a South African boarding school, Spud is the story of John “Spud” Milton and the hilarious hi-jinx he involves himself in at school.

The Power of One by Bryce Courtenay: This is a bit of an older book, but it’s set during World War II in South Africa and explores what it was like to grow up during that era. A different take on the war.

Over a Thousand Hills I Walk With You by Hanna Jansen: Another older story, the ordinary lives of one million Tutsi Rwandans are changed when they’re forced from their homes and seek safety from political turmoil and violence. The book is told from the perspective of the mother of one of the few survivors of this 1994 attack.