Onyeka and the Academy of the Sun

Onyeka and her mother left Nigeria because of problems with Onyeka's father that are never discussed. While Onyeka has a good life, and a good friend in Cheyenne, who is also Nigerian, she feels that she doesn't fit in. She feels especially uncomfortable about her hair, which is exuberantly curly and sometimes hard to manage. Her mother is overly protective, so when she and Cheyenne go swimming to celebrate Cheyenne's birthday, Onyeka is worried when things go badly wrong-- Cheyenne almost drowns, and it seems like Onyeka's HAIR saves them both. Her mother finally admits that Onyeka's missing father was a Solari, a person with exceptional powers, and that Onyeka seems to have inherited them. By ignoring this, the mother hoped that her daughter would not have to deal with everything this involves. Now that the powers have surfaced, the two head back to Nigeria to get the help of Dr. Dòyìnbó, the father's mentor and the founder of a school for Solari children. They are just going to visit while the mother searches for the father, but Onyeka is interested in meeting children like herself, even though it is somewhat awkward. She has to room with Adanna, who is quite mean to her, but starts a tentative friendship with Ẹni. The other students fill her in on some of the history of the Solari, who were the unintended result of some scientific experiments, and since their powers often manifest at a young age and can be quite strong, it's important for them to get the help of the school. They also tell her about Nigerian history, including the Council of Unity that stepped in to help heal divisions in Nigerian society and helped the country transition to solar power, which has been very useful and led to a technologically advanced society. Onyeka's power, called Ike, is to be able to move things with her hair; each child has slightly different powers, like mind bending or being a technopath. Using these powers can make her feel ill, and it comes to light that her father was doing research to try to improve the health of the Solari. Onyeka's mother goes missing, but her aunt, Dr. Naomi, arrives at the school to help. The Solari are trained so that they can help Nigeria, but when Onyeka finds out that many of them are dying, she's not sure who she can trust and sets out to find out not only the fate of her father, but the mysteries behind the treatment of the Solari. Not everything is wrapped up at the end of the book, so there is definitely room for a sequel. There is also apparently a Netflix film in development.