Abeni's Song

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In Abeni’s Song, Auntie Asha teaches Abeni the song of Abeni’s own people, the story of Abeni’s village and each person born into it. Auntie Asha passes on the song to Abeni to help her keep her people close and make the song complete.

Ask students to think about the family, friends, and villagers that are Abeni’s people. Then ask students who they consider to be their “people.” Have them think of all of the communities they belong to. List your own as a way to get them to think beyond their immediate categories of family and friends. What communities do they all share? How is their class or school a community? What community reflects their heritage or their interests? What community means the most to them? Ask students to pick one of their communities and list what they know and love about it. Have them use their lists to create a poem or song about the joys, experiences, and challenges of that community or work together to create a song or poem about their school or class community. Students can perform their work or display the songs of their people to celebrate their heritage and their communities.

Questions for Discussion or Reflective Writing

1. Abeni’s village was warned that something bad was coming. Why do you think they did not listen to the warnings? Why doesn’t Abeni trust Asha, even though she warned the village? How does Abeni become more trusting of Asha and of others throughout the book?
2. Abeni faces many challenges as she sets out to find her family and friends. What guides Abeni in the decisions she makes? Does she always make the right choice? Do you think Abeni is a good leader? Why or why not?
3. How would you compare Abeni and Damju? How are Abeni, Asha, Obi, Damju, Nyomi, and Zaneeya similar and different? What strengths and skills help them help each other and face challenges together?
4. What role does music play in the book? How is the song that lures the village children different from Abeni’s song? How does the song of Abeni’s village affect her? Are there songs that affect how you feel? Talk about those songs and feelings.
5. What do you think the ghost ships are? What other current and historic real-world parallels do you see in the book?

Related Resources

Educator’s Guide for Abeni’s Song from Starscape
Identity Charts from Facing History & Ourselves
How To Write a Song to Tell Your Story from LA County Arts Education Collective