The Power of Storytelling: Why "Fisayo and the 13 Wishes" & "Mirror on the Wall" Should Be on Your Reading List

                                             

Jesutofumi Fekoya’s books, published in 2025 and 2019, show her interest in fantasy and magic realism, making them enjoyable for today’s young readers. Instead of following predictable plots, she keeps readers guessing with surprising twists.

In Fisayo & the 13 Wishes, the 12-year-old protagonist is excited about her 13th birthday party but is given a stern warning by her parents: break anything & she'll kiss her party bye-bye! 

As Fisayo is rather accident-prone, keeping her clumsiness under control is not an easy feat, especially when she chooses to blame anything from a slippery floor to her younger sister, Mobola. When she does break something, she summons a  Time Sprite from a magic stone, hoping her mishap will be rectified. However, the Time Sprite's idea of help was not what Fisayo had in mind, much to her dismay and anger. 

The novel's main lesson is the importance of taking responsibility, which is important for children to learn. The writing is clear and easy to read for ages 10 to 15, but adults would also find it a fun read. Fisayo, being a young main character, is someone many children can relate to:  being imperfect, anxious to get what she wants, and having to deal with a bratty younger sister, who constantly goes out of her way to annoy her.  

The story includes two magical elements: the Time Sprite and time travel. Ms Fekoya's simple & humorous writing style makes the book an engaging read. 

                                               

       

Mirror on the Wall, the author's first novel,  has a slightly darker tone as it begins with the search for a missing girl, an old woman's death, and a mysterious mirror swinging in her hut. Four years later, the protagonist, Tamilore, and her sister, Wonu, travel to their village to spend the school holidays with their grandmother. Grandma's compound contains the hut where the mysterious mirror is located. Tamilore, who has been incurably curious about the hut for a long time, discovers the mirror and gets a startling surprise: the missing girl, Oyin,  is magically trapped inside it! Tami faces a big challenge: she must solve a riddle to free Oyin from captivity. However, she has to work it out without Grandma noticing and before her mother returns, especially after Wonu's nosiness complicates matters.  

Tamilore is another relatable young protagonist. Like Fisayo, she is not perfect,  being too inquisitive and disobedient at times. However, her intuition helps her solve the riddle and discover why Oyin became trapped in the mirror in the first place. Written in the first-person narrative, readers experience the story through Tami's perspective, gaining insight into her thoughts as she navigates each chapter—from her first trip to the hut to unravelling the riddle to break the spell. Mirror on the Wall's central theme is consequence: how one small action can lead to a series of events, another major lesson young readers can learn from. 

Award-winning author, playwright & film-maker, Jude Idada, describes Mirror on the Wall  as: 

'An engaging children's adventure book that keeps you glued to its pages. This is a book that every child should read, as it entertains even as it educates. A page turner that will leave any child spellbound from the first page, and enthralled at the last page.' 

Don't waste time, young readers out there, add Fisayo and the 13 Wishes & Mirror on the Wall to your reading list today!