top of page
My
Books
The Boy at the Back of the Class
Illustrated by Pippa Curnick
One boy who has survived a journey no-one should ever have to make.
One friend who will do whatever it takes to help find his family.
Winner of the 2019 Waterstones and Blue Peter Children's Book Awards, the story of Ahmet, a refugee boy from Syria, was inspired by a baby boy Onjali met in the refugee camps of Calais in northern France in 2016.
It is also the reason why at least 50% of all royalties from each book sale goes towards the works of O's Refugee Aid Team. (Thank you!)
The Day We Met the Queen
Illustrated by Pippa Curnick
What do you get when you combine The Most Famous Refugee Boy in the World with a trip to Buckingham Palace? Why, an unforgettable day out of course!
A World Book Day follow-up to The Boy at the Back of the Class, this short story follows Ahmet and his best friends as they try to overcome dastardly plots by old enemies in time to reach the Queen herself. The question is, can they overcome fart bombs and even political protests to make it to the gates of Buckingham Palace on time? Or will they fail?
This is a FREE / £1 token book available whilst stocks last.
The Star Outside My Window
Illustrated by Pippa Curnick
Following the disappearance of her mother, 10-year-old Aniyah and her little brother Noah find themselves in foster care. But she knows her mum can't be gone for ever. Because people with the brightest hearts never truly leave. They become stars...
Inspired by her love of The Lion King, star hunter Aniyah is convinced a new star spotted acting strangely in the sky, belongs to her missing mum. So, armed with a map and her two new foster brothers, she embarks on a mission to ensure the world knows.
Hitting on the devastating impacts of domestic abuse upon children, 50% of all royalties from this story goes directly to Making Herstory.
The Night Bus Hero
Illustrated by Pippa Curnick
Hector is a bully. A big one. The kind that likes to throw rubber snakes into the school soup, and empty the pockets of unguarded classmates...
But as a spate of robberies begins to grip London, Hector's decision to bully a homeless man named Thomas sets off a chain of events that even he couldn't foresee. The question is: can a bully like Hector ever become a hero?
Inspired by a homeless man Onjali met when she was just 14, The Night Bus Hero is a homage to the many homeless communities surviving on our streets, both seen and unseen.
The Lion Above the Door
Illustrated by Pippa Curnick
Leo and his best friend Sangeeta are the odd ones out at school. Leo's dad always tells him it's because they're 'special'. But if they're so special, how come nobody ever looks like them in their school history books? And why are they always the ones being bullied?
On a class trip to Rochester Cathedral in Kent, Leo’s attention is drawn to a marble slab commemorating World War II heroes. There, shining down at him, is something incredible: his own name. Belonging to a soldier no-one has heard of ...
It's a name that leads Leo and Sangeeta onto an epic quest to find the missing pages of history: pages all too willfully eradicated by racism.
The Great Food Bank Heist
Illustrated by Elisa Paganelli
Nelson and his little sister are constantly hungry, even with Free School Meals and their mother working hard all hours. Their one lifeline is the local food bank. But there’s a thief in town, and the shelves of the food bank are getting emptier each day...
With the help of his two best friends, Nelson sets out to catch the bank robbers. But can he really be the one to help end the mystery – and the hunger?
A percentage of all royalties from this story will be going towards
The Greggs Foundation Breakfast Club Programme and selected grassroots food bank charities.
Heroes Like Us (USA ONLY)
Illustrations by Pippa Curnick
Two different worlds. One goal.
Bringing together The Day We Met the Queen and The Great Food Bank Heist, this two-novella collection contains heroes making a difference in the world, featuring old friends and some new classmates that will leave you hungry for more.
Hope on the Horizon
Cover Illustration by Pippa Curnick
Interior illustrations by Isobel Lundie
With the help of her favourite fictional characters – from She-Ra to Frodo to Superman – and some of the most inspiring people she has ever met in her daily works with homeless shelters, women's refuges and refugee camps, Onjali invites readers to dive in and explore everything there is to know about kindness, empathy, friendship and fighting for the things that matter.
Hope is always on the horizon.
Sometimes, we just have to remember to look for it.
Coming Soon...
Where Magic Grows...
Tales of Wonder & Enchantment
Illustrated by Katarzyna Doszla
From the feluccas of Egypt to the sapphires of Al-Azraq, from a talking tiger and a pair of battered old boots to a naughty frog stuck in an even naughtier boy's throat, this collection of seven original fairy tales will inspire and ignite every reader's imagination.
Inspired by her travels and forged between the writing of her children's novels, Onjali's fairy tales will gift readers of every age, the perfect bedtime read.
Release Date: 11th OCTOBER 2023
The Letter with the Golden Stamp
Illustrated by Pippa Curnick
What happens when the one person you love the most and who is meant to look after you, is the one who needs to be looked after? And what do you do when the house on the other side of the street seems to be filled with invisible spies?
Meet Audrey, a young (secret) carer who must save her family in any way she can, aided by nothing more than her two best friends, an unsuspecting postman, and her most prized possession in all the world: a shoebox full of stamps...
Release Date: April 2024
bottom of page