Children’s books
The Heritage Keeper (second edition). Historical fiction. 158 pages. KDP/Amazon. 2024. $8.75. ISBN 979-8-9903397-0-5 (e-book), 979-8-9903397-1-2 (paperback). The Heritage Keeper (second edition), a touching story from the 1830s set in Sierra Leone, West Africa during the Transatlantic Slave Trade, is based on the true experience of a young heroine Fima, who takes chances and grows up to honour her heritage. A thought-provoking and inspiring thriller for young readers. (See reviews on this site.) Available from Amazon and Ingram.
How Baboon Got a Shiny Rump : A Bilingual Trickster Tale from Sierra Leone / Wetin Mek Babu in Wes de Shayn : Salon Nansi Stori, with Omotayo Leigh. 32 pages. Self-published, 2021 . $6.99. ISBN 9789991044132. Watch trailer. To buy, contact leigh_jj@yahoo.com.
The following books and stories were published by CODE. See the note on CODE at the bottom of this page.
City Girl, 32 pages. A Reading Sierra Leone book for Grade 3. CODE Canada, 2013. ISBN 9789991091754. (“The Prize,” listed below, is a sequel to City Girl.)
Here We Go, with Rainny Brito. 32 pages. A Reading Sierra Leone book for Grade 1. CODE Canada, 2015. ISBN 9789991050010.
I Fooled You! with Moses Kainwo. 48 pages. A Reading Sierra Leone book for Grade 1. CODE Canada, 2015. ISBN 9789991050027.
Let’s Go! with Rainny Brito and Isha M. Kaira. 28 pages. A Reading Sierra Leone book for Grade 1. CODE Canada, 2019. ISBN 9789991050096.
Putt Putt Varoom! with Mustapha Biro, Theresa Amui, and Mohamed Sheriff. 44 pages. A Reading Sierra Leone book for Grade 1. CODE Canada, 2019. ISBN 9789991050089.
“Shapes all Around” in Sia and Friends: A selection of reading and counting stories for Class 2. 92 pages. CODE, 2019. ISBN 9781987874075.
“My Mother is a Teacher” and “Bisi the Detective” in Sia and Friends: A selection of reading and counting stories for Class 3. 92 pages. CODE, 2019. ISBN 9781987874082.
“The Prize” in Promises to Keep : A collection of stories and poems for Class 6 which also contains work by Moses Kainwo. 60 pages. CODE, 2020. ISBN 9781987874082. (“The Prize” is a sequel to “City Girl.”)
“Modern Day Hero” and “Imagine 1840 in Sierra Leone” in Sierra Leone Then and Now : A collection of stories for Class 6 which also contains work by Sallieu All, Elizabeth Kamara and Kitty Fadlu-Deen. 64 pages. CODE, 2020. ISBN 9781987874228.
“No Surprises” in The Buddy System and Other Stories : A collection of stories and poems for Class 5 which also contains work by Moses Kainwo, Rya Anderson and Bernadette Kemokai. CODE, 2020.
“Shadowing Mama” and “Take a Walk in Their Shoes” in What Do I Want to Be? A collection of stories and poems for Class 5 which also contains work by Emmanuel H. Kabia and Omar Farouk Sesay. 60 pages. CODE, 2020. ISBN 9781987874198.
Poetry
“Absolution” published in Lost Tales from the Mountain.
“The Invasion” published in The Ofi Press.
“The Launderer” published in Bitterroot: International Poetry Quarterly, (XXI)80-81.
“White Pine” published in damselfly press, issue 37, Oct. 2016.
Nonfiction
A History of St. Edward’s Church: Kent, Sierra Leone, 3rd edition. Nonfiction. 54 pages. CreateSpace, 2016. $5.95. ISBN 9781530581177. (See reviews on this site.) Available on Amazon.
“Grappling with Text,” in MITESOL Messages, August 15, 2018, V. 44(4) at https://www.smore.com/0rfb5 (Scroll down to the “Updates From the Field” section).
Instructional Books
Learn English Through Krio, a spiral-bound consumable workbook. 76 pages. Sales benefit the nonprofit Sentinel English Language Institute. To buy, contact leigh_jj@yahoo.com.
CODE (formerly CODE Canada) is a donor-based publisher and “a leading international development agency focused on education and literacy. CODE has been active in Sierra Leone since 2011, focusing on childhood literacy and supporting the creation of locally produced, culturally meaningful books for children. http://www.code.ngo ” (quoted from inside the covers of books listed here). Because their publication is donor-funded for use in West Africa, these books are not available for purchase.
A Writing Place 