Staff Picks Updates: Confronting Injustice

The author's story of the journey that led him to his work in environmental justice. We follow Eddie primarily through his adult life, looking back on his childhood and family history, and how that influenced the person he is today. Interspersed in the story of his career are his self-study of drawing and graphic design, the everyday racism he's faced, and some of the health struggles he and his parents have dealt with. It creates a fuller picture of why fighting for community is important through the lens of his own life.

Eddie's story is told in an engaging, personal way that makes it easy to pick up and keep reading, especially paired with the art's gentle washes of colors and distinct use of facial expressions. This nonfiction comic reads almost like fiction, so it's a great pick for readers who want to try more nonfiction but feel put off by the tonal shift.

Shannan Prukop

This graphic novel adaptation of Rhodes' best-selling novel tells the story of Jerome, who is shot when a white police officer mistakes his toy gun for the real thing. The story follows Jerome's spirit as he observes the aftermath of this death. In the afterlife, he meets the spirit of Emmett Till, who also died as a child as the result of police violence 70 years earlier. During the course of the story, we also meet the daughter of the police officer who shot Jerome, as she deals with the emotional aftermath of her father's actions. A unflinching look at police brutality and racially motivated violence.

parents and educators looking for an inroad to conversation about police violence with young people that is approachable.

Police violence, death of a child, racism

Tayla Cardillo

Determined to support the climate movement. Denali Sai Nalamalapu is committed to the fight against the Mountain Valley Pipeline, which threatens the natural resources and communities in Virginia. In this graphic memoir, they profile six people — a teacher, a photographer, a single mother, a nurse, a student, and a seed keeper — who also fought against the pipeline.

With impactful illustrations of these individuals stepping up and speaking out, the stories in Holler capture the bittersweet experience of building community in the fight against powerful interests. Readers looking for stories about rural communities’ justice work or about the myriad ways people can fight back will want to check out Holler.

Megan Rupe

What is a girl to do when her favorite food spot in town gets edged out for its storefront by a fancy French cafe? For Momo, she does everything she can to see that Noodle and Bao, the food stand named after its two proprietors, continues to have a place in town 99, along with all the other people and places that make it special. With manga-style art and anthropomorphized animal townsfolk, this graphic novel is a fun way to start a conversation with kids about gentrification in terms they can understand.

Manga fans, animal lovers, and foodies will all find something to love here!

Tayla Cardillo

In 1943, Emma, a student at the teacher’s college, joins the Dutch Resistance. She smuggles children away from the Nazis and transports and forges ration cards.
In 2011, Annick’s oma (grandmother) is dying of leukemia, but a test reveals Annick and Oma are not biologically related and therefore Annick can’t donate bone marrow. With Oma’s days now limited, Annick starts looking for her grandmother’s birth family. Her only clues are the prints of buildings that Oma has had since she was young.

Inspired by real individuals’ stories, Song of a Blackbird weaves a quest for reunion through the brave actions of a resistance fighter; the result is a compelling, hopeful story about the power of art and the actions of ordinary people. It was one of my favorite reads last year, and I recommend it if you are looking for a hopeful read.

Violence; implied execution and torture

Megan Rupe

In The Chancellor and the Citadel, it is unclear what happened to the world, or whether this is the world we know or someplace else entirely. All we know is that the Citadel is the last bastion of hope for the seemingly peaceful spirits who live there, and that the Chancellor, their leader, keeps them safe. But when the Chancellor is overwhelmed by humans trying to harm the citadel and its citizens, she faces tough decisions and not much time to make them. This parable in graphic novel form grapples with questions of whether it is ever justified to use force to protect others or yourself, and what fear of the "other" leads even the less aggressive to do.

Readers who enjoy a story that uses a fantastical setting to examine real-world issues.

Mild fantasy violence, depiction of medical treatments, xenophobia

Tayla Cardillo

Myunghee and Yunho may not be very similar, but they do both share a hope for a future better than their bleak present. The story alternates chapters from their perspectives, sometimes offering the same moments from different viewpoints. We follow them from North Korea to China, Laos, Thailand, and finally to the United States, as the two do everything they can to stay alive and, hopefully, find somewhere they can be safe and happy.

The always dreamy art of Deb JJ Lee paired with the poetic language of Tina Cho makes this emotionally challenging story a beautiful and lyrical experience, not softening the edges but giving them a new shape. This comic also shows a perspective not often talked about: how children are affected, but also can affect, their lives in difficult times and places. For school libraries, this could be a great choice for older children and tweens looking for stories about life in North Korea.

Shannan Prukop

When the students at Curtis Technical High School discover that Persepolis has been pulled from all Chicago public schools, they decide to fight back. Readers follow as students uncover the truth and raise their voices against the ban of a book important to many of them.

Wake Now in the Fire is a powerful mix of students’ inner lives and their greater fight, making this a compelling and inspiring read. Although the story is based on events that took place over a decade ago, Wake Now in the Fire is relevant in the current political climate, which includes a steady uptick in censorship. Wake Now in the Fire is an empowering read for teens because it shows them how censorship happens and what to do about it.

Parental alcoholism and mental health issues; bullying; microaggressions

Megan Rupe

When the U.S. government forced Japanese American citizens into concentration camps following Pearl Harbor, it was just the beginning of their trials. In addition to the daily indignities, the government demanded that Japanese Americans prove their loyalty without extending due process. We Hereby Refuse follows four Japanese Americans who defied the U.S. government and fought for their rights.

In addition to the stories of the four main characters, We Hereby Refuse provides extensive historical context, the camps’ psychological impact, and the aftermath of their release. This would be a great read for classes studying World War II and the internment camps. Readers looking for stories that go beyond the basics of Japanese internment or stories about defiance in the camps will want to pick up We Hereby Refuse.

Violence, parental self-harm, and eventual suicide

Megan Rupe