Based on a true, heartwarming, viral story of a young Kurdish refugee who is forced to leave her home. In Netherlands, while waiting for a place to goBased on a true, heartwarming, viral story of a young Kurdish refugee who is forced to leave her home. In Netherlands, while waiting for a place to go, a kind landlord gifts Mevan a bicycle. Years later, after moving to America, Mevan travels back to Kurdistan and Netherlands where she reconnects with the kind man who "made her feel 100 feet tall". This is an uplifting story with a valuable author's note in the back. Great illustrations. This empathy-building picture book is a real treat....more
Pan Cooke's graphic memoir about growing up with undiagnosed OCD is a powerful and informative book for upper middle grade readers. Following his expePan Cooke's graphic memoir about growing up with undiagnosed OCD is a powerful and informative book for upper middle grade readers. Following his experiences from age 10 up through high-school, this book dispels myths about OCD and shows the various forms the disease can take on. In an authentic and unflinching narrative, Pan shares his experiences with mental illness. The story ends with Pan going to therapy and receiving help to manage his OCD. This is a heavy but necessary read. Essential reading for young teens who may be struggling with OCD behaviors or seeking to understand their peers better....more
Mazie Lovie's graphic memoir shares her family's experience living in a Habitat for Humanity house in her childhood. This exploration of family povertMazie Lovie's graphic memoir shares her family's experience living in a Habitat for Humanity house in her childhood. This exploration of family poverty and how it shapes children is compelling and is told in an accessible way. I will say, it doesn't read like a middle grade graphic novel to me. The illustration style is simple and bold -- but doesn't look like other popular graphic novels. The narration is very obviously an adult telling stories from childhood. It works, but not for young readers....more
Ying Chang Compestine's picture book memoir of growing up during the Chinese Cultural Revolution. This is a really gripping narrative that will have rYing Chang Compestine's picture book memoir of growing up during the Chinese Cultural Revolution. This is a really gripping narrative that will have readers eager to keep reading -- and keep learning more after about families living during Mao's 10 year revolution. The illustrations -- made to look like vintage Chinese propaganda posters are a really nice addition in creating a sense of setting....more
There can never be enough picture books about the Incarceration of Japanese Americans, and, honestly, there are far too few. But this one is exceptionThere can never be enough picture books about the Incarceration of Japanese Americans, and, honestly, there are far too few. But this one is exceptional. I'm not sure how many kids these days really know about Star Trek or know George Takei from his acting career, but I think it is wonderful that he is continuing to share his story as an American citizen incarcerated as a child because of his race -- and that many children will know him for those stories. Well illustrated, well-told -- this is a book that every child should know....more
The memoir of Estelle Nadel, born Enia Feld, a Holocaust survivor. The graphic novel format works really well to bring this story to life and to conveThe memoir of Estelle Nadel, born Enia Feld, a Holocaust survivor. The graphic novel format works really well to bring this story to life and to convey the cramped spaces where Enia and her family were confined. Though obviously very heavy, this story is filled with hope and determination....more
The adaptation of Coretta Scott King's memoir for young people, this autobiography paints a picture of the 20th century from the perspective of one ofThe adaptation of Coretta Scott King's memoir for young people, this autobiography paints a picture of the 20th century from the perspective of one of its most important figures. Ekua Holmes' illustrations are exceptional as always, filled with cut paper collage that feel significant and intimate in measure. The book itself is a little wordy, but it reads well. This is a book that could work as a read aloud with older kids....more
If Dan Santat had not released A First Time for Everything in 2023, this would be the best middle grade memoir of 2023 -- hands down. As it stands, I'If Dan Santat had not released A First Time for Everything in 2023, this would be the best middle grade memoir of 2023 -- hands down. As it stands, I'll let them fight it out because I'm split.
Pedro's childhood is filled with everything that childhood is filled with. Annoying siblings, weird parent antics, struggling to fit in. A little bit of humor, a little bit of sadness, some gross-out moments -- have you ever imagined what happens when Pop Rocks get caught in a trail of snot? This comic book will transport you to a different time and place and leave you with unforgettable memories. Spanish, sometimes translated and sometimes not, riddles the pages and creates an authenticity that is hard to replicate. The sepia toned memories of his grandfather and the historical fictional details are both well received. Just great....more
Incredibly moving and, at times, hard to read. I related so much to Sarah's character in places, and I was able to empathize with them in others. The Incredibly moving and, at times, hard to read. I related so much to Sarah's character in places, and I was able to empathize with them in others. The illustrations are soooo good -- a perfect blending of different styles that show Sarah's interests in cartoons, comics, anime, and manga. I grew up slightly after Sarah, but this world them painted is one that I can remember and I thought it was a perfect little setting....more
In 1980s Bosnia, eleven-year-old Amra loses her beloved older brother to complications from Marfan syndrome. Devastated by the death of her brother, AIn 1980s Bosnia, eleven-year-old Amra loses her beloved older brother to complications from Marfan syndrome. Devastated by the death of her brother, Amra retreats into her own grief until her mother decides to invite Amra's older cousin Zana and her sister to stay. Zana is just what Amra needed -- a cousin like a sister who will show Amra the ins and outs of becoming a teenager. Over the summer, and the two summers that follow, the girls navigate first crushes, boy troubles, heartbreak, and fashion disasters together. But all along, tension is building in the background as political unrest foments in the country. Amra and her family, who are Bosnian Muslims, called Bosniaks, begin to feel the building prejudices against them as anti-Muslim sentiments become widely known.
This insightful memoir will transport readers to summers in Bosnia on the banks of the River Una. Rich sensory details go a long way to fill in the spaces of Amra's memories, and the result is a vibrant story of a carefree summer -- with a looming threat of violence that lurks in the background. Almost like a prequel to Amra Sabic-El-Rayess's YALSA Excellence in Nonfiction Finalist memoir, The Cat I Never Named, this book is appropriate for tween readers and just begins to explore the violence and tragedy that Amra experienced during the Bosnian Genocide. This book is just right for tweens with an interest in history, or who feel on the cusp of something big....more
This book blew me away, but it was a very heavy read. This debut memoir follows Deb through her high school years as she struggles in school, with friThis book blew me away, but it was a very heavy read. This debut memoir follows Deb through her high school years as she struggles in school, with friends, and with her transgenerational relationship with her parents. This memoir deals frankly with her struggles with mental illness and her surviving a suicide attempt, and the fallout that came after. The artwork throughout this book is expressive and well done and shows Deb's world with beautiful details. Portions of the text are written in untranslated Korean, and as a non-Korean speaker I felt the frustration and confusion that Deb felt....more
This is an effective story, but it is not an autobiography or a biography -- that's fine, it isn't billed as one! But readers going in to this story wThis is an effective story, but it is not an autobiography or a biography -- that's fine, it isn't billed as one! But readers going in to this story will already need to know who Colin Kaepernick is and where is career goes, otherwise this book won't make sense. Directed to an older MG/younger YA audience, this is a sports memoir about standing up for what's right, and finding yourself....more
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