One of the Best Books for Young Adults of 2020, as chosen by Kirkus Reviews A provocative collection of narrative essays with a unique point of view. In this book a first generation American New Yorker uses her bold voice to share life experiences through the lens of race, culture, and spirituality. Exploring topics ranging from night terrors, to schizophrenia, to gentrification, to the author's personal September 11th story. Illustrated with stunning artwork created in response to the essays, this book is a unique collection.

Stupid Black Girl: Essays from an American African

Biographies & Memoirs

Redux, Aisha

Community & Culture

Street Noise Books

This book demands each of us look in the mirror and get real before we get behind the wheel. When fragile human bodies have to occupy the same spaces as big, heavy, complex machines that can travel at high speeds, the outcome is inevitable. Some people will die. So why do we identify with the driver in the car rather than the person they have killed? Would you still shrug and chalk it up to random bad luck if that dead person was someone you loved? Using the comic book format, this book vehemently dispels the notion that traffic accidents are inevitable and/or acceptable on any level, insisting that drivers own their responsibility, and consider the consequences of careless and dangerous behavior. It is part thought experiment, part testimonial, and part indictment of a dysfunctional transit environment that puts convenience for drivers ahead of logic, natural resources, and even ahead of human life. Crash Course questions the decisions that shape all our lives. Why don't roads serve everyone who needs to use them? What makes some people not worth protecting? Where do we start in fixing a broken system that facilitates the use of vehicles as murder weapons in places like Charlottesville, VA?

Crash Course: If You Want To Get Away With Murder Buy A Car

Comics & Graphic Novels

Phoenix, Woodrow

Graphic Novels

A celebration of the wacky and wonderful Jewish grandmothers who nurtured the author as she grew from a kid struggling with anxiety and insecurity to a teen finding her own voice. Danny Noble grew up in an eccentric family with two weird and wonderful Jewish grandmas living right around the corner. One grandma stuffed her full of love and gefilte fish, and the other pinched her cheeks shrieking "shayn punim!" The strange words hung in the air, sounding like "shame pudding." Was this some sort of insult? It was never explained that those words meant "beautiful face" in Yiddish. This memoir, told in graphic novel format, is a personal celebration of the author's charming and vibrant family and how they saved her from the machinations of her own brain. It explores resonant adolescent topics of body image, self-determination, insecurity, fear, religious identity, politics, friendship, romantic love, and family relationships. Danny Noble's expressive style brings this delightful cast of characters to life.

Shame Pudding: A Graphic Memoir

Noble, Danny

The meticulous artwork of transgender artist Bishakh Som gives us the rare opportunity to see the world through another lens. This exquisite graphic novel memoir by a transgender artist, explores the concept of identity by inviting the reader to view the author moving through life as she would have us see her, that is, as she sees herself. Framed with a candid autobiographical narrative, this book gives us the opportunity to enter into the author's daily life and explore her thoughts on themes of gender and sexuality, memory and urbanism, love and loss.

Spellbound: A Graphic Memoir

Som, Bishakh

"a tour de force of comics" (Ed Park, The New York Times) A brutally honest but charming look at the pain of childhood and the alienation and anxiety of early adulthood. In his memoir, we are invited to walk through the life of the author, Jim Terry, as he struggles to find security and comfort in an often hostile environment. Between the Ho-Chunk community of his Native American family in Wisconsin and his schoolmates in the Chicago suburbs, he tries in vain to fit in and eventually turns to alcohol to provide an escape from increasing loneliness and alienation. Terry also shares with the reader in exquisite detail the process by which he finds hope and gets sober, as well as the powerful experience of finding something to believe in and to belong to at the Dakota Access Pipeline resistance at Standing Rock.

Come Home, Indio: A Memoir

Terry, Jim

Parenting & Relationships

"The queer community is lucky to have Sharon on our side, using her skills and passions to create a better world for all of us."--Alison Bechdel, author ofFun Home: A Family Tragicomic A collection of lively autobiographical comics guiding the reader through an understanding of queerness and what it means to one woman of color. In this delightfully compelling full-color graphic memoir, the author shares her process of undoing the effects of a patriarchal, colonial society on her self-image, her sexuality, and her concept of freedom. Reflecting on the ways in which oppression was the cause for her late bloom into queerness, we are invited to discover people and things in the author's life that helped shape and inform her LGBTQ identity. And we come to an understanding of her holistic definition of queerness.

I'm a Wild Seed

Cruz, Sharon Lee De La

“Unique in both format and content, this important book is a first choice to help diversify teen graphic nonfiction collections.” —Starred Review, School Library Journal\nFollow the daily life of one queer artist from Texas as they introduce us to the lives of ten extraordinary people.\nThe author shares their life as a genderqueer person, living in the American South, revealing their own personal struggle for acceptance and how they were inspired by these historical LGBTQIA+ people to live their own truth. Featuring biographies of Mary Jones, We'wha, Magnus Hirschfeld, Dr. Pauli Murray, Wilmer "Little Axe" M. Broadnax, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Carlett Brown, Nancy Cardenas, Ifti Nasim, and Simon Nkoli.\nFrom School Library Journal\nGr 9 Up-Criswell's first graphic novel blends an LGBTQIA+ history lesson with touching memoir. Framing the narrative around their daily life in San Antonio, TX, Criswell opens with reflections about being queer and nonbinary in the contemporary Bible Belt. These musings smoothly segue in and out of brief, conversational spotlights on 10 figures whose stories impacted Criswell on their journey of self. Majority BIPOC, the figures range from Nancy Cárdenas (a Mexican, lesbian playwright) to Simon Nkoli (a Black, gay, South African activist). Each is a revolutionary in their own right, whether innovating rock and roll, developing the first gender affirmation surgeries, or simply existing. Throughout, Criswell displays reverence for each individual and queer history writ large. The ending reminds queer readers "to be proud of who we are." While there have been several collective biographies published about notable historical LGBTQIA+ figures in the last decade, none feel as personal, relevant, and engaging as this one. The decentering of cis gay men allows for a necessary spotlight on lesser-known (but no less important) subjects. Asides from the main narrative helpfully contextualize details, such as pronoun choices or still-persistent systemic issues. Dynamic block panels, soft colors, and a breezy pace keep the narrative engaging. Extensive-and visually appealing-back matter includes sources for each subject, a glossary, further reading, resources, and a link to a Spotify playlist. VERDICT Unique in both format and content, this important book is a first choice to help diversify teen graphic nonfiction collections.-Alec Chunn, Eugene P.L., ORα(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Queer As All Get Out: 10 People Who've Inspired Me

Criswell, Shelby

When Lili Sohn was diagnosed with breast cancer at age 29, she was confronted with just how little she knew about her own anatomy. What’s that, you say? We’re born with all of the ova we’ll have for our entire lives? Well, that was news to Sohn. And her mom. And all of her friends. In Vagina Love, she embarks on a quest for information, busting myths and telling the truth. Sohn’s vibrant illustrations and snarky humor along with concrete scientific backing form an easily accessible and comprehensive guide to female reproductive anatomy from periods to masturbation, from orgasms to contraceptives.\nFrom School Library Journal\nGr 10 Up—Sohn was diagnosed with breast cancer at age 29, and soon realized that there was a lot she didn't know about her body or female bodies in general. She began to research the cisgender female body and created an illustrated survey of her findings—for the first time in Belgium in 2018, now translated for English-speaking audiences—including such topics as what it means to be female, anatomy, menstruation and sanitary products, pregnancy and genetics, contraception, orgasms, gynecology, and menopause. Although Sohn (who presents as a white woman) gives a nod to the fact that being female is more than the body parts you do or do not have, respectful discussion of trans women and intersex individuals occurs only minimally. The coverage of topics only goes so deep given the overall scope, and information is shared conversationally; Sohn's narration utilizes slang, including the regular use of "pussy." There are a few passing mentions of pornography in discussing sources of sex and anatomical education some individuals consume. The illustrations eschew typical paneling, instead relying on color blocking, white space, illustrations, and text boxes to lead the eye, though not always straightforwardly. Many pages contain paragraphs of information or narration. Bold magenta and purple backgrounds complement surrounding yellow and orange pages, and depictions of body parts are detailed but not obscene or gratuitous. Back matter contains a select bibliography and a short list of websites for further exploration. VERDICT Sohn provides an informal, informative, and colorful look at information that is often withheld from adolescents with vaginas about their own bodies. Recommended for high school shelves.—Alea Perez

Vagina Love: An Owner's Manual

Sohn, Lili

“An artistic triumph that will stand as an enduring testament to the spirit of the Palestinian people. Mohammad Sabaaneh is a master.”--Joe Sacco, winner of the American Book Award for Palestine 
What does freedom look like from inside an Israeli prison? 
A bird perches on the cell window and offers a deal: “You bring the pencil, and I will bring the stories,” stories of family, of community, of Gaza, of the West Bank, of Jerusalem, of Palestine. The two collect threads of memory and intergenerational trauma from ongoing settler-colonialism. Helping us to see that the prison is much larger than a building, far wider than a cell; it stretches through towns and villages, past military checkpoints and borders. But hope and solidarity can stretch farther, deeper, once strength is drawn of stories and power is born of dreams. Translating headlines into authentic lived experiences, these stories come to life in the striking linocut artwork of Mohammad Sabaaneh, helping us to see Palestinians not as political symbols, but as people.\nFrom School Library Journal\nThe stories in Sabaaneh's poignant graphic novel are an ultimately triumphant attempt to allow readers to "see and feel the reality of Palestinian lives." The book starts with Sabaaneh making a deal with a bird who visits his prison cell (in real life Sabaaneh spent several months in prison for an alleged association with the terrorist group Hamas). They agree that he will draw the stories the bird tells him about his flights around Palestine. Day after day the bird comes back to recount what he's seen and heard: a woman forced to give birth at a checkpoint to Jerusalem, Gazans with one eye always to the sky to watch out for Zanana (the name they gave Israeli drones), and tales from a Palestinian teacher who still hopes for justice and a free Palestine. These accounts may seem bleak, but the closing line from the bird makes clear that this isn't the case: "The purpose of these stories is to give [Palestinians] strength and keep them from leaving." Sabaaneh's often abstract black-and-white linocut illustrations pulse with emotion, making the tales feel even more immediate. Readers unfamiliar with the Israeli occupation of Palestine will appreciate the brief but thorough essays, with cited sources, that close out the book. VERDICT An excellent account of life under Israeli occupation, along with credible information to support the author's point of view and claims.Shazia Naderi, Bethpage P.L., NYα(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Power Born of Dreams: My Story is Palestine

Sabaaneh, Mohammad

“A fantastic list of ways that people can begin to shape change. Artists continue to point the way!” —adrienne maree brown, author of the New York Times Best Seller, Pleasure Activism\nAre you feeling fed up with the current political landscape? Over 100 amazing comic artists show you unique actions any one of us can take turn things around.\nA To Do list for changing the world. Artists share their passion and commitment to make things better in this fun and engaging collection. From simple ideas like signing a petition or going on a march, to more imaginative ones like becoming a 'raging granny' (old ladies who use their innocuous looks to gain entry into places like board meetings or arms fairs, and then create havoc). Many things can be done immediately, with little or no money at all. Others require a bit more planning. But all of them are steps that anyone can take if they want to enact change.

Draw The Line: 100+ Things You Can Do To Change The World!

Business & Money

Draw the Line Artists, The

Job Hunting & Careers

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