Reading Recommendations: Graphic Memoirs
A new month means another batch of reading recommendations! July’s theme is graphic memoirs which is a memoir written and illustrated using the same general format found in a graphic novel. I hope you enjoy these picks!
Mira Jacob’s touching, often humorous, and utterly unique graphic memoir takes readers on her journey as a first-generation American. At an increasingly fraught time for immigrants and their families, Good Talk delves into the difficult conversations about race, sex, love, and family that seem to be unavoidable these days.
Inspired by her popular BuzzFeed piece “37 Difficult Questions from My Mixed-Raced Son,” here are Jacob’s responses to her six-year-old, Zakir, who asks if the new president hates brown boys like him; uncomfortable relationship advice from her parents, who came to the United States from India one month into their arranged marriage; and the imaginary therapy sessions she has with celebrities from Bill Murray to Madonna. Jacob also investigates her own past, from her memories of being the only non-white fifth grader to win a Daughters of the American Revolution essay contest to how it felt to be a brown-skinned New Yorker on 9/11. As earnest and moving as they are sometimes laugh-out-loud funny, these are the stories that have formed one American life.
I had a lot of emotions while reading this book. It was hopeful, entertaining, sad, realistic, and heartwarming all at the same time. I liked that this book was an open letter to Jacob’s son and I felt a strong personal connection to the narrative as a woman of color. Though the stories and conversations are snippets from different periods of Mira’s life they all seamlessly weave together into one larger piece. This book was a journey with an open ending that looks toward the future. (Review)
Mari Andrew started doodling when she worked at a bakery–she took some license with the display case labels. When customers noticed and began telling her the drawings brightened their days, Mari realized she could use that hobby to connect with people. She hit a professional rough patch in her late 20s and began to chronicle her work on Instagram. Nearly overnight, she became a sensation. Now when Mari Andrew posts something new, the Internet rejoices.
This book is organized by universal themes of becoming an adult–for example, loss, adventure, ambition. Within each chapter, Mari shares her personal experiences in never-before-seen essays, accompanied by spreads of her signature illustrations, 90 percent of which are brand new. Readers are bound to see some of themselves in this book, whether seeking advice on how to handle growing up, or just looking for a friend who can commiserate.
Am I There Yet? is a graphic memoir about navigating life and adulthood filled with an entertaining narrative and lots of illustrations. Andrew’s story is relatable to a wide audience with the overarching theme of finding yourself in this book. Everyone will be able to see a little of themselves in her stories. She talks about how there is no easy way to navigate life, but that we should make sure to enjoy the little moments and take risks in order to live a fuller life. (Review)
Born in Tokyo to a Japanese mother and an American father in 1997, Christine Mari Inzer spent her early years in Japan and relocated to the United States in 2003. The summer before she turned sixteen, she returned to Tokyo, making a solo journey to get reacquainted with her birthplace. Through illustrations, photos, and musings, Inzer documented her journey.
In Diary of a Tokyo Teen, Inzer explores the cutting-edge fashions of Tokyo’s trendy Harajuku district, eats the best sushi of her life at the renowned Tsukiji fish market, and hunts down geisha in the ancient city of Kyoto. As she shares the trials and pleasures of travel from one end of a trip to the other, Inzer introduces the host of interesting characters she meets and offers a unique—and often hilarious—look at a fascinating country and an engaging tale of one girl rediscovering her roots.
Diary of a Tokyo Teen follows a Japanese-American girl’s summer trip to Japan. The book is a reflection of her second trip to her native homeland since her childhood, and during her stories, she talks about seeing Japan through her teenage eyes. The book doesn’t really have a fluid plot but serves as a collection of diary entry snippets of Christine’s trip. Each section is set up by the timeline of her summer trip and focuses on different locations within the country. The illustration style by Inzer is cute and sometimes funny. Though she experiences culture shock from some of the differences between Japan and the US she says that she could find a home in both countries. (Review)
The teacher’s favorite finally gets into trouble at school. A graphic novel about growing up in the bygone Hong Kong of the 1960s. It follows the story of Ann, a diligent but clumsy young girl, as she runs chores around town, gets into trouble at school, and tries to win her parents’ approval. Based on my mother’s stories about her childhood. Set in 1960s Hong Kong and based on Li’s mother’s stories about her childhood.
Teacher’s Pet is a delightful tale (the second chapter) from Li’s book The House on Horse Mountain. It follows the story of Ann who is the class leader who runs around not only doing chores for teachers in the school but also keeping the other students in line. Ann is so focused on getting good grades, impressing her teachers, and keeping up a good image that she fails to take care of herself. She wants to be the best student possible and when her teachers try to give her solid life advice it goes one ear in out the other until consequences occur. (Review)
Starting at a new school is scary, even more so with a giant hearing aid strapped to your chest! At her old school, everyone in Cece’s class was deaf. Here she is different. She is sure the kids are staring at the Phonic Ear, the powerful aid that will help her hear her teacher. Too bad it also seems certain to repel potential friends.
Then Cece makes a startling discovery. With the Phonic Ear she can hear her teacher not just in the classroom, but anywhere her teacher is in school — in the hallway… in the teacher’s lounge… in the bathroom! This is power. Maybe even superpower! Cece is on her way to becoming El Deafo, Listener for All. But the funny thing about being a superhero is that it’s just another way of feeling different… and lonely. Can Cece channel her powers into finding the thing she wants most, a true friend?
This book offered a glance into deaf culture and while it was a major part of the story I also liked seeing pivotal moments in her life. I also learned about how technology for hearing aids has grown. What I really admired about Cece is that she felt empowered by calling herself “El Deafo” and the scenes where she transformed into a superhero. It’s a great coming-of-age story and I liked seeing her self-discovery journey. (Review)
March is a vivid first-hand account of John Lewis’ lifelong struggle for civil and human rights, meditating in the modern age on the distance traveled since the days of Jim Crow and segregation. Rooted in Lewis’ personal story, it also reflects on the highs and lows of the broader civil rights movement.
Book One spans John Lewis’ youth in rural Alabama, his life-changing meeting with Martin Luther King, Jr., the birth of the Nashville Student Movement, and their battle to tear down segregation through nonviolent lunch counter sit-ins, building to a stunning climax on the steps of City Hall.
March: Book One is a spectacular graphic novel told in the eyes of an eyewitness and key activist of the Civil Rights Movement. I feel that it’s a wonderful resource inside and outside of the classroom to teach students and adults about the movement. I learned a lot from reading this first installment and about John Lewis’ beginnings as an activist. The artwork is so detailed that it puts the reader right in the midst of all the actions.
That concludes my reading recommendations for graphic memoirs! What books do you recommend or what are your favorites? Comment below!
I’ve had Good Talk on my TBR for so long, I really need to give it a try.
A graphic memoir I liked was “Audubon, on the Wings of the World” by Fabien Grolleau. It’s about John James Audubon.
Oh, thank you for the recommendation. I’ll have to check out that book. I’m always looking to read more graphic memoirs.