This honest, engrossing graphic memoir tells the story of professional athlete and activist Akim Aliu's incredible life as a hockey prodigy in Canada. Akim Aliu (also known as “Dreamer”) is a Ukrainian-Nigerian-Canadian professional hockey player whose career took him all around the world and who experienced systemic racism at every turn. Dreamer tells Akim's incredible story, from being the only Black child in his Ukrainian community, to his family struggling to make ends meet while living in Toronto, to confronting the racist violence he often experienced both on and off the ice.
“Clear, crisp artwork and richly saturated colors by De la Vega and Williams, paired with Aliu and Elysee’s conversational dialogue, result in a riveting, animated account.” ― Publishers Weekly
“Gut-wrenching and vividly detailed... With well-drawn artwork and an important story, this will educate and inspire many preteen readers.” ―Booklist
“(A) powerful graphic memoir . . . Blunt, simple language, a brisk pace, and realistic illustrations work harmoniously to keep readers engaged.” ―Kirkus
2024 YALSA Great Graphic Novel Novel for Teens Selection
Top 10 Selection of the 2024 In the Margins Book Award List 2024 TLA Texas Maverick Reading List SelectionCover by Marcus Williams. Inks by Karen De la Vega.
Published by Scholastic Inc.
An inspiring graphic novel about Jane Kendeigh, a nurse who helped wounded soldiers in combat zones during World War II. During World War II, the United States' fight against the Japanese on islands in the Pacific was intense and deadly. To help respond to casualties in battle, the U.S. Navy trained 122 nurses to aid wounded soldiers in combat zones. The first nurse to do so was Jane Kendeigh, a twenty-two-year-old woman from Ohio. In this full-color graphic novel, discover more about this courageous nurse who braved the battlefield to help U.S. soldiers.
Cover, inks and color by Karen De la Vega
Published by Capstone Press.