Yo Miss: A Graphic Look at High School

Gr 8 Up—This is a selection of semi-autobiographical vignettes in the life of Ms. Wilde—teacher of seniors in John V. Lindsay Wildcat Academy—and her students. The black-and-white artwork, while lacking the sophisticated shading of many slicker graphic novels, plays a supporting role and moves readers through scenes of heartbreak and triumph. Whether it is William and his myriad attempts to escape the call of a gang and the street; Natalie, who is struggling to be a student even as she is becoming a mother; or Danny, who insists on calling Ms. Wilde "Snowflake" and masks his fear of failure with bravado and bullying; each of the characters ring true. This work is a visual take on such books as LouAnne Johnson's My Posse Don't Do Homework (St. Martin's, 1992; later adapted into the film Dangerous Minds) and Muchacho (Knopf, 2009) or Erin Gruwell's The Freedom Writers Diary (Broadway, 1999). Struggling students will recognize the scenarios, burned out teachers will find their passion rekindled for trying just one more time with that difficult student, and both sets of readers will be refreshed by Wilde's conclusion to the story with a graduation ceremony that is filled with hope that realistically transcends the grim reality her characters must overcome.