If You Liked Mexikid…

Mexikid by Pedro Martín won the 2024 Pura Belpré Youth Illustration Award and the Pura Belpré Children’s Author Award this year as well as being a Newbery Honor book. Martín has created a heartfelt and funny memoir of his childhood, chock full of stories about his grandfather’s legendary life in Mexico. If you loved Mexikid and are looking for other graphic novel memoirs, there are tons to choose from. Here are ones that the kid and I have particularly enjoyed.

Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi (2000)

In this memoir (for grown-ups), Satrapi tells of growing up in Iran during the end of the Shah’s reign and the war with Iraq. Drawn in striking black and white, the illustrations give a child’s perspective with meaning drawn from adult experience.

Fun Home by Alison Bechdel (2006)

The first of three memoirs (for grown-ups) Bechdel has created, Fun Home tells of growing up living in a funeral home and about the twin discoveries of her own sexuality and her father’s. This book was turned into a Tony award–winning musical, which is amazing as well.

The Dumbest Idea Ever by Jimmy Gownley (2014)

Now kids get a vaccine for chicken pox, but when I was a kid it was one of those childhood illnesses we just lived with. My mom actually sent me over to a friend’s house to catch it! When Gownley had chicken pox as a kid, he missed a championship basketball game, which was bad. But then he developed pneumonia, and things got worse. This middle-grade graphic novel shows how he copes with the twists and turns.

El Deafo by Cece Bell (2014)

Bell depicts her childhood managing her deafness and a world that wasn’t very accommodating. She begins to see her hearing loss as a super power, enabling her to hear secret teacher conversations. Cece longs to have a true friend but struggles to find a person who really fits.

The Arab of the Future by Riad Sattouf (2015)

Sattouf’s childhood involved a lot of relocation, with time spent in France, Libya, and Syria. The constant through all the places the family landed was the father who overshadowed everything else.

Friends series by Shannon Hale and LeUyen Pham (started 2017)

In the first book of this autobiographical trilogy, Shannon’s BFF starts hanging out with the cool kids, leaving Shannon behind. Should she try to join in, even if the cool kids don’t seem very nice? The following two books take Shannon through the rest of middle-school and all the conflicts that come up around being and keeping friends.

Guts by Raina Telgemeier (2019)

In this memoir, Telgemeier depicts how she developed a fear of throwing up and how she eventually learned to cope with her fear. I loved the depictions of her sessions with a therapist. As with all of Telgemeier’s books about her family, I enjoyed the scenes with her parents and siblings, working through tension with love.

Gender Queer: A Memoir by Maia Kobabe (2019)

Kobabe (e/em/eir) has created a searingly personal book as eir attempt to explain to others eir journey through gender and sexuality. Honest and touching, this book looks at how challenging it is for a kid not to fit into the stated norms.

Dragon Hoops by Gene Luen Yang (2020)

Yang tells the story of his time as a high-school teacher and weaves in details about the history of basketball. I first read this when the pandemic had cancelled that year’s March Madness, and this book totally scratched the itch for me.

Chunky by Yehudi Mercado (2021)

Hudi’s doctor tells him he needs to lose weight, and his family believes the answer lies in participating in sports. Hudi is not a jock, but his imaginary friend Chunky gives him the support he needs to give baseball a try. Loved this depiction of a Jewish-Mexican family.

The Tryout by Christina Soontornvat and Joanna Cacao (2022)

Christina is in seventh grade, and everything is harder than it was in elementary school. Her BFF is pulling away, and she’s facing racist micro aggressions from her classmates. If she and her bestie can make it onto the cheerleading team, then everything will be fixed, right?

Welcome to St. Hell: My Trans Teen Misadventure by Lewis Hancock (2022)

Hancock depicts his high-school years, during which he was figuring out his gender identity. Adult Lewis converses with the characters in the past, adding humor to this tale of his sometimes-painful journey. My kid was particularly struck by how hard it was in England just to get puberty blockers.

A First Time for Everything by Dan Santat (2023)

A fantastic graphic novel memoir, A First Time for Everything recounts Santat’s middle-school trip all over Europe. Given remarkable freedom (it was the 80s!) and with the support of friends, he starts to come into his own. He takes risks, tries new things, and even falls in love. A joyous and exuberant tribute to the benefit of travel.