The creators of these five books, recommended for intermediate and/or middle-school readers, turn their own memories, with varying degrees of fictionalizing, into graphic novels or graphic memoirs. See also the Graphic novels and the Memoirs tags on hbook.com and the Graphic novels and Autobiographies subject tags in the Guide/Reviews Database.

How to Draw a Secret
by Cindy Chang; illus. by the author
Intermediate, Middle School    Allida/HarperCollins    272 pp.
2/25    9780358659662    $24.99
Paper ed.  9780358659655    $15.99
e-book ed.  9780358659556    $10.99

Chang’s fictionalized graphic memoir delves into the complexities of a family harboring a secret: Cindy’s father moved back to Taiwan four years ago, leaving her, her mother, and her older sisters on their own in San Francisco. Cindy is shy and quiet, but excerpts from her journal accented by doodles reveal a twelve-year-old full of emotion. While she longs for a picture-perfect family, her mother is overwhelmed with household responsibilities and her older sisters are focused on college. Her grandmother’s death reunites the fractured family in Taipei, where Cindy learns the truth about why her father left. She discovers her authentic voice and embraces vulnerability to deepen her relationships with those around her. The panel-to-panel flow is occasionally broken up by tight panels showing her phone as she inspects a photo or her hands as she draws pictures, bringing readers closer to the protagonist’s inner world. Chang’s animated facial expressions reveal her vibrant personality and lighten the mood. Colors range from warm hues to soft and muted shades. Nostalgic earth tones are used in a flashback to her mother’s difficult backstory, while darker reds and pinks are used after a pivotal cathartic moment. KRISTINE TECHAVANICH

Okchundang Candy
by Jung-soon Go; illus. by the author; trans. from Korean by Aerin Park
Intermediate, Middle School    Em Querido/Levine Querido    128 pp.
3/25    9781646145140    $21.99

Told in spare, quiet prose sprinkled with humor, Go’s illustrated autobiographical story unfolds around a close-knit Korean family. Jung-soon’s grandparents are both Korean War orphans who meet and build a life together, filled with happiness. The oldest of their three children is the protagonist’s father. While their shared war-based upbringing leads to thriftiness (“two squares for pee, three for poop”), Grandpa nevertheless brings fun into their lives, such as singing silly words to TV shows and dispensing the titular candy as part of Jesa day to honor the ancestors. Jung-soon happily spends school breaks in this idyllic home, escaping her parents’ turbulent relationship. When illness takes first the grandfather and then the grandmother, the girl learns how to accept grief and sadness, finding peace in everyday aspects of life: flower blossoms, pairs of birds, power wires that cross the sky. Go’s illustrations feature luminous palettes of yellows, greens, and pinks with more solemn black-and-white compositions, populating the spreads with whimsical, childlike shapes and creatures as well as straightforward portraits of day-to-day experiences. Love and family life permeate each page of this heartwarming story. J. ELIZABETH MILLS

Chickenpox
by Remy Lai; illus. by the author
Intermediate    Holt    240 pp.
1/25    9781250863300    $22.99
Paper ed.  9781250863294    $14.99

Lai (recently Ghost Book, rev. 9/23) crafts a unique and humorous graphic novel based on her recollection of events (with some names and details altered, per an author’s note) surrounding her and her siblings’ bout with chickenpox. Set in 1994 Indonesia, the tale is related from a surprising first-person viewpoint: that of her oldest sister, Abby. At twelve, Abby finds little peace at home with four little brothers and sisters constantly quarreling and demanding attention. School, piano lessons, and going over to friends’ houses provide brief relief from the chaos. Then all the Lai children come down with chickenpox, and Abby is forced to spend a week in “the zoo.” Home confinement is stressful: the rash is itchy, her siblings are annoying, and friendship drama ensues over a misunderstanding involving a birthday party. But as the story (and the pox) progresses, the tween begins to see her family in a new light — and to mature into her role as a more caring big sister and better friend. An entertaining and ultimately heartening slice-of-life comic, illustrated with inviting pastel hues and an approachable loose-lined style, that will appeal to fans of Telgemeier’s Guts (rev. 9/19) and Lloyd’s Squished (rev. 5/23). MICHELLE LEE

Extra Large
by Tyler Page; illus. by the author
Middle School    First Second    208 pp.
3/25    9781250851574    $22.99
Paper ed.  9781250851567    $14.99
e-book ed.  9781250422767    $9.99

In Button Pusher (rev. 5/22), Tyler gained weight as a side effect of taking Ritalin for his ADHD. In this companion graphic memoir, Page explores the intersection of body image, bullying, and masculinity during his middle school years. Tyler wins an extra-large T-shirt at a racetrack and, while it fits initially, he starts to notice that his pants no longer do. Then his father decides to lose weight and insists the entire family “start eating a little better” and exercise more regularly. Dad’s more-extreme no-sugar diet raises questions for Tyler (“my dad had reached his goal weight…But did losing thirty pounds make him healthier?”). Meanwhile, middle school remains an emotional minefield. Tyler is increasingly insecure about his body; and as his friends mercilessly ridicule other students with pranks and name-calling, it’s only a matter of time before they turn on him. Fortunately, this coincides with a change in bus routes, allowing him to befriend a few other students who allow him to be himself. These positive friendships coincide with the cumulative effects of his healthier habits, providing a good measure of self-acceptance, not to mention closure to the narrative. The visual appeal of the art is strong with bright colors, effective panel layouts, and the occasional use of white space. In his author’s note, Page says he slightly rearranged and reshaped the events and characters in this story; nevertheless, the emotional truth resonates. JONATHAN HUNT

Dear Dad: Growing Up with a Parent in Prison — and How We Stayed Connected
by Jay Jay Patton with Kiara Valdez; illus. by Markia Jenai
Intermediate    Graphix/Scholastic    128 pp.
9/24    9781546128373    $24.99
Paper ed.  9781338893205    $14.99
e-book ed.  9781546109952    $14.99

In this graphic memoir, brilliant Jay Jay enjoys solving the puzzles and equations her incarcerated father, Antoine, sends her in handwritten letters — though they take a long time to arrive. Jay Jay is elated when her father is released from prison, but the joy is short lived when she discovers the family will have to move from their beloved Buffalo, New York, to Florida. Life away from friends and extended family is rough, and Jay Jay is unsure how much she can trust her new classmates with information about her father. The adjustment to their new life brings new challenges for both Jay Jay and Antoine, but their shared love of mathematics allows them to find logical solutions to their relationship issues, and more. While in prison, Antoine earned a degree in computer programming; as he teaches her how to code, they work together to develop the Photo Patch app when Jay Jay is just twelve years old. The app will allow families to more easily communicate with their loved ones in prison. Now twenty, Patton recounts her journey with equal parts directness and humor. Panels vary in size and color to create movement, with some illustrations utilizing the entire page and breaking through margins. Interspersed boxes in a standout gold express the author’s memories and thoughts. Back matter (some pages unseen) includes information regarding parents in the penal system and about Photo Patch. EBONI NJOKU

From the May 2025 issue of Notes from the Horn Book.