OverDrive would like to use cookies to store information on your computer to improve your user experience at our Website. One of the cookies we use is critical for certain aspects of the site to operate and has already been set. You may delete and block all cookies from this site, but this could affect certain features or services of the site. To find out more about the cookies we use and how to delete them, click here to see our Privacy Policy.
A heartfelt and funny graphic novel memoir from one of the first Black female cartoonists to be published in the New Yorker, when she was just 22 years old. When Liz Montague was a senior in college, she wrote to the New Yorker, asking them why they didn't publish more inclusive comics. The New Yorker wrote back asking if she could recommend any. She responded: yes, me.
Those initial cartoons in the New Yorker led to this memoir of Liz's youth, from the age of five through college—how she navigated life in her predominantly white New Jersey town, overcame severe dyslexia through art, and found the confidence to pursue her passion. Funny and poignant, Liz captures the age-old adolescent questions of “who am I?” and “what do I want to be?” with pitch-perfect clarity and insight.
This brilliant, laugh-out-loud graphic memoir offers a fresh perspective on life and social issues and proves that you don’t need to be a dead white man to find success in art.
A heartfelt and funny graphic novel memoir from one of the first Black female cartoonists to be published in the New Yorker, when she was just 22 years old. When Liz Montague was a senior in college, she wrote to the New Yorker, asking them why they didn't publish more inclusive comics. The New Yorker wrote back asking if she could recommend any. She responded: yes, me.
Those initial cartoons in the New Yorker led to this memoir of Liz's youth, from the age of five through college—how she navigated life in her predominantly white New Jersey town, overcame severe dyslexia through art, and found the confidence to pursue her passion. Funny and poignant, Liz captures the age-old adolescent questions of “who am I?” and “what do I want to be?” with pitch-perfect clarity and insight.
This brilliant, laugh-out-loud graphic memoir offers a fresh perspective on life and social issues and proves that you don’t need to be a dead white man to find success in art.
Due to publisher restrictions the library cannot purchase additional copies of this title, and we apologize if there is a long waiting list. Be sure to check for other copies, because there may be other editions available.
Due to publisher restrictions the library cannot purchase additional copies of this title, and we apologize if there is a long waiting list. Be sure to check for other copies, because there may be other editions available.
About the Author-
Liz Montague is a cartoonist, writer, and illustrator whose work focuses on the intersection of self and social awareness. She began contributing to the New Yorker in 2019 as a cartoonist and has illustrated for the U.S. Open, Food Network, Google, and the Joe Biden presidential campaign. She’s been profiled by the Washington Post, ABC News, and Today, among other media outlets. Liz is the creator of the popular Liz at Large cartoon series, which previously ran in Washington City Paper, and is passionate about documenting social change and protest movements. This is her first book for children.
Reviews-
Starred review from September 19, 2022 While struggling to “create something from nothing,” Montague wonders as an adult, “Why do I do this?” She answers that question in this sincere graphic memoir debut by doing what comes naturally: drawing it out, and examining the motivations she discovered in her childhood leading up to her publication as one of the first Black female cartoonists to be featured in the New Yorker. Growing up post-9/11 as one of the few Black girls in Marlton, N.J., Montague struggled to see herself in visiting career day professionals (when a classmate asks which one she’d grow up to be, Montague replies, “None of them—they don’t have the right hair”). She uses art to overcome obstacles such as dyslexia and her classmates’ casual racism, as well as to contextualize the world around her. Embracing a sense of entrepreneurial spirit after first being paid for her art, she determinedly pursues art as a career. Told with a classic comic strip flair and divided into chapters that recount each life stage, Montague’s illustrations, rendered in a flat pastel color palette and paired with deadpan humor and insightful social commentary, crafts an inspiring journey of self-discovery, self-expression, and self-love. Ages 12–up. Agent: Wendi Gu, GreenbergerKids.
October 1, 2022
Gr 7 Up-This graphic-format memoir is told from the POV of Montague as an adult, looking back on her childhood and exploring how her life changed from grammar school through adulthood. She reflects back to her earliest days, when she was trying to figure out what she wanted to be when she grew up. Growing up as a Black girl with severe dyslexia, she spent time trying to find her voice as an artist while trying to break through barriers at the same time. The book is very effective in capturing the frustration and confusion of a young person dealing with a learning disorder and using her love of art to help her navigate reading. The cover, which puts a new spin on Rockwell's famous Triple Self-Portrait, grabs our attention right away, and the accomplished cartoons inside the book will hold the attention of even the most reluctant readers. The pace of this book takes its time until it ends quickly, with Montague's cartoons being published in the New Yorker, helping to pave the way for more inclusive comics. Montague's story is sometimes poignant but ultimately sweet and uplifting, and it will provide inspiration for young artists everywhere. VERDICT For fans of cartoons, true stories, overcoming odds, and women who carved out a unique place in the world.-Andrea Lipinski
Copyright 2022 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
Title Information+
Publisher
Random House Children's Books
OverDrive Read
Release date:
Digital Rights Information+
Copyright Protection (DRM) required by the Publisher may be applied to this title to limit or prohibit printing or copying. File sharing or redistribution is prohibited. Your rights to access this material expire at the end of the lending period. Please see Important Notice about Copyrighted Materials for terms applicable to this content.
Please update to the latest version of the OverDrive app to stream videos.
Device Compatibility Notice
The OverDrive app is required for this format on your current device.
Bahrain, Egypt, Hong Kong, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the Sudan, the Syrian Arab Republic, Tunisia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen
You've reached your library's checkout limit for digital titles.
To make room for more checkouts, you may be able to return titles from your Checkouts page.
Excessive Checkout Limit Reached.
There have been too many titles checked out and returned by your account within a short period of time.
Try again in several days. If you are still not able to check out titles after 7 days, please contact Support.
You have already checked out this title. To access it, return to your Checkouts page.
This title is not available for your card type. If you think this is an error contact support.
There are no copies of this issue left to borrow. Please try to borrow this title again when a new issue is released.
| Sign In
You will be prompted to sign into your library account on the next page.
If this is your first time selecting “Send to NOOK,” you will then be taken to a Barnes & Noble page to sign into (or create) your NOOK account. You should only have to sign into your NOOK account once to link it to your library account. After this one-time step, periodicals will be automatically sent to your NOOK account when you select "Send to NOOK."
The first time you select “Send to NOOK,” you will be taken to a Barnes & Noble page to sign into (or create) your NOOK account. You should only have to sign into your NOOK account once to link it to your library account. After this one-time step, periodicals will be automatically sent to your NOOK account when you select "Send to NOOK."
You can read periodicals on any NOOK tablet or in the free NOOK reading app for iOS, Android or Windows 8.
