Booksology 
“Wake Now in the Fire” by Jarrett Dapier and AJ Dango
In 2013, Chicago public schools were banned. persepolis. It quickly became clear that many within the district had no idea why the graphic novel was targeted or why it was removed.
This graphic novel tells the story of how this book was removed from CPS, centering on the voices, perspectives, and advocacy of students in the district who shed light on what was happening and why. Author Dapier conducted countless interviews with participating students, and his own early research on Prohibition helped inform the highly readable comic. Dango’s illustrations capture the ups and downs of this censorship battle.
Many threads of today’s censorship efforts are evident in this story from more than a decade ago, including how students were quick to recognize that stories from marginalized perspectives were the most likely to be targeted. This manga also does a great job of mirroring the style of Persepolis. This manga straddles the line between fiction and non-fiction. Although the story and situations are very realistic, some of the dialogue and sketches of the central characters required imagination. It’s crazy to think that 2013 wasn’t that long ago, and at the same time it was generations ago.
