Hey, Kiddo

From looking at the cover of this novel, I figured that this book would make me very emotional. And of course, it did. This graphic novel covered topics such as addiction, abandonment, fitting in, and finding a parent you have never met before. With these topics, I believe that a lot of young children, teens, and even adults can relate to this book in some capacity. I love how vulnerable the author is and how he puts his childhood on display for others to see in hopes that it could help someone.
     As I was reading, I felt that the main character, Jarrett, had so many emotions in him and did not have a way to express them. He had been through so many traumatic things at such a young age. When things happen this young, there has to be an effect on them. He was living in a dangerous environment with his mother and I think that he had no idea.  He was mad when he was separated from his mother. He now lived with his grandma and grandpa. Of course, he did not understand why he could not live with his mother and see her because he was so little. He just wanted his mom. It makes me sad to think about how he had to go through something like this.
     In the book, Jarrett is graduating 8th grade and they have a dinner before the graduation. At first, Jarrett told his grandparents that none of his friends parents were going, so they did not have to go. In reality, Jarrett was embarrassed to bring his grandparents instead of the usual mom and dad. His grandparents were hurt and Jarrett eventually asked them to go. When they got there, Jarrett was surprised by the amount of single-parents, divorced parents, and grandparents were there. This made me think of how many students come from households that are not seen as typical. The word family means more than just mom, dad, brother, or sister. It is unique to every person. This is important to keep in mind when thinking of our students. We will need to be in contact with the children's guardians and we need to treat them all as equally important.
     I was very skeptical about this book because it is a graphic novel. To my surprise, this novel was easy to read and easy to follow. The way that the author illustrates the book is amazing and really allows you to see it right in front of you. The author even included real hand-written notes from his mother, which made this story even more real and heart wrenching. This novel was a great read and gave us a glimpse into the author's life.