ART CLUB

An African American middle schooler who loves to draw struggles to establish an art club at his school.

Dale Donavan loves to read comics and play video games. However, his dad’s been deployed, his mom works night shifts at the hospital, and his grandfather has moved in. Dale misses his late grandmother and their shared love of comics (something his pragmatic grandfather dismisses), and he’s less excited about helping his grandfather with his vegetable garden. At school, Dale clashes with vice principal Mr. Ruffins, who, like Grandpa, lectures the kids about financial stability. For his class project on a future career, Dale is inspired by a dream in which Grandma encourages his desire to be a comic book artist. Mr. Ruffins’ dismissive, discouraging response upsets Dale, who replies angrily and is sent to Principal Johnson’s office. The kindly principal listens to him and supports the idea of an art club—but they must find a faculty sponsor and a way to generate revenue. Despite the various obstacles, Dale and his friends persevere, proving the importance of art in their lives. This lively graphic novel incorporates colorful scenes from Dale’s favorite video game and comics into his story and will delight readers. Dale’s plight is handled realistically and will be recognizable to the target audience.

An engaging and satisfying depiction of a real-life issue that affects many artistic students.