Alitha Martinez – illustratör

New voices present relevant, topical visions of social change and personal histories, some true-to-life while others are semi-fictionalized accounts of real experiences. Jules, a Black teenager, is given a pair of old binoculars as he heads out for a morning of birdwatching in Central Park. He soon learns the binoculars show him a lot more than birds, and maybe they keep him safe, too. Jesse Holland s Mississippi farm has been in his family since their first ancestor was freed from slavery, tended by his grandfather and his father before him. But as Jesse grows into a man, he s unsure if a patch of land in the Piney Woods and a life of tilling soil is his true destiny. But destiny can mean so much more than dirt and a tractor. Lanice s passion for cooking and desire for a career in the culinary arts are challenged by the source of her inspiration, her father, who is concerned about his only daughter working in a kitchen, like so many Black Americans before her. These stories and more all have one thing in common: innovative styles and compelling stories that examine how our culture builds understanding, tracing society s arc toward justice as we evolve in pursuit of a more just and compassionate world. This graphic novel collects Represent! #1-14.