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 in Northfield said one of her top recommendations so far this year is a YA graphic novel called “

“ written by Jarrett Dapier and illustrated by AJ Dungo. 

The title is a reference to a Rage Against the Machine song, “Sleep Now in the Fire,” which is about protesting oppression; it’s a fitting title for story about Chicago high school students standing up — successfully — to book banning. 

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The graphic novel is based on a true story, based on interviews with the students and teachers who were involved. Dapier is a librarian who was working in a Chicago-area library in 2013 when students uncovered that Marjane Satrapi’s graphic novel “Persepolis” had been systematically pulled from their schools. “

” is Satrapi’s story of growing up in Iran during the Islamic Revolution. 

In “Wake Now in the Fire,” Satrapi appears as a character in the book in support of the students. Haave says Dungo’s bold black and white illustrations are a visual nod to Satrapi’s style, and Dapier’s story speaks about her book’s legacy: 

“And there’s a lot of discussion in the book about how important ‘Persepolis’ is as a novel, and just the continuation of graphic novels about young people coming of age, becoming aware of injustices and fighting back against them.”

Satrapi passed away in June at the age of 56. 

“Wake Now in the Fire” was one of Haave’s picks for Content’s Paperback Summer series, in which staff select 10 fiction books, 10 nonfiction, 10 young adult and 10 middle grade novels that have come out in paperback in the past year. 

She recommends this YA book for teens and adults alike. 

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The graphic novel is based on a true story about Chicago high school students standing up — successfully — to book banning. 

Ask a Bookseller: ‘Wake Now in the Fire’ by Jarrett Dapier

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