I Am Alfonso Jones

Alfonso Jones is a Black teenager in an urban honors high school who loves performing Shakespeare and bikes through the city streets with his best friend Danetta. When shopping for his first suit to perform in Hamlet, his life intersects violently with an off-duty police officer in a department store. After the incident, Alfonso finds himself among ancestral spirits of victims of police violence who guide him through past and present moments while his family and community grapple with what occurred. The story moves between Alfonso's memories and the aftermath of the shooting, revealing the ripple effects through his neighborhood. The black-and-white graphic novel format allows the narrative to flow between different time periods and perspectives, with stark visuals that heighten both the everyday moments and intense scenes. Multiple storylines connect Alfonso's personal experiences to broader patterns of racial profiling and police violence in America. This work examines cycles of institutional racism, community resilience, and the power of art and storytelling to carry truth across generations. Through Alfonso's story, complex questions emerge about justice, memory, and what it means to truly see one another.

Readers highlight this graphic novel's powerful portrayal of police brutality and its impact on Black youth. Many note how the story connects historical civil rights issues to current events. Readers appreciated: - The blend of ghost story elements with social commentary - Detailed black and white illustrations that convey emotion - Educational value for teen readers - Integration of real-world statistics and historical references Common criticisms: - Some found the narrative structure confusing - Several felt the ending was abrupt - A few noted the artwork could be hard to follow in certain scenes Ratings across platforms: Goodreads: 4.1/5 (1,000+ ratings) Amazon: 4.5/5 (50+ ratings) Representative reader comment from Goodreads: "The story moves between past and present in a way that shows how history repeats itself. Important but heartbreaking." School Library Journal and teen reviewers frequently recommend it for classroom discussion of social justice topics.

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How It Went Down by Kekla Magoon Multiple voices tell different versions of events after a black teenager is shot by a white man, revealing the impact of the tragedy on an entire community.

📚 The author, Tony Medina, is a two-time winner of the Paterson Prize for Books for Young People and teaches creative writing at Howard University. 🎭 The graphic novel was illustrated by Stacey Robinson and John Jennings, who both specialize in creating art that explores Afrofuturism and the African Diaspora. ⚖️ The story was inspired by real-life cases of police brutality, particularly the death of Amadou Diallo, who was shot 41 times by NYPD officers while reaching for his wallet. 🎵 Alfonso Jones, the main character, is cast as Hamlet in his school play - creating a parallel between Shakespeare's ghost story and Alfonso's own journey as a spirit. 🌟 The book features a "ghost chorus" of real-life victims of police brutality who guide Alfonso through his afterlife, including Amadou Diallo, Sandra Bland, and Jordan Davis.