AWOLAWOL

Being back doesn't mean you're home. In this graphic novel for middle readers, everyone in eleven-year-old Leah's family is affected by her father's PTSD. A moving graphic novel, AWOL explores the realities of PTSD from a kid's perspective. The book includes an author's note and kid-friendly mental health resources. As a military child, eleven-year-old Leah moves...a lot. But this summer she will be the one left behind when her best friend's family is reassigned. To make matters worse, her mother will be away for training, leaving Leah at home with her father, who has just returned from deployment. When a new girl moves into her neighborhood, Leah must navigate the ups and downs of making a new friend while avoiding her father's unpredictable mood swings. Praise for We Wear Masks, winner of the Alice Kitts Memorial Award for Excellence in Children's Writing 2020: "A timely book. The engaging rhymes and beautiful illustrations representing diverse community members, show readers different reasons masks are worn."-The Toronto Star "A book for the moment in which we find ourselves, and it offers a ready avenue for opening discussions with our children about what is occurring in the world around them. Recommended."-CM: Canadian Review of Materials Key Selling Points • A middle-reader graphic novel about a military family coping with the effects of PTSD. • The visual format explores the complicated issues of trauma and mental health in a safe, accessible manner. • From the author of the successful pandemic picture book We Wear Masks, which won the Alice Kitts Memorial Award for Excellence in Children's Writing. • AWOL is based on the author's own family's journey with PTSD. The author wanted to create relatable characters so children in similar circumstances wouldn't feel so alone. "Nuanced...Inviting art is classic comic-strip style with sturdy lines and soft color washes...Thoughtful slice-of-life realness." "Lesage is able to convey the complexities of a serious disorder in a simple, child-friendly manner…A very thought-provoking graphic novel that highlights the everyday realities of mental illness. Recommended." "Thoughtfully explores what PTSD might look like to a child...Timely and universal. It will especially resonate for young people who have experienced isolation and loneliness during the COVID-19 pandemic." "Expresses very raw, real feelings and emotions that will help readers with their own similar experiences feel a connection or provide a window into the lives of families in the military for unfamiliar readers."