Wake Now in the Fire - by Jarrett Dapier

Book Synopsis

In this empowering graphic novel based on a true story, a group of high schoolers in Chicago work to overturn the system-wide ban of Marjane Satrapi's Persepolis.

It starts as an update at one Chicago high school: copies of a certain book are no longer allowed in the classrooms or the library. But it's not just one high school--it's all Chicago public schools. Not even the principals know why this is happening; they just know they must comply with the order. One thing is clear: The book, which tells a story of oppression, survival, and resistance against authoritarian power, is seen as a threat, dangerous enough to ban. One other thing is clear: Some of the students aren't going to let this go without resistance of their own.

As the extent of the ban becomes known, the students rise up. They organize a school-wide walkout and library sit-in. They publicize the banning in every forum they can: social media, the press, classes, clubs, the school paper. And most of all, they get everyone they know to read the book: Persepolis, by Marjane Satrapi.

Told from multiple perspectives, based on extensive interviews with the real-life students and teachers who were affected, and written by the librarian who exposed key information about the Chicago Public Schools censorship decision, Wake Now in the Fire is a fictionalized account of a true event that galvanized a community. With illustrations by Alex Award-winner AJ Dungo that perfectly capture the everyday joys, heartbreak, and stresses of high school, this graphic novel is an inspiring portrayal of student activism taking on one of the most urgent issues of our time, and a passionate reminder of why protecting the books we love matters.

Review Quotes

"A community under fire. A burgeoning love story. An urgent call to action. What more do you need? Frame by frame, Dapier and Dungo's Wake Now in the Fire throws us in the thick of our here and now reality with marching orders, and hope. What a book!"--Rita Williams-Garcia, Newbery Honor recipient and three-time National Book Award finalist

"With a mix of fact and fiction, Wake Now in the Fire tells a deeply true and urgent story of student activism in the face of institutional censorship and cowardice. I was swept along with these smart, passionate teens and recognized my own fight in their story. Dapier and Dungo have put together a prescient narrative face to this book ban moment. Read this for a playbook on how to defend books, education, and free speech."--Maia Kobabe, author of Gender Queer: A Memoir

"I love how the personal stories of the characters--who they are and where they are--intersect with their quest for the freedom to read and to be. I couldn't put Wake Now in the Fire down."--Francisco X. Stork, author of One Last Chance to Live and Disappeared

"With engaging visuals and a heartfelt storyline, Wake Now in the Fire is a gripping graphic novel told through the eyes of students caught in the battle against book banning, and explores the impact of censorship on the human spirit and the courage of young people fighting for the freedom to read. Perfect for visual learners, this powerful story inspires hope and action in the face of oppression."--Amanda Jones, author of That Librarian

"Jarrett Dapier and AJ Dungo's Wake Now in the Fire is a stunning call to action that will inspire seeds of hope in a time that demands our defiance and imagination to create a better world."--Andrea Chalupa, host of the podcast Gaslit Nation and author of In the Shadow of Stalin: The Story of Mr. Jones

About the Author

Jarrett Dapier is a Chicago-area librarian and the recipient of the John Phillip Immroth Award from the American Library Association's Intellectual Freedom Round Table for his work exposing book censorship in the Chicago Public Schools. He is the author of several award-winning picture books for children, one of which has faced several censorship attempts.

AJ Dungo is a graduate of ArtCenter College of Design. He has worked with Nike, The New York Times, The New Yorker, Bleacher Report, Doubleday & Cartwright, This American Life, The Wall Street Journal, ProPublica, and Virgin Orbit. His first graphic novel, In Waves, was an NPR Favorite Book and an ALA Alex Award winner.