Finally Seen

by Kelly Yang

came here because you said I can check out what I want,” Jessica says, hugging Drama by Raina Telgemeier. “Is that a graphic novel?” Jessica’s mom gasps, and tries to pull the book from her daughter’s hands. “What did I say about graphic novels? They’re not real books!” Whoa. Now I understand why Jessica’s wound up tighter than an erhu. Her mom is beyond! “Yes they are!” Jessica protests. “All my friends are reading them! Mrs. Carter’s doing a whole unit on them!” Jessica’s mom rolls her eyes dramatically. “That’s another reason why we’re switching schools! You should be reading the classics. To Kill a Mockingbird. Tom Sawyer. Huckleberry Finn.” “But I want to read Drama!” “Yeah, I know you want to. I want to be at the Four Seasons Maui right now, getting my nails done and sipping pineapple sodas, but instead I have to go to yet another diversity and inclusivity meeting at the District. You think I want to listen to the superintendent talk about how we need more representation in the PTA?” With that, Jessica’s mom snatches Jessica’s copy of Drama from her hands and reshelves it in the biography aisle. The student librarian in me scowls.