Surviving the City

Surviving the City

Authors

Tasha Spillett

Illustrator

Natasha Donovan

Publisher

Highwater Press

Publication Year

2019

ISBN

9781553797562

Pages

56 pages

Genre

realism

Format

graphic novel

Item Type

Fiction

Annotation

Tasha Spillet's graphic-novel debut, Surviving the City, is a story about womanhood, friendship, resilience, and the anguish of a missing loved one. Miikwan and Dez are best friends. Miikwan's Anishinaabe; Dez is Inninew. Together, the teens navigate the challenges of growing up in an urban landscape - they're so close, they even completed their Berry Fast together. However, when Dez's grandmother becomes too sick, Dez is told she can't stay with her anymore. With the threat of a group home looming, Dez can't bring herself to go home and disappears. Miikwan is devastated, and the wound of her missing mother resurfaces. Will Dez's community find her before it's too late? Will Miikwan be able to cope if they don't?

Grade Level

6-8; 9-12

Diversity Topics

Family Relationships; Disability and Health; Family member death; Parental rights termination; Legal guardianship; Illness; death of a parent; death of a mother; losing parental rights; legal guardian; grandparents raising grandchildren; diabetes

Main Character

female teenager

Race/Ethnicities

Native American

Family Formation

grandmother

Keywords

social worker; school; phone; missing; friendship; sisterhood; group home; grandparent; sickness; bus; missing

Diversity Impact

direct

Surviving the City

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