-
Your next favorite book
is waiting.
A Graphic Novel
by Jarrett Dapier
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.
"The characters are drawn with wit and warmth, emphasizing the deeply human stories that anchor the story. Dapier, a librarian who witnessed the 2013 ban firsthand, interviewed student leaders to shape the story. An inspiring, clear-eyed tribute to intellectual freedom and the impact of youth-led resistance." —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
"This thoughtful, personal, and deeply relevant account of book censorship and the power of collective action to fight against it will be acutely empowering for teens, many of whom are facing similar censorship fights in their own schools today." —Booklist (starred review)
"As schools and libraries face book bans across the country, this is a compelling choice, a timely piece of literature, and an urgent call to action, exhibiting the fictionalized narrative of a real book ban in Chicago and showcasing the power of those defending the right to freedom of information." —School Library Journal (starred review)
"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
This information about Wake Now in the Fire was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
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.
If you liked Wake Now in the Fire, try these:
by Ashley Hope. Pérez
Published 2026
A dazzling YA anthology that spotlights the transformative power of books while equipping teens to fight for the freedom to read, featuring the voices of 15 diverse, award-winning authors and illustrators.
by Jeremiah Moss
Published 2022
What happens when an entire social class abandons a metropolis? This genre-bending journey through lockdown New York offers an exhilarating, intimate look at a city returned to its rebellious spirit.
by Christina Dalcher
Published 2021
From the critically-acclaimed author of the international bestseller VOX comes a suspenseful new novel that examines a disturbing near future where harsh realities follow from unreachable standards.
Theo of Golden by Allen Levi
One spring morning, a stranger arrives in the small southern city of Golden. No one knows where he has come from…or why…
Your guide toexceptional books
BookBrowse seeks out and recommends the best in contemporary fiction and nonfiction—books that not only engage and entertain but also deepen our understanding of ourselves and the world around us.
