Westview Secondary teacher-librarian Krystyna Eddy recommends Heartstopper by Alice Oseman for Pink Shirt Day.
Heartstopper is a beautifully written and illustrated graphic novel series by Alice Oseman. The story follows two main characters, Charlie and Nick, who are assigned to share a table in their homeroom class and become fast friends. As they grow closer, both Charlie and Nick face challenges when it comes to their feelings for one another.
I love this book and series because it so spectacularly represents the complexities of being a teen. The gorgeous illustrations somehow visually capture how it feels to suddenly care very deeply for someone who catches you by surprise.
The author also carefully addresses topics of bullying and mental health in entirely relatable ways, which I know is one of the reasons this series is so popular among secondary students and young adults.
The books have also been made into a popular series on Netflix, which I also highly recommend, but the book is always better!
The Heartstopper series is available in SD42 libraries.
- Continue choosing kindness with the Pink Shirt Day Virtual Library (click the images to browse).