Charisma's Turn: A Graphic Novel

by Monique Couvson, Amanda Jones (Illustrator), Susan Arauz Barnes (Foreword by)

Overview

Named one of the Young Adult Library Services Association's 2024 Great Graphic Novels for Teens

From the award-winning author of Pushout, an inspiring graphic novel about what can happen when Black girls are given the opportunity to find their genuine power

Monique Couvson’s trailblazing book Pushout laid the groundwork for understanding how our schools are failing Black girls; her follow-up, Sing a Rhythm, Dance a Blues, provided a blueprint for their healing and liberation. Now Couvson invites readers to be inspired by her liberatory imagination with an original narrative told from the perspective of the very girls she has been fighting for years to lift up.

Charisma’s Turn is a graphic novel that follows the dynamic story of Charisma, a Black high school student who is grappling with mounting pressures from home and school. When frustrations with her family intersect with a conflict at school, she reaches a crossroads, facing a choice that could change her future. Featuring vibrantly illustrated art from Amanda Jones and a foreword by poet, artist, and arts educator Susan Arauz Barnes, this book will appeal to teens, parents, educators, librarians, and more. Charisma’s Turn exemplifies how Black girls can be truly empowered to reach their full potential when they have supportive educators and community members in their corner.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781620974018
Publisher:	New Press, The
Publication date:	05/02/2023
Pages:	128
Sales rank:	1,021,751
Product dimensions:	6.88(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.33(d)
Age Range:	12 - 17 Years

About the Author

Monique Couvson (formerly Monique W. Morris), president/CEO of Grantmakers for Girls of Color and co-founder of the National Black Women’s Justice Institute, is the author of several books, including Pushout; Black Stats; Sing a Rhythm, Dance a Blues; and Charisma’s Turn (all from The New Press). Her work has been featured by NPR, the New York Times, MSNBC, Essence, The Atlantic, TED, the Washington Post, Education Week, and others. She lives in New York.

Editorial Reviews

04/10/2023

Because of her responsibilities helping her single mother take care of her asthmatic younger brother Khalil, 16-year-old Charisma, who is portrayed with dark brown skin, often loses sleep and misses out on social gatherings. Her increased stress results in emotional outbursts as well as verbal and physical altercations at school. Following her most recent suspension, Ms. Anderson, the school guidance counselor, offers Charisma more positive, transformative ways to help manage her tumultuous feelings. Ms. Anderson believes that Charisma’s behavior is “leadership that’s being misdirected,” and encourages her to discover her passions by introducing Charisma to works by Annie Allen, Toni Morrison, and Alice Walker. After dreaming that she receives impactful advice from Morrison about how to better communicate her feelings with her loved ones, Charisma applies this instruction to her everyday life, an undertaking that grants her the confidence to pursue environmental racism advocacy, in part inspired by Khalil. Jones’s vividly saturated art recalls Annie Lee’s Black Americana style, smartly complementing the subject matter and addressed literary references. Via a sympathetic protagonist who often feels overlooked, Couvson (Sing a Rhythm, Dance a Blues) highlights mature ruminations on how best to support struggling teens. Ages 12–17. (May)

Publishers Weekly

Praise for Charisma's Turn:
"Charisma’s Turn is a vividly illustrated graphic novel. . . . The storyline exemplifies the power of supportive educators and community members in cultivating spaces where Black girls' activism can be nurtured and flourish."
—Rethinking Schools

“Jones’s vividly saturated art recalls Annie Lee’s Black Americana style, smartly complementing the subject matter and addressed literary references. Via a sympathetic protagonist who often feels overlooked, Couvson . . . highlights mature ruminations on how best to support struggling teens.”
—Publishers Weekly

“An inspiring story. . . . Couvson’s graphic novel is a positive and modern view on the life of a Black teenage girl who blossoms once she is listened to and supported by family, friends, and teachers.”
—School Library Journal

“[Charisma’s Turn] models the important ways many educators care about and uplift marginalized students who may feel overlooked and undervalued.”
—Kirkus Reviews

"In this beautifully illustrated graphic novel that will appeal to young and old, Monique Couvson shows us once again how to release the powerful genius of Black girls."
—Lisa Delpit, MacArthur Fellow and author of “Multiplication Is for White People”: Raising Expectations for Other People’s Children

From the Publisher

05/01/2023

Gr 7 Up—This young adult graphic novel is an inspiring story about a Black high school student trying to find her way. Charisma is a senior who has some trouble controlling her emotions; at home, she helps her mother take care of her brother, who has asthma. She is strong, charismatic, and inspires others, but the "fight" she has in her could get her into trouble if something doesn't change fast. Charisma has to make a choice after an altercation with another classmate lands them both in the principal's office. She joins a restorative circle, and then she is mentored by her high school counselor, who sees her as a leader, and who exposes Charisma to different Black women writers, including Toni Morrison. Her counselor also tries to pull out Charisma's passions, and Charisma finds out she has a voice and an interest in environmental racism, which she realizes could be contributing to her brother's condition. The illustrations by Jones are vibrant and will appeal to many young readers who enjoy graphic novels, though the colorful layouts crowd the text at times. There is a beautifully written foreword by poet, artist, and educator Susan Arauz Barnes, whose focus is raising revolutionaries to change our world. VERDICT Couvson's graphic novel is a positive and modern view on the life of a Black teenage girl who blossoms once she is listened to and supported by family, friends, and teachers. It will spark conversations among students, parents, teachers, librarians, counselors, and many more.—Jacquetta Etheridge

School Library Journal

2023-02-08
A Black teen makes the most of an opportunity to find and pursue her passion.

High school senior Charisma lives with her mother and younger brother, who has asthma. She often gets into verbal and physical conflicts at her racially diverse urban school due to stress and exhaustion from home responsibilities and slights from educators who expect little of her. School counselor Ms. Anderson takes an interest in Charisma and helps her learn how to process her feelings and channel them into something positive and productive. She tells Charisma that she believes “the ‘fight’ you have in you is really about something else. I see it as leadership that's being misdirected.” As a result of this mentoring, which includes exposure to inspirational Black women writers, Charisma’s worldview is broadened and school performance is improved, and she goes on to organize a community event about environmental racism, something that affects her personally as well as her neighborhood at large. Couvson’s writing conveys a connection and experience with young people like Charisma, who are often ill-treated and ignored. Jones’ highly saturated, if slightly static, illustrations give readers an understanding of Charisma’s social and physical environments. This expository book models the important ways many educators care about and uplift marginalized students who may feel overlooked and undervalued.

A concise story about listening to and supporting young people. (Graphic fiction. 13-18)

Kirkus Reviews