This futuristic thriller examines the concepts of humanity and trust. Like all 14-year-olds in Paris, Linus must be tested by the Great Processor to determine where he will spend the remainder of his life. If his score is high, he will continue to live near his family in Realm One, an ideal world. If his scores are low, his life will be forever changed as he is sent to live in the polluted, smelly Realm Two, or Realm Three, which is reserved for rebels and others in need of "reeducation."

Skim is a convincing chronicle of a teenage outsider who has enough sense to want to stay outside. . . All in all, Skim offers a startlingly clear and painful view into adolescence for those of us who possess it only as a distant memory.

Wise, funny, and heartbreaking, Persepolis 1 is Marjane Satrapi’s memoir of growing up in Iran during the Islamic Revolution. In powerful black-and-white comic strip images, Satrapi tells the story of her life in Tehran from ages six to fourteen. As funny and poignant as its predecessor, Persepolis 2 is another clear-eyed and searing condemnation of the human cost of fundamentalism. In its depiction of the struggles of growing up—here compounded by Marjane’s status as an outsider both abroad and at home—it is raw, honest, and incredibly illuminating.

Intense. . . . Disturbing. . . . Effective. . . . With I Live Here, Kirshner shines an unwavering, informative light on important and troubling non-U.S.-centric issues in a truthful and often disturbing manner. It is a remarkable assemblage of refugee stories. . . . composed in four notebooks designed to be taught, read, spoken of and remembered. Mia’s not in any way preachy, she’s just determined to do whatever it takes to make this world a better place to live in for those whose lives are lived in the margins.