Run Home: A Graphic Memoir

This graphic memoir follows 14-year-old Alyssa as she begins freshman year at a new high school, feeling completely out of place. Reluctantly joining the cross-country team, she slowly finds her rhythm and makes new friends, all while adjusting to a blended family. The narrative takes a poignant turn as Alyssa's father becomes seriously ill, leading to a profound loss that challenges her inner strength. The book beautifully explores themes of grief, resilience, identity, and the power of friendship and family support. While the protagonist is 14, the emotional depth and themes of coping with loss and change are accessible and valuable for readers at the upper end of the 4-11 age range, particularly 8-11, and beyond into middle school.

This heartrending graphic memoir by Alyssa Bermudez (Big Apple Diaries) is a moving and unforgettable story about inner strength, healing, and finding hope. It’s 2002, and 14-year-old Alyssa is a freshman at a new high school where she knows NO ONE and the uniforms are hideous! What a disaster... Even worse? Her parents are forcing her to join the cross-country team. No one needs to run, or sweat, this much! Over time though, Alyssa actually starts to like running. She’s getting better with practice, and some of the girls on the team are really nice. Alyssa begins to find a steady rhythm with high school, cross country, and her new stepfamily. But Alyssa’s dad is sick, and she doesn’t know what to do. When the worst thing imaginable happens, Alyssa will need to count on her friends, family, and herself to keep running forward.