Don’t Cause Trouble by Arree Chung is currently available, but I read as an online reader copy found deep in my saved links. It is a fun book about not fitting in for the reader ages 8 to 12- (young)-13. It is not overly an in depth story, but a reflective story that is relatable for most.
The illustrations are pretty much what you see from the cover, but there are more details on the actual internal panels. It is still minimal in fine detailing, but is not lacking. Things did not WOW me, but if you are new to graphic novels and coming of age stories it is a good one. It is also good about representation with several non-white characters. Of course, there is our main character, who is Chinese, but his best friends are also of color. They do mention that the rules don’t apply to boys like them during a shoplifting incident, but do not go into detail. Also, they never explain why one Asian character who is used as an example of the lack of diversity is upset that he is assumed to be Chinese, as he is Korean. Of course, there are also the assumptions not just of students, but the adults putting our narrator in an ESL class when as he puts it “Is American and cannot speak Chinese.”
Mostly we focus on our main character being a “Good Chinese Boy” for his family and a “Good American” for school and feeling he does not measure up. There is also a bit about religion as well but like the other subjects introduced nothing is ever given a deep dive into it. We mostly deal with typical middle school students’ issues (cool kids, cool clothes, sports, school, family dynamics). While not a memoir of Chung, it is inspired by some real events and an overall taking on growing up the way he and his character has.
