Bright Lights, Dark Nights

Walter lives with his father in an apartment in a dangerous part of the city. When his father—a white police officer—arrests an African-American teen, claiming he matches the description of a burglar who robbed and assaulted his neighbor, Walter’s father quickly finds himself at the center of a racial controversy. Walter, who hates fighting and conflict, tries to stay uninvolved, even after a stolen picture of him kissing his new girlfriend Naomi, who is black, appears on Facebook, along with strangers making comments about their relationship. He soon learns he cannot keep his feelings bottled up inside and must figure out what it means to fight. Emond raises difficult questions about racism, crime, and civil rights, without promising or providing easy answers. As in Happyface and Winter Town, illustrations share part of the storytelling weight; Emond’s stark b&w imagery, mostly cityscapes and neighborhood scenes, dovetails with Walter’s interest in comic books and noir films, while underscoring his idea of the city as a “mood ring,” reflecting what one brings to it. Ages 12–up. [em]Agent: Kirby Kim, Janklow & Nesbit. (Aug.) [/em]