Surrounded: America’s First School for Black Girls, 1832

Lupano (The Old Geezers) offers a harrowing glimpse into the trials and tribulations a school of trailblazing Black students faced in antebellum America. Prudence Crandall runs a boarding school for girls in Canterbury, Conn. When a young Black girl named Sarah comes to her seeking an education, Prudence admits her to the school despite disapproval from both Black and white townspeople. After the backlash, the headmistress doubles down, opening her school exclusively to “young ladies of color.” As more students arrive, tensions rise. Laws are passed to shut the school down, townspeople terrorize the students with acts of vandalism and violence, and the girls are denied entry into the local church (“Nat Turner showed us what happens when negroes think they understand scripture,” one white woman says as she blocks their way). Prudence fights for what she believes is right, taking her case to the Supreme Court, though the consequences of her win are tragic. Lupano’s fairy tale–esque rendering of this true story makes each member of the ensemble cast distinct, though side stories about a feral boy and a witchy recluse muddy the script. Earth-toned coloring gives Fert’s whimsical cartoon drawings a more somber feel. Readers will be inspired by this ultimately hopeful take on a shameful history. (Feb.)