Pop Culture Classroom Announces the Winners of its 2020 Excellence in Graphic Literature Awards

Written by Shae Rufe

With the unprecedented oddness that is 2020, we could all use just a little pick me up. Sadly, this year has seen a lot and it’s only April. Yet there have been plenty of silver linings. While Denver Pop Culture Con announced earlier this month that it would be delaying until November, many have been left feeling out of sorts and concerned. Coronavirus has literally taken over nearly ever slice of media, and it’s hard to go a day without hearing about it. Many are left either not working or working from home, schools have been canceled and moved to online, and some amazing things have been postponed. So, what are we all to do in these trying times? Well, I can’t speak for everyone, but I have been using this time to catch up on some amazing works of literature. Personally, I’m reading Good Omens, which is also an amazing show on Amazon! Now is a wonderful time to get lost in a book, graphic novel, and even get the kids into it! Amidst all the oddness of our lives that is 2020, things have never been more optimal for finding a little reprieve from a good story. After all it’s stories that lift our spirits, give us hope, and inspire us in hard times.
 
With all that, Pop Culture Classroom has announced its winners for the 2020 Excellence in Graphic Literature! Who doesn’t love a good graphic novel? This award honors the best graphic novels in both fiction and nonfiction. There are many categories that books can win, which just goes to show how dedicated Pop Culture Classroom is to expanding its reach across genres and ages. These awards are a prestigious affair that any author and artist should be proud to take part in. These published works have been reviewed by a wide panel that look at many aspects of a graphic novel in order to truly decide what deserves a nod but know that all the amazing novels submitted for the award are worthy of a read. These novels also cover a wide range that deal with topics such as sexuality, faith, family, self-identity, self-acceptance, and so much more. Graphic novels have not always been considered to be an important part of literature, but thanks to organizations like Pop Culture Classroom, the graphic novel is finally getting the recognition it deserves. 
 
This year’s EGL Book of the Year winner is White Bird: A Wonder Story by R. J. Palacio. This is a beautiful story that takes place in France, during the Nazi invasion, following a young Jewish girl in hiding. This beautiful coming of age story showcases how truly important empathy is, and how acts of kindness are often the most courageous. Emotionally provoking and stunning, this novel definitely deserved the title of Book of the Year.
 
The Mosaic award is dedicated to novels that revolve around different nationalities, ethnicities, diverse sexualities, genders, and even beliefs. Now, if ever there were graphic novels I wish to have had growing up, its these. This year’s winner is called Kiss Number 8 and it is by Colleen AF Venable and Ellen T. Crenshaw. This is a novel I could have honestly used in my life at 16, let me tell you. It follows a teen who’s desperately trying to get their life balanced; between faith, family, and the struggles of sexuality, that’s not always an easy task. In the end this is a hopeful story filled with so many emotions, but the main lesson is self-acceptance. 
 
Now these are not the only award winners! Other winners include Akissi: More Tales of Mischief, by Marguerite Abouet and Mathieu Spain for Best in Children Graphic Literature. Guts, a nonfiction graphic novel by Raina Telemeier won Best Middle Grade Graphic Novel alongside its fiction and Book of The Year counterpart White Bird: A Wonder Story. And while Kiss Number 8 is the Mosaic of the year, it is also this year’s fiction piece winner for The Best Young Adult Graphic Literature, while the nonfiction award in this category goes to King of King Court by Travis Dandro.  And lastly, the awards for Best Adult Graphic Literature award for fiction went to The Hard Tomorrow by Eleanor Davis and A Fire Story by Brian Fries took this award for nonfiction.
 
With so many different categories, topics, and options, it’s good to see how Pop Culture Classroom has strived to push literacy across ages. The stereotype that graphic novels are for preteens has long since been dispelled with PCC’s dedication and hard work. Graphic novels are a growing art form that can convey so many topics just as much as any normal novel. Often times a graphic novel can go further than its conventional predecessor. There has always been an unspoken draw to comics that many have used to escape reality, which is why they are as popular now more than ever. Yet the graphic novel has often been written off as nothing more than a silly pastime. The shift in cultural acceptance and the growing number of graphic novels has been a warm welcome into society. Graphic novels have proved that they are more than just the comic strips of old printed for sheer entertainment. They have tackled the most difficult of topics and reached out to the world to let people know, they’re not alone. To see such a diverse range of topics covered in a variety of age appropriate material just goes to show that graphic literature is just as serious. It’s here to stay and it’s desperately needed.
 
To all the award winners of Pop Culture Classroom’s 2020 Excellence in Graphic Literature awards, we here at Nerds That Geek would like to personally congratulate and thank you for your continued dedication to the craft and the spreading of literacy in the most creative of ways. You are pioneers in uncharted territory carving the way for future generations who will one day look back at your brilliance with awe. You’re making a new genre of learning possible and helping those who struggle with all these life topics never feel alone. May you continue to inspire us all.

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