graphic nonfiction / journalism - based on interviews and testimony from Zumrat Dawut, who recently escaped with her family to the US (via Pakistan) after she had survived inhumane treatment in a Chinese detention camp for Uyghurs and political prisoners.

Even if you've already read other books on Uyghur detention / labor camps and oppression in China, it's still too easy to forget that these are ongoing injustices that are still happening under Xi Jinping (not to mention how scary it is to have the Chinese government use so much invasive surveillance with mandatory phone apps, voice recognition in phone calls, etc.). But this book, though very short and quick to read, stays with you, and much of that is due to the artist Fahmida Azim's skill in conveying emotion through the facial expressions and body language of the figures on the page--it's amazing to think the artwork for this award-winning book was created in just 2 weeks!

The informative backmatter (including a 2023 follow-up interview with Dawut, a conversation with the creators, an interview with Uyghur Human Rights Project advocacy director Louisa Greve, and even a teaching/discussion guide for grades 6 and up) also provides valuable background, which you'll want to read after finishing this nonfiction graphic account. ( )

Excerpt from a longer article:

Synergy: Celebrating Graphic Nonfiction

GRAPHIC NONFICTION are works of nonfiction expressed in a graphic-novel style. Sharing information and true stories, these books use sequential art and other highly visual approaches to communicate factual content.

To understand a concept, it’s useful to read a cluster of books related to a theme. Explore these recently published books for young people:
...
I ESCAPED A CHINESE INTERNMENT CAMP written by Anthony Del Col and illustrated by Fahmida Azim received the 2022 Pulitzer Prize for illustrated reporting. Although written for an adult audience, young adults will find this work of graphic journalism thought-provoking. Based on interviews and testimony, readers explore the life of a woman arrested for simply being a Muslim. Enduring horrific atrocities, she ultimately escaped to America. ARC courtesy of Lev Gleason, an imprint of Diamond Books. ( )