J. Reuben Appelman delivers a rapid-response, deeply thorough chronicle of the tragic University of Idaho student murders. While it tenderly humanizes the young victims and captures the toxic hysteria of internet culture, its repetitive pacing holds it back.
Inspired by the real life of Rabbi Rafael Grossman, Anna Olswanger’s graphic novel A Visit to Moscow exposes the often-overlooked history of the “Let My People Go” movement and Jewish persecution in the 1960s Soviet Union. Balancing suspense with evocative, emotionally resonant artwork, this short yet impactful crossover between historical fiction and biography provides an accessible look at Cold War history for upper elementary through high school shelves.