Call Me Iggy

by Jorge Aguirre, Rafael Rosado (Illustrator)

Overview

Ignacio "Iggy" Garcia is an Ohio-born Colombian American teen living his best life. After bumping into Marisol (and her coffee) at school, Iggy's world is spun around. But Marisol has too much going on to be bothered with the likes of Iggy. She has school, work, family, and the uphill battle of getting her legal papers. As Iggy stresses over how to get Marisol to like him, his grandfather comes to the rescue. The thing is, not only is his abuelito dead, but he also gives terrible love advice. The worst. And so, with his ghost abuelito's meddling, Iggy's life begins to unravel as he sets off on a journey of self-discovery.

Call me Iggy tells the story of Iggy searching for his place in his family, his school, his community, and ultimately—as the political climate in America changes during the 2016 election—his country. Focusing on familial ties and budding love, Call me Iggy challenges our assumptions about Latino-American identity while reaffirming our belief in the hope that all young people represent. Perfect for lovers of multigenerational stories like Displacement and The Magic Fish.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250204158
Publisher:	First Second
Publication date:	02/13/2024
Pages:	256
Sales rank:	394,437
Product dimensions:	6.20(w) x 8.60(h) x 0.80(d)
Age Range:	14 - 18 Years

About the Author

Jorge Aguirre is a Colombian-American from Columbus, Ohio. He’s written for everything from the most popular children’s shows to documentaries about Romanian exorcisms. He is the author of Giants Beware! He lives on the East Coast.


Born in Puerto Rico and based in Columbus, Ohio, Rafael Rosado is a seasoned writer, director and storyboard artist for the animation industry. He began his career at Character Builders in Columbus, Ohio as an assistant animator. He quickly worked his way up to become a character designer, storyboard artist and commercial director. During his tenure there he worked on such shows as Fox's Emmy Award-winning Life With Louie, HBO's Happily Ever After and Fox's Where in The World Is Carmen San Diego.

Editorial Reviews

11/20/2023

High school freshman Ignacio Garcia navigates first crushes, endures his older brother’s harassment, and encounters his grandfather’s ghost in this multilayered graphic novel, set during the 2016 presidential election, by Chronicles of Claudette collaborators Aguirre and Rosado. Colombian American Iggy, whose parents immigrated to Columbus, Ohio, wants “to get in touch with my people.” Though classmate Marisol Rodriguez—an ambitious “DACA kid” from Mexico and one of a few Latinx kids in school—calls him “gringo latino,” Iggy asks that she tutor him in Spanish in exchange for his help cleaning offices with her family. One day, when Iggy accidentally spills his grandfather’s ashes, Abuelito’s ghost appears to him, and the two strike a deal: Abuelito will help Iggy impress his crush in exchange for Iggy finding a good spot to spread the ashes. And while Abuelito isn’t well versed in matters of the heart, he helps Iggy explore his family’s history and embrace his Colombian heritage. Rosado utilizes softly lined illustrations and shifting color palettes to cue changes in mood, time, and setting throughout, while empathetic dialogue by Aguirre imbues pathos and humor into charged yet smartly balanced conversations surrounding colonization, compulsory assimilation, Latinx culture, personal identity, and the political climate as it was during the 2016 election. Ages 14–up. (Feb.)

Publishers Weekly

"A powerful, timely story delicately balances an authentic teenage voice with a nuanced message about embracing and straddling multiple identities while thoughtfully portraying racism, microaggressions, and anti-immigrant ideology." —Kirkus, starred

"The romance between Iggy and Marisol is tender and chaste, and Iggy’s growth is clear as he negotiates the needs and advice of others with his own hopes for the future." —BCCB

From the Publisher

★ 2023-11-04
Ignacio “Iggy” Garcia doesn’t often think about his heritage, until a ghost shows him what he’s missing.

Iggy, who’s Colombian American and from Ohio, is starting high school. He wants to take French, because he’s a Francophile like his father. When he’s placed in a Spanish class instead, Iggy is forced for the first time to really think about his family background. Things get even more interesting when the ghost of his paternal grandfather, who died in Colombia when Iggy was a baby, appears to him. Abuelito has a lot he wants to teach Iggy about the Spanish language and the Garcias’ history, not to mention helping him impress the girl he likes. Set against the backdrop of the 2016 election, this evocatively illustrated graphic novel delves into the cultural alienation that can happen to the children of immigrants when their parents try to erase humble beginnings and realize the so-called American dream. As Iggy sees the beauty in the language, art, and music of his ancestors, he also recognizes problems with how immigrants are being discussed—especially as he befriends Marisol, an undocumented Mexican American classmate. This powerful, timely story delicately balances an authentic teenage voice with a nuanced message about embracing and straddling multiple identities while thoughtfully portraying racism, microaggressions, and anti-immigrant ideology. The dynamic, expressive artwork draws readers in and emphasizes the characters’ complex emotions.

A pitch-perfect example of teenage explorations of cultural identity. (Graphic fiction. 13-18)

Kirkus Reviews