When Jarrett J. Krosoczka was a small child, he had no idea who his father was and what secrets his grandparents were hiding from him. As he grew up, he learned that his mother is a drug addict, and he and his grandparents learned his biological father’s name by the time he was in sixth grade.
“Hey, Kiddo: How I Lost My Mother, Found My Father, and Dealt With Family Addiction” is a graphic novel and a memoir written by Krosoczka about a family struggling with addiction affecting their loved ones. Among all of this, a little boy was to grow up to become an artist. The novel is a 2018 National Book Award Finalist for Young People’s Literature.
Loudoun County Public Library has chosen this as Loudoun’s 2019 1book 1community novel. The 1book 1community program was created to encourage students to read more often and look into different types of stories and genres. They choose a different book annually and distribute it to schools in Loudoun County.
“I think that it provides a fresh perspective on a plight that’s happening in America currently,” said Mrs. Lyndsay Friedman, Independence librarian. “But in a way that is easy to digest as a reader and coming from a children’s author.”
Krosoczka was raised by his grandparents due to his biological parents’ absence. Throughout his childhood, he faced many struggles but managed to pursue his career as an author and illustrator. He published his first book “Good Night, Monkey Boy,” at the age of 23. Some of his other works include the “Lunch Lady” series and “Punk Farm.”
“The program is really good because it allows students to read other genres and not just the same genre that they’re used to,” said freshman Madhu Suresh, a fan of Krosoczka’s books.
Krosoczka spoke at a public presentation at Riverside High School on Saturday, Nov. 23. He talked about his latest book and the journey he made as he grew up to write children’s books. “Words and pictures are teammates working together,” said Krosoczka; he loves both writing and illustrating his books. Pictures stir the imagination of the child, and though Hey, Kiddo is geared towards an adult audience, the pictures set a mood to the story that words alone may not have been able to accomplish.
