Illegal is the winner of the 2019 Excellence in Graphic Literature Award

We are ​thrilled to share that Illegal by Eoin Colfer and Andrew Donkin, illustrated by Giovanni Rigano, is the winner of the 2019 Excellence in Graphic Literature Award winner!

​The 2019 Excellence in Graphic Literature (EGL) Awards are sponsored by Pop Culture Classroom and Denver Pop Culture Con. The award honors the best fiction and nonfiction graphics novels with an advisory board and juries composed of experts in graphic literature from publishing, library, and education industries.One of the goals of the EGL Awards is to help educators and librarians identify the best graphic novels to bring into their diverse classroom settings.

​Click "read more" to learn more about the book and author!

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About the book:

A powerful, moving graphic novel by New York Times bestselling author Eoin Colfer that explores the current plight of illegal immigrants.

Ebo’s sister left months ago. Now his brother has disappeared too, and Ebo knows that to see them again, he must follow in their footsteps and make the hazardous voyage from Ghana to a safe haven in Europe. So the twelve-year-old sets off on an epic journey that takes him across the Sahara Desert to the dangerous streets of Tripoli, and finally out to the merciless sea. Powerful and timely, this graphic novel brings to life Ebo’s unquenchable hope for a new life in the face of daunting and perilous obstacles.

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About the author and illustrator:

Andrew Donkin (left) is the author of more than sixty books and graphic novels for children and adults. His books have been translated into thirty languages around the world and have sold more than eight million copies in the last decade. He lives in London. Learn more at andrewdonkin.co.uk.
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Eoin Colfer (center) worked as a primary school teacher before becoming a full-time writer. He spent four years between 1992 and 1996 working in Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, and Italy. His first book, Benny and Omar, was based on his experiences in Tunisia. In 2001, the first book in the bestselling Artemis Fowl series was published. Over the years, his works have been named a Book Sense Book of the Year nominee, an L.A. Times Book Prize finalist, and a Virginia Readers’ Choice Award nominee. Eoin lives in Ireland with his family. Learn more at eoincolfer.com.

Giovanni Rigano (right) is an Italian artist and illustrator born in Cantù, Italy. He is best known for his role in the creation of the Artemis Fowl graphic novels, the first of which came out in 2007. Giovanni has also created graphic novels for Disney, including The Incredibles and Pirates of the Caribbean. Giovanni currently lives in Como, Italy.