Bad Boy: A Graphic Memoir

A gripping graphic memoir adaptation of legendary, multi-award-winning author Walter Dean Myers’s autobiography, adapted by Guy A. Sims and illustrated by Dawud Anyabwile.

Before he became one of the most celebrated voices in children’s and young adult literature, Walter Dean Myers was a troublemaker, a truant, and a young man searching for his place in the world.

From pulling mischievous pranks at home to getting into fights at school—often sparked by classmates teasing him about his speech impediment—Walter was more than a handful. Yet beneath his rebellious exterior was a deep and abiding love of books. By high school, he dreamed of becoming a writer. Financial hardships at home, however, made that dream seem out of reach, and he eventually dropped out of school. Even so, his determination to write remained as strong and irrepressible as ever. All he needed was an opportunity.

Set against the vibrant backdrop of Harlem in the 1940s and 1950s, Walter recounts a childhood shaped by a remarkable cultural moment—when seeing Langston Hughes and Sugar Ray Robinson in the neighborhood was commonplace and Jackie Robinson dominated the baseball field.

By turns funny, heartbreaking, and inspiring, this graphic memoir brings Walter Dean Myers’s extraordinary journey to life. It is the unforgettable story of a young man who overcame obstacles, found his voice, and became one of the most influential authors of his generation.