Books like You're welcome, universe by Whitney Gardner
Julia, a talented deaf artist, discovers a slur about her best friend on the back of the Kingston School for the Deaf. In response, she covers it with a vibrant, yet illegal, graffiti mural that captures the attention – and anger – of the school community. When her best friend informs the principal, Julia is expelled and sent to a suburban mainstream school where she feels isolated as the only deaf student.
At her new school, Julia struggles to find belonging and even loses her art supplies, threatening the creative outlet that defines her identity. Determined not to give up her passion, she slips into the suburbs, painting wherever she can while searching for her own territory in the city’s underground art scene. However, she soon realizes she is not the only vandal; a rival artist is adding to her tags, turning her work into a public dispute. The situation escalates into a full‑blown graffiti war that tests Julia’s resilience, friendships, and the power of self‑expression.
First publish date: 2017
Genre: Children's Fiction/Children's Adventure
Authors: Whitney Gardner
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