Pedro and Me

Winick, Judd. Pedro & Me. New York: Henry Holt and Company, 2000

Annotation: Pedro Zamora changed many lives with his HIV/Aids education. He also had the disease. This is about his life during and after MTV’s The Real World: San Francisco.

Justification for Nomination: Judd Winick met Pedro Zamora on the set of MTV’s The Real World: San Francisco. Judd is a pretty liberal guy, but he was shocked at how he felt when he found out the Pedro had Aids. They ended up being roommates on the show and developed a mutual respect and love for each other. Pedro taught Judd the importance for safe sex and how to educate people. The author is a cartoonist and he wrote the book in as a graphic novel. The author chose to use square bound panels border in a thin black line with very little gutter space for an effective pacing. He tells their story with honesty, compassion, and humor. This is a great format to use for young adults because of the attractiveness of the graphic novel to teens, but also to educate the reader about HIV and Aids. What a great tool to use. Pedro was the international face for HIV and Aids awareness and Judd has take on his role to educate even more people.

Genre: Graphic Novel, Non-fiction, Edgy