Pedro and Me: Friendship, Loss and What I Learned by Judd Winick

Winick, Judd. (2000). Pedro and Me: Friendship, Loss and What I Learned. NY,NY: Henry Holt ISBN 0805064036

Author:  Judd Winick
Author website: www.juddwinick.com/
Judd Winick's and HIV Educator Pedro Zamora's enduring
Illustrator: Judd Winick
Media used by Illustrator: cartoon illustration

Annotation: Pedro and Me is the story of the cartoonist  friendship with Pedro Zamora an HIV educator. During the series Real World it is revealed that Pedro has HIV. The two forge a bond despite the AIDS cloud and life lessons are learned.
Personal Reaction: This is a story I really liked. The author demonstrates an ability to put the reader at ease with a subject that is not always easy to put across. The illustrations really contribute to the storyline and show the emotions of the characters. The story of a friendship and how one life can impact so many others is a theme that all readers can appreciate. In addition, there are many valuable life lessons that teens can take away from this story like living life to the fullest, being there for a friend and making your life have meaning. Some parents are likely to be put off by the frank and open sex discussions but I think teens will appreciate this and be able to relate to the subject because these are the same questions readers are thinking.

Illustration: The illustrator has a keen ability to show the characters emotional reactions in their faces. He is able to depict fear, sadness and a range of emotions through their eyes and in their body postures. Although I am not a fan of this type of illustration, the author/illustrator Winick uses his interpretative skills to bring out the feelings between the characters such a strong way that would help poor readers still be able to interpret the depth of the story.

Challenge Issue:  I certainly can see why this book could be challenged in school libraries and at some  public schools.  The author does not hold back in his descriptions of either Pedro's talks at schools or later on his own conversatins with teens.  Parents can be very nervous about any discussions of sex in any form be it straight or gay.  This book is frank and open about sexual techniques and the ways HIV can be transmitted.  Essentially he has written  a personal story that answers so many questions that teens want and need to know.  He writes in a manner that is not condescending but straightforward facts without being lurid or sensational.  The reader gains a great deal of knowledge about HIV/AIDS while being emmersed in an interesting plotline.

If I were to respond to a challenge of this book, I would initially tell parents that ultimately it is up to them to oversee what their children are reading but this book presents a real opportunity to be able to have their child learn some good information about HIV while reading a compelling story of friendship.  I would say that the sex information is only one small part of the book and there are several other valuable life lessons that the reader takes away such as make the most of your life, cherish your family and friends, be honest with yourself and others and life is short do not waste what time you are given.  If the parent had not read the book I would encourage them to read it completely and then decide if the book is right for their child.