# Dear Dad: Growing Up With a Parent in Prison - And How We Stayed Connected

**Author:** Jay Jay Patton
**Grade range:** Grades 4–5
**Page count:** 130
**Genre:** Juvenile Nonfiction
**ISBN-13:** `9781546109952`
**ISBN-10:** `1546109951`
**Canonical URL:** https://readinglist.school/book/dear-dad-growing-up-with-a-parent-in-prison-and-how-we-stayed-connected
**License:** [CC BY 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) — please credit ReadingList.school when citing.

## About this book

A stunning graphic novel memoir about growing up with an incarcerated parent. " ...Your dad is coming back home." As far back as nine-year-old Jay Jay Patton can remember, her dad, Antoine has been in prison. Growing up in Buffalo, New York with her mom and younger brother, she's only been to visit him twice. Instead, the two have sent each other numerous letters -- Jay Jay's letters can take weeks or months to reach her dad, and some never even get delivered. What's it going to be like having Dad home? This powerful coming-of-age graphic novel memoir tells Jay Jay Patton's life of growing up with a dad in -- and out of -- prison. How she and her dad were able to develop a powerful father/daughter bond and create Photo Patch -- a life-changing application that connects children to incarcer

## Where this book is assigned

### Great Lakes Great Books Award

- **recommended** · 4th grade · Michigan — [source: Michigan Reading Association — Great Lakes Great Books Award 2025-26 honor book (official GLGBA winner press release, announced March 7, 2026 at the MRA Annual Conference) — 4-5 division](https://michiganreading.org/Great-Lakes-Great-Books)
- **recommended** · 5th grade · Michigan — [source: Michigan Reading Association — Great Lakes Great Books Award 2025-26 honor book (official GLGBA winner press release, announced March 7, 2026 at the MRA Annual Conference) — 4-5 division](https://michiganreading.org/Great-Lakes-Great-Books)

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