THINGS ARE DIFFERENT NOW

HISTORICAL FICTION GRAPHIC NOVEL

Gold Key Award in the category of Comic Art from the 2026 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards

2024-2025

In 1939, hope crossed the ocean - only to be turned away.

Things Are Different Now is a historical fiction graphic novel inspired by the true events of the St. Louis, a ship that carried Jewish refugees fleeing Nazi Germany in search of safety. After being denied entry to Cuba and the United States, the ship - and its passengers - were forced to confront a devastating reality. Through powerful visual storytelling, Things Are Different Now explores displacement, moral choice, and the human cost of closed doors, reminding readers how a single decision can alter lives forever.

Emerson researched, wrote, and illustrated this 50-page historical fiction graphic novel as an independent study project in her junior year of high school.

She received a Gold Key Award in the category of Comic Art for Things Are Different Now from the 2026 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards.

In addition to the book, she created a collage highlighting the actual events involving the St. Louis through newspaper articles found in The Library of Congress and research about the real people on the ship. She also showed her process in creating the fictional story and illustrations.

The art for the novel was created with Procreate.