Persepolis

Sartrapi, M. (2004).  Persepolis.  NY: Pantheon. 
 Marjane is a teenage girl living in Iran.  Her parents realize that Iran is not the place they want their daughter to grow up in.  They send her to live at a boarding school in Europe.  Because of her independent personality this is not a good fit for her.  She ends up homeless and sick.  When she overcomes this she moves back to Iran and gets married.  While there she is still unhappy so she divorces her husband and goes back to Europe.  This book would be great for a lesson on ways other countries live.  Students could compare life in Iran for a teenager to life in America.  I think this book is a good example of contemporary realistic fiction.  The problems that Marjane face are problems that some people face on a daily basis. 
Marjane Satrapi has also written Embroderies and Chicken with Plums which she was given the Angoulême Coup de Coeur Award for. Aside from writing graphic novels, Satrapi has also produced film adaption of some of her works as well