Larger than life (non-fiction, YA comics)

Comics don't always have to be works of fiction - this form can also be used to tell true stories or deliver instructions or information.

You'll probably notice that many of the titles in this list are memoirs, where the author/artists are reflecting back on what have often been tough times as they grew up. If you're a fan of these arts' other works, memoirs can be pretty interesting, giving you insights into how their minds work and how and why they came up with their stories and characters. And it can be cool just reading about another person's life in a not-creepy kind of way - it's not snooping, they've published these books themselves!

The list here is indeed a memoir-heavy selection of popular AND lesser-known-but-still-amazing non-fiction works that we think you'll like.

Updated August 1, 2024
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Other boys
Alexander, Damian
Paper Book
A 2023 YALSA Great Graphic Novels for Teens Selection In Other Boys, debut author Damian Alexander delivers a moving middle grade graphic memoir about his struggles with bullying, the death of his mother, and coming out. Damian is the new kid at...

Memoir

Knitstrips : the world's first comic-strip knitting book
Beltran, Alice Ormsbee
Paper Book
The world's first comic-strip knitting book, Knitstrips presents 22 original patterns, boundless humor, and seriously appealing knitting instruction. Inspired, original, and laugh-out-loud funny, Alice Ormsbee Beltran and Karen Kim Mar's Knitstrips are...

Craft

Passport
Glock, Sophia
Paper Book
Young Sophia has lived in so many different countries, she can barely keep count. Stationed now with her family in Central America because of her parents' work, Sophia feels displaced as an American living abroad, when she has hardly spent any of her life in America. Everything...

Memoir

Hey, kiddo
Krosoczka, Jarrett
Paper Book
The powerful, unforgettable graphic memoir from Jarrett Krosoczka, about growing up with a drug-addicted mother, a missing father, and two unforgettably opinionated grandparents.In kindergarten, Jarrett Krosoczka's teacher asks him to draw his family, with a mommy and a daddy. But Jarrett's family...

Memoir

All together now
Larson, Hope
Paper Book
All Together Now is New York Times bestselling author and illustrator Hope Larson's pitch-perfect graphic novel follow-up for fans of All Summer Long, music lovers, and anyone navigating the ups and downs of friendship. Middle-schooler Bina is having the...

Music, Relationships

In limbo
Lee, Deborah
Paper Book
A debut YA graphic memoir about a Korean-American girl's coming-of-age story--and a coming home story--set between a New Jersey suburb and Seoul, South Korea. Ever since Deborah (Jung-Jin) Lee emigrated from South Korea to the United States, she's felt her otherness.

Memoir

The fire never goes out : a memoir in pictures
Stevenson, Noelle
Paper Book
From ND Stevenson, the New York Times bestselling author-illustrator of Nimona, comes a captivating, honest illustrated memoir that finds him turning an important corner in his creative journey--and inviting readers along for the ride. In a collection of essays and personal...

Memoir


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