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

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

Slip
McCoola, Marika
Paper Book
An emotional LGBTQ coming-of-age graphic novel, with a magical twist, for fans of Bloom and Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me, where a pottery student finds her artistic voice--and her first love. Just as...

Mental Health

Needle & thread
Pinckney, David
Paper Book
Choosing between living the life you want and living the life you're 'supposed to have' is not always an easy choice. Noah, embracing his true-self, wants to pursue a career in costume design, something his loving, public service parents would never approve of. Azarie, the perfect, model daughter of...

Craft

Tiny dancer
Siegel, Siena Cherson
Paper Book
A teenage ballet dancer struggles to find her next step, and her place in the world, in this exquisite graphic memoir--a follow-up to the Sibert Honor-winning To Dance. All her life, Siena has dreamed of being a ballerina. Her love of movement and dedication to the craft...

Memoir

Lost soul, be at peace
Thrash, Maggie
Paper Book
Following her acclaimed Honor Girl, Maggie Thrash revisits a period of teenage depression in a graphic memoir that is at once thoughtful, honest, and marked by hope. A year and a half after the summer that changed her life, Maggie Thrash wishes she could change it all back...

Memoir


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