YA Comics and Graphic Novels (Mikaela's picks)

We love comics and graphic novels of all stripes. Here is a list, lovingly hand-picked by Mikaela from Johnsonville Library, of some great graphical works, from the popular and well-known to the lesser-known-but-still-amazing.

Updated April 29, 2024
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Miles Morales [1] : straight out of Brooklyn
Ahmed, Saladin
Miles Morales swings back into the spotlight! Balancing a normal life, school, friends, family and super-heroing has never been easy for Miles, but when the rampaging Rhino and a cadre of mysterious criminals start plaguing Brooklyn, things take a dark turn for the young Spider-Man! And Miles doesn...
Speak : the graphic novel
Anderson, Laurie Halse
The bestselling, award-winning modern classic Speak is now a stunning graphic novel--adapted by Laurie Halse Anderson herself and brought to life visually by Eisner Award winner Emily Carroll. "Speak up for yourself--we want to know what you have to say." From the first...
Teen Titans : Raven
Garcia, Kami
A New York Times bestseller! USA Today and Publishers Weekly bestseller! When a tragic accident takes the life of 17-year-old Raven Roth's foster mom--and Raven's memory--she moves to New Orleans to recover and finish her senior year of high school.<...
Amulet. Book one, The stonekeeper
Kibuishi, Kazu
The beginning of Kazu Kibuishi's #1 New York Times bestselling graphic novel series!After the tragic death of their father, Emily and Navin move with their mother to the home of her deceased great-grandfather, but the strange house proves to be dangerous. Before long, a sinister creature...
Salt magic
Larson, Hope
The epic, Eisner Award-winning graphic novel about a jealous witch, a withering curse, and one girl's journey to save her family-- no matter the cost. Recipient of the Eisner Award for Best Publication for Kids ages 9-12 When Vonceil's older brother, Elber,...
Heartstopper. Volume 1
Oseman, Alice
Boy meets boy. Boys become friends. Boys fall in love. A sweet and charming coming-of-age story that explores friendship, love, and coming out. This edition features beautiful two-color artwork. Now streaming on Netflix! Shy and softhearted Charlie Spring sits next to...
The witch boy
Ostertag, Molly
From the illustrator of the web comic Strong Female Protagonist comes a debut middle-grade graphic novel about family, identity, courage -- and magic.In thirteen-year-old Aster's family, all the girls are raised to be witches, while boys grow up to be shapeshifters. Anyone who dares cross...
Witchy. 1
Ries, Ariel Slamet
Winner of the 2020 Ignatz Award for Outstanding Online Comic 2020 Gold Ledger Award Recipient Danish "Pingprisen" for Best Online Series in 2017 and 2018 Nominee 2016 DINKy for Outstanding Web Comic Nominee In the witch kingdom Hyalin, the strength of...
Persepolis
Satrapi, Marjane
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * Wise, funny, and heartbreaking, Persepolis is Marjane Satrapi's acclaimed graphic memoir of growing up in Iran during the Islamic Revolution. "A wholly original achievement.... Satrapi evokes herself and her schoolmates coming of age in a...
Squire
Shammas, Nadia
From two incredible rising talents comes the fantasy graphic novel Molly Knox Ostertag calls "instantly compelling." A New England Book Award and Harvey Award winner! Aiza has always dreamt of becoming a Knight. It's the highest military honor in the once-great Bayt...
The complete Maus
Spiegelman, Art
The definitive edition of the graphic novel acclaimed as "the most affecting and successful narrative ever done about the Holocaust" (Wall Street Journal) and "the first masterpiece in comic book history" (The New Yorker) * PULITZER PRIZE WINNER * One of Variety's "Banned and...
Nimona
Stevenson, ND
Now a Netflix animated film! Nimona is the New York Times bestselling graphic novel sensation from ND Stevenson, based on his beloved and critically acclaimed web comic. Kirkus says, "If you're going to read one graphic novel this year, make it this...
Laura Dean keeps breaking up with me
Tamaki, Mariko
One of FORBES Best Graphic Novels of 2019 On BCCB 2019 Blue Ribbons List One of NPR's Best Books of 2019 Booklist 2019 Editors' Choice One of Bitch Media's Best Queer YA Novels of 2019 Author Mariko Tamaki and...
Drama
Telgemeier, Raina.
From Raina Telgemeier, the #1 New York Times bestselling, multiple Eisner Award-winning author of Smile and Sisters! Callie loves theater. And while she would totally try out for her middle school's production of Moon over Mississippi, she can't...
Cosmoknights. Book one
Templer, Hannah
For this ragtag band of space gays, liberation means beating the patriarchy at its own game. Pan's life used to be very small. Work in her dad's body shop, sneak out with her friend Tara to go dancing, and watch the skies for freighter ships. It didn't even matter that Tara was a...
Squad
Tokuda-Hall, Maggie
An IndieBound Bestseller "Squad is a fast-paced and feminist horror story for every girl who's ever felt like prey, and asks how far a girl should go to hunt the hunters."--Laura Ruby, author of National Book Award Finalist Thirteen Doorways, Wolves Behind Them All "Squad is a story...
The magic fish
Trung, Le Nguyen
NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR by the New York Public Library.Kirkus Reviews.Booklist.Publishers Weekly Tiến loves his family and his friends...but Tiến has a secret he's been keeping from them, and it might change everything. An amazing YA...
Wynd. Book one, The flight of the prince
Tynion, James, IV
The team of award-winning superstars James Tynion IV and Michael Dialynas present the first graphic novel in the all-new fantasy epic about a boy who must embrace the magic within himself if he wants to save his friends from the shocking dangers that await!   TO...
On a sunbeam
Walden, Tillie
"Tillie Walden is the future of comics, and On a Sunbeam is her best work yet. It's a 'space' story unlike any you've ever read, with a rich, lived-in universe of complex characters." --Brian K. Vaughan, Saga and Paper Girls Two timelines. Second chances....
The prince and the dressmaker
Wang, Jen
A fairy tale for any age, Jen Wang's The Prince and the Dressmaker will steal your heart. Paris, at the dawn of the modern age: Prince Sebastian is looking for a bride--or rather, his parents are looking for one for him. Sebastian is too busy hiding his...
Ms. Marvel [1] : no normal
Wilson, G. Willow
Marvel Comics presents the new Ms. Marvel, the groundbreaking heroine that has become an international sensation! Kamala Khan is an ordinary girl from Jersey City - until she's suddenly empowered with extraordinary gifts. But who truly is the new Ms. Marvel? Teenager? Muslim? Inhuman? Find out as...
The well
Wyatt, Jacob
A 2023 YALSA Great Graphic Novels for Teens Selection A fantasy graphic novel about Lizzy, a girl who gets cursed by a wishing well, and her adventure to grant three wishes in order to break free. Li-Zhen's life on the archipelago is simple. Known to friends...
American born Chinese
Yang, Gene Luen.
Original Series Now Available on Disney+ A tour-de-force by New York Times bestselling graphic novelist Gene Yang, American Born Chinese tells the story of three apparently unrelated characters: Jin Wang, who moves to a new neighborhood with his family only to...

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