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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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

No Ivy League
Newlevant, Hazel
Paper Book
"No Ivy League gracefully delivers a messy truth behind the essential process of questioning and reckoning." -- Nate Powell, artist of the March trilogy When 17-year-old Hazel takes a summer job clearing ivy from the forest in Portland, Oregon, the only plan is to earn some extra...

Memoir

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

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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