
We always love bringing Graphic Novels in the spotlight with #YearofYA! So much so, that graphic novels seem to sneak into our choices each month, for any topic!
It’s been awhile since we’ve had a whole month around graphic novels, so we felt it was time to take a look at some of the new titles, series, and authors/illustrators that have emerged in the last couple years.
2018/early 2019 has seen some graphics get well-deserved attention in Hey Kiddo as National Book Award finalist, The Unwanted earning YALSA excellence in nonfiction & the Sibert Honor, and Check Please! As a Morris finalists. It would be shameful to miss reading these stories, delivered in a format that is becoming increasingly popular with young readers.
What’s amazing about the ongoing growth of Graphic Novels is how many unique stories are being told through this format: retellings of favorite YA texts like Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson, glimpses into history like Anne Frank’s Diary: The Graphic Adaptation, and informational products that teach readers everything from the journey of a refugee, to the struggles of mental illness, and how to better understand using pronouns and gender identity. Art is a powerful way to communicate stories – both fictional and true.
Enjoy this month – if you are a reader of GNs already, share some of your favorite in the comments or on twitter using #YearofYA! And if this is not a format you typically explore, grab a story that sounds interesting to you and see how it goes!
As always with #YearofYA, we pick the theme (in this case, a format!) and YOU choose the books!
Lists & Resources:
YALSA Great Graphic Novels {links to many lists}
YALSA Great Graphic Novels for Teens 2019
YALSA Great Graphic Novels for Teens 2019 nominees (even more titles to explore!)
YALSA Great Graphic Novels for Teens 2018
Chicago Public Library Best Comics & Graphic Novels for Teens 2018
Epic Reads 29 Must-Have Graphic Novels for your Collection
Book Riot Teen Graphic Novel Releases Aug-Dec 2018
Book Riot Teen Graphic Novel Releases Jan-March 2019
Comics and Graphic Novels for Reluctant Readers