Great Graphic Novels for Teens is a list of recommended graphic novels and illustrated nonfiction for those ages 12-18, prepared yearly by YALSA. Click on the title of each book to be taken to the blog post featuring a review, or browse all blog posts here. You can see previous lists on the YALSA website and on the Teen Book Finder app.
2019 Great Graphic Novels Nominees
Fiction
- Laid-Back Camp, Vol. 1 & 2 by Afro
- The Aeneid: A Graphic Novel by Diego Agrimbau
- Black Bolt, vol. 1: Hard Time by Saladin Ahmed and Christian Ward
- Kaguya-Sama: Love is War, vol 1-3 by Aka Akasaka
- Giant Days, vols. 7 & 8 by John Allison
- Herding Cats: A Sarah’s Scribbles Collection by Sarah Andersen
- Speak: The Graphic Novel by Laurie Halse Anderson and Emily Carroll
- Silver Spoon, vol. 1 by Hiromu Arakawa
- Silver Spoon, vol. 2 by Hiromu Arakawa
- Green Lantern: Earth One, vol. 1 by Corinna Bechko and Gabriel Hardman
- Dead Weight: Murder at Camp Bloom by Terry Blas, Molly Muldoon and Matthew Seely
- Be Prepared by Vera Brosgol
- Dark Ark, vol. 1 Forty Nights by Cullen Bunn
- Shade the Changing Girl 2: Little Runaway by Cecil Castellucci and Marley Zarcone
- The Bride was a Boy by Chii
- Crush by Svetlana Chmakova
- Behind You: One-Shot Horror Stories by Brian Coldrick
- Illegal by Eoin Colfer and Andrew Donkin
- Woman World by Aminder Dhaliwal
- Ark Land by Scott A. Ford
- Bingo Love by Tee Franklin
- Motor Crush, vol. 2 by Brenden Fletcher, Cameron Stewart and Babs Tarr
- I Hear the Sunspot: Theory of Happiness by Yuki Fumino
- Spectacle vol. 1 by Megan Rose Gedris
- Iceman Vol. 1: Thawing Out by Sina Grace
- Iceman Vol. 2: Absolute Zero by Sina Grace
- Making Friends by Kristen Gudsnuk
- Skyward vol. 1: My Low-G Life by Joe Henderson
- Betty and Veronica by Adam Hughes
- Flying Witch, vols. 3-6 by Chihiro Ishizuka
- Valiant High by Daniel Kibblesmith
- The Dam Keeper by Robert Kondo and Dice Tsutsumi
- A Polar Bear In Love by Koromo
- Again!!, vols. 1-3 by Mitsurou Kubo
- Escape from Syria by Samya Kullab and Jackie Roche
- All Summer Long by Hope Larson
- Goldie Vance, vol. 4 by Hope Larson and Jackie Ball
- Victor LaValle’s Destroyer by Victor LaValle
- Eleanor & the Egret by John Layman
- Black Hammer, vol. 2: The Event by Jeff Lemire
- Royal City, Vol. 2: Sonic Youth by Jeff Lemire
- Persephone by Loic Locatelli-Kournwskcy
- Son of Shaolin by Jay Longino
- M.F.K. Book 1 by Nilah Magruder
- Life on Earth 1: Losing the Girl by MariNaomi
- Luisa – Now and Then by Carole Maurel and Mariko Tamaki
- Stephen McCranie’s Space Boy, vol. 1 by Stephen McCranie
- Jane by Aline Brosh McKenna
- Wires and Nerves Vol. 2: Gone Rogue by Marissa Meyer
- Spirit Circle, vols. 1-5 by Satoshi Mizukami
- Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur vol. 4: Girl-Moon by Brandon Montclare
- Forgiveness is Really Strange by Masi Noor, Marina Cantacuzino, and Sophie Standing
- The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl, vol. 7: I’ve Been Waiting For A Squirrel Like You by Ryan North
- Black Panther: Long Live the King by Nnedi Okorafor
- Black AF: America’s Sweetheart by Kwanza Osajyefo
- Fence, vol. 1 by C.S. Pacat
- Mech Cadet Yu by Greg Pak
- Coady and the Creepies by Liz Prince
- Orphans, Vol. 1: The Beginning by Roberto Recchioni and Emiliano Mammucari
- Animus by Antoine Revoy
- My Boyfriend is a Bear by Pamela Ribon
- America, vol. 1: The Life and Times of America Chavez by Gabby Rivera
- Runaways: Find Your Way Home, vol. 1 by Rainbow Rowell
- The Strange by Jérôme Ruillier
- Casa Nostra by Chris Sarracini and Nick Kilislian
- Norroway Book 1: The Black Bull of Norroway by Kit & Cat Seaton
- Sweet Blue Flowers, vols. 1-3 by Takako Shimura
- The Promised Neverland, vols. 2-4 by Saiu Shirai and Posuka Demizu
- Home After Dark by David Small
- DeadEndia: The Watcher’s Test by Hamish Steele
- Supergirl Being Super by Mariko Tamaki
- Batman and the Justice League, vol. 1 by Shiori Teshirogi
- Lost Soul, Be at Peace by Maggie Thrash
- Sheets by Brenna Thummler
- Super Sons by Peter Tomasi
- Spy Seal, vol. 1: The Corten-Steel Phoenix by Rich Tommaso
- The Backstagers Vol. 2: The Show Must Go On by James Tynion IV and Rian Sygh
- Check Please!: #Hockey, Book One by Ngozi Ukazu
- Heavy Vinyl, vol. 1 by Carly Usdin
- Water Memory by Valérie Vernay and Mathieu Reynès
- Paper Girls, vol. 4 by Brian K. Vaughan and illustrated by Cliff Chiang
- Sleepless by Sarah Vaughn
- A Girl in the Himalayas by David Jesus Vignolli
- Kim and Kim vol. 2: Love is a Battlefield by Magdelene Vissagio and Eva Cabrera
- On a Sunbeam by Tillie Walden
- Superb, vol. 1: Life After the Fallout by David F. Walker, Sheena C. Howard, and Ray-Anthony Height
- Last Pick by Jason Walz
- The Prince and the Dressmaker by Jen Wang
- Lumberjanes, vol. 7: A Bird’s Eye View by Shannon Watters
- Lumberjanes, vol. 8 by Shannon Watters, Cat Leyh and Carey Pietsh
- Archival Quality by Ivy Noelle Weir
- Spill Zone: Broken Vow by Scott Westerfeld and Alex Puvilland
- The Unstoppable Wasp vol. 2: Agents of G.I.R.L by Jeremy Whitley, Elisa Charretier, Veronic Fish, Ro Stein, and Ted Brandt
- Ms. Marvel, vol 8: Mecca by G. Willow Wilson
- Ms. Marvel, vol. 9: Teenage Wasteland by G. Willow Wilson and Nico Leon
- Frau Faust, vols. 1-4 by Kore Yamazaki
Nonfiction
- Brazen: Rebel Ladies Who Rocked the World by Penelope Bagieu
- A Quick and Easy Guide to They/Them Pronouns by Archie Bongiovanni and Tristan Jimerson
- Is This Guy for Real? The Unbelievable Andy Kaufman by Box Brown
- The Unwanted: Stories of the Syrian Refugees by Don Brown
- Super Late Bloomer: My Early Days in Transition by Julia Kaye
- Hey, Kiddo: How I Lost My Mother, Found My Father, and Dealt with Family Addiction by Jarrett J. Krosoczka
- Puerto Rico Strong: A Comics Anthology Supporting Puerto Rico Disaster Relief and Recovery edited by Marco Lopez, Desiree Rodriguez, Hazel Newlevant, Derek Ruiz, and Neil Schwartz
- Birding is My Favorite Video Game by Rosemary Mosco
- Hermes: Tales of the Trickster by George O’Connor
- Calamity Jane: The Calamitous Life of Martha Jane Cannary, 1852-1903 by Christian Perrissin
- Photographic: The Life of Graciela Iturbide by Isabel Quintero and Zeke Peña
- What Does Consent Really Mean? by Pete and Thalia Wallis
The 2019 Great Graphic Novels Blogging Team was:
- Tina H. Lerno, coordinator
- Silence Bourn
- Amanda Caine
- Kate Covintree
- Meaghan Darling
- Amy Estersohn
- Janis Fox
- Kristy Kemper Hodge
- Wendy Knight
- Kristina Lynn Langlais
- Amanda Melilli
- Jessica Marie Ormonde
- Jennifer Claire D. Siron
- Loren Spector
- Emily Marie Tobin
- Lindsey Helfrich