2019 Hub Reading Challenge April Check-In

We’re almost at the midpoint of the 2019 Hub Reading Challenge!

Time for all of us YA readers to go all in on the most recently published and critically acclaimed YA books.

So let’s talk about my favorite part of this challenge…catching up on the most acclaimed YA graphic novels of the last year or so.

My dream TBR pile? Perhaps.

Most YA readers know that graphic novels are way more than just action and superhero comics (though those are also incredibly valuable reading materials!). And with the book format’s ever-growing popularity, there are more and more excellent graphic novels being written every year!

Which ones have I read for this year’s Hub challenge?

Don Brown’s The Unwanted: Stories of the Syrian Refugees, Jarrett Krosoczka’s Hey Kiddo: How I Lost My Mother, Found My Father, and Dealt with Family Addiction, and Gengoroh Tagame’s My Brother’s Husband series (Vol. 2, if you want it to count for the Challenge!) are all excellent additions to your TBR pile (these are the ones I’ve read, so I speak from personal experience).

Still looking for a title to fulfill your graphic novel requirement? The 2019 Great Graphic Novels for Teens Committee has already done all of the work of putting together a great selection list for you. If you’re a seasoned GN reader, you may recognize some of these authors and artists, but there are a number of first-timers on this list as well! You can find a list of the eligible titles for the 2019 Hub Reading Challenge here. If you like these, take a look at the full list of the YALSA 2019 Great GNs for Teens here! And, for the challenge, the full list of eligible titles is available here.

How many of the requirements have you successfully completed already?
Which graphic novel(s) are you planning to read?

Be sure to let us know in the comments! And be sure to tag any social media posts with #hubchallenge!

We still have some time, but the end of the challenge will soon be upon us! Keep up your YA reading! And if you’ve already finished, be sure to let us know here!

Here’s a quick reminder of the challenge guidelines:

  • Format matters: a title that has been recognized for both the print version and the audiobook version can be both read and listened to and count as two books, but a book that has won multiple awards or appears on multiple lists in the same format only counts as one title.
  • Books must be read/listened to (both begun and finished) between the date the award winners and selected lists have been released and June 30, 2019 at 11:59pm EST. If you’ve already read/listened to a title (before the winners/selected lists were announced), you must re-read/listen to it for it to count. The challenge ends on June 30, 2019 at at 11:59pm EST. Once you’ve completed the challenge, let us know by completing this form.
  • Just about everyone who doesn’t work for ALA is eligible to participate. Non-ALA/YALSA members are eligible. Teens are eligible. Non-US residents/citizens are eligible. (More eligibility questions? Leave a comment or email us.)
  • The grand prize winner will be selected by 11:59pm EST on July 1, 2019. The winner will be notified via email.

–Katrina Ortega, currently reading Match Me If You Can by Tiana Smith