Mariko Tamaki – The Hub

Graphic Novels Overview, Part One: Format Guide

What is a Graphic Novel

The graphic novel is a distinct literary format that employs sequential art in the form of comic-strip-style illustrations throughout a book-length work to tell a complete narrative. Unlike traditional written books, graphic novels use shorter sentences and rely heavily on images to communicate the story. The sequential art in graphic novels is not just a complement to the written text; it is the driving force behind the story. The artwork is essential to the graphic novel format, much like the importance of visuals in a children’s picture book. The artwork in graphic novels collaborates with the text to create a cohesive storytelling experience. Unlike illustrated children’s picture books that often embellish the written text, the artwork in graphic novels collaborates with the text to create a cohesive storytelling experience. Graphic novels are longer than comic books and provide a cohesive storyline within a single volume.

Graphic novels, like comics and manga, use panels to organize the narratives. These panels are often presented as boxed segments that contain scenes or parts of scenes in the story and are divided by blank space known as the “gutter.” Graphic novels also use speech and thought bubbles, emanata, and captions to tell a story to readers. Unlike most comic books and manga series, graphic novels are usually published as regular bound books. They are more likely to be standalone works, but like other novels, they can be turned into a series.

Definitions by The Graphic Library

Comic books: are serialized stories featuring comic drawings, generally following the adventures of superheroes, villains, etc. These are usually presented in a single-issue, paperback format.

Graphic Novel: A story told with sequential, illustrated panels.

Original Graphic Novel (OGN): a story published in a full-length graphic novel without being published as single-issue floppies first.

Online Resources

Books to Learn More

Awards

-Stephanie Mahar

Stephanie’s Favorites

Huda F Are You?
by Huda Fahmy
Publisher: Dial Books
Release Date: November 23, 2021
Reading Level: Gr. 7-9
ISBN: 9780593324318

The Legend of Auntie Po
by Shing Yin Khor
Publisher: Kokila
Release Date: June 15, 2021
Reading Level: Gr. 5-9
ISBN: 978-0525554899

Squad
By Maggie Tokuda-Hall & Lisa Sterle
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Release Date: October 5, 2021
Reading Level: Gr. 9-12
ISBN: 978-0062943149

Other Ever Afters: New Queer Fairy Tales
by Melanie Gillman
Publisher: Random House Graphic
Release Date: September 20, 2022
Reading Level: Gr. 7-9
ISBN: 978-0593303184

Almost American Girl
By Robin Ha
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Release Date: January 28, 2020
Reading Level: Gr. 8-12
ISBN: 978-0062685094

The Magic Fish
By Trung Le Nguyen
Publisher: Random House Graphic
Release Date: October 13, 2020
Reading Level: Gr. 7-12
ISBN: 978-1984851598

Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me
By Mariko Tamaki & Rosemary Valero-O’Connell
Publisher: First Second
Release Date: May 7, 2019
Reading Level: Gr. 8-12
ISBN: 978-1626722590

Mooncakes
By Suzanne Walker & Wendy Xu
Publisher: Oni Press
Release Date: October 15, 2019
Reading Level: Gr. 8-12
ISBN: 978-1549303043

Check, Please! Book 1: # Hockey
By Ngozi Ukazu
Publisher: First Second
Release Date: September 18, 2018
Reading Level: Gr. 8-12
ISBN: 978-1250177964

The Prince and the Dressmaker
By Jen Wang
Publisher: First Second
Release Date: February 13, 2018
Reading Level: Gr. 7-12
ISBN: 978-1626723634

Quiet Girl in a Noisy World: An Introvert’s Story
By Debbie Tung
Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing
Release Date: November 7, 2017
Reading Level: Gr. 7-12
ISBN: 978-1449486068

Nimona
By N.D. Stevenson
Publisher: Quill Tree Books
Release Date: May 12, 2015
Reading Level: Gr. 7-12
ISBN: 978-0062278227

Great Graphic Novels (#GGN2023) Featured Review of Other Ever Afters: New Queer Fairy Tales by Melanie Gillman

Other Ever Afters: New Queer Fairy Tales by Melanie Gillman
RH Graphic/Random House
Publication Date: September 20, 2022
ISBN: 9780593303191

A queen who has everything wants to win the heart of a goose girl; a woman falls in love with a mermaid and will have her heart fed to the mermaid’s children after one year; and another woman seeks a mishap from a mysterious being to get out of her arranged marriage. Other Ever Afters: New Queer Fairy Tales presents seven original fairy tales where the traditional happy endings of marriage and wealth are subverted for endings that focus on all types of love.

Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers (#QP2023) Featured Review of Cold by Mariko Tamaki

Cold

by Mariko Tamaki

Publisher: Macmillan

Imprint: Roaring Brook Press

Release date: February 8, 2022

ISBN: 9781626722736

Todd is dead and now watches over his own naked corpse while trying to determine how he died. Georgia didn’t know Todd when he was alive, but is mildly obsessed with his death. Why does he seem so familiar to her? What do they have in common?

Great Graphic Novels (#GGN2022) Nominations Round-Up, Winter

Each quarter, the Selected Lists teams compile the titles that have been officially nominated to date. These books have been suggested by the team or through the title suggestion form, read by multiple members of the team, and received approval to be designated an official nomination. At the end of the year, the final list of nominations and each Selected List’s Top Ten will be chosen from these titles.

The Apothecary Diaries, v.2. By Natsu Hyuuga. Art by Nekokurage. Square Enix Manga, $10.99 (9781646090716).

Maomao’s adventures as the official royal test taster continue! In this volume, Maomao faces the intrigues of the royal court while dealing with poisoning attempts against the Emperor’s wives.

Asadora! v.4. By Naoki Urasawa. VIZ Media / VIZ Signature, $14.99 (9781974722969).

A lighthouse has been attacked by something resembling a giant creature, and Asa is called in by the government to find the monster before the Tokyo Olympics. With the monster’s reappearance, Asa continues the search for her family.

Blue Flag, v.8. By KAITO. VIZ Media, $12.99 (9781974720941).

The conclusion of Blue Flag sees almost everyone’s secrets revealed and concludes the main characters’ romantic arcs.

Blue Giant Omnibus, v.1-2. By Shinichi Ishizuka. 2020. Seven Seas Entertainment, $19.99 (9781645058649).

Dai is graduating soon, and while his friends are all cramming for exams, he spends every day playing his sax. Dai is going to be the world’s greatest jazz musician, and to be the best, he will need more than just passion.

Great Graphic Novels (#GGN2022) Featured Review of That Full Moon Feeling by Ashley Robin Franklin

That Full Moon Feeling by Ashley Robin Franklin
Silver Sprocket
Publication Date: February 2, 2021
ISBN: 9781945509562

A witch and a werewolf meet on a dating app in this short, magical, queer romance graphic novel. Suzy and Jada attempt three dates with varying degrees of success. Each date sees something go horribly wrong, whether it’s fantastical villains—such as attacking skeletons and monsters—or more relatably, exes who haven’t gotten over them. The story ends openly, allowing readers to imagine a possible future (or not) for Suzy and Jada.

Great Graphic Novels (#GGN2022) Nominations Round-Up, Fall

Great Graphic Novels Roundup Art — Due to the large number of nominees, not all titles are shown here. See full list below.

The Apothecary Diaries, v.1. By Natsu Hyuuga. Art by Nekokurage. 2020. Square Enix Manga, $10.99 (9781646090709).

Maomao is a palace servant who was sold into service to the Emperor. After saving one of the Emperor’s heirs, she is promoted to food taster, where she is able to use her skills as an apothecary.

Artie and the Wolf Moon. By Olivia Stephens. Lerner Publishing Group / Graphic Universe, $16.99 (9781728420202).

Artie discovers that her mother is a werewolf and that she has abilities of her own. While attempting to discover what happened to her missing father, she comes across other supernatural enemies.

Asadora, v.3. By Naoki Urasawa. VIZ Media / VIZ Signature, $14.99 (9781974720118).

When she was young, Asa survived a devastating typhoon, but on the same day saw a mysterious footprint in the town where she lived with her family. Now older, Asa becomes involved in a mission to stop the creature who made the footprint.

Great Graphic Novels (#GGN2022) Featured Review of Djeliya by Juni Ba

Djeliya by Juni Ba
TKO Studios
Publication Date: July 7, 2021
ISBN: 9781952203244

In this West African-inspired fantasy epic, disgraced prince Mansour Keita seeks to reclaim his father’s throne in a post-apocalyptic world destroyed by the wizard Soumaoro. With his djeli, Awa Kouyaté, to guide him, Mansour goes on a redemption quest, seeking to repair the world and recover his old kingdom. Their journey takes them on a weaving path, entwined with fantastical tales, peculiar characters, and explosive action.

Great Graphic Novels (#GGN2022) Featured Review of Feelings: A Story in Seasons by Manjitt Thapp

Feelings: A Story in Seasons by Manjitt Thapp
Penguin Random House
Publication Date: March 2, 2021
ISBN: 9780593129753

Feelings: A Story in Seasons is an autobiographical work of graphic nonfiction by illustrator Manjitt Thapp. As she works towards an important creative deadline, Thapp takes the reader through one year of her life via the structure of six seasons (high summer, late summer, monsoon, autumn, winter, and spring). As the seasons change and progress, seasonal anxiety and depression rise and fall, impacting the artist’s creative abilities.

Great Graphic Novels (#GGN2020) Nominees Round Up, November 21 Edition

Click here to see all of the current Great Graphic Novels nominees along with more information about the list and past years’ selections.

X-23, vol. 2: X-Assassin by Mariko Tamaki and Diego Oloregui
Marvel
Publication Date: August 13, 2019
ISBN: 978-1302916862

After a string of scientists are murdered, cloned sisters Laura and Gabby are called in to help the police with the investigation. While on a mission to intercept the killer of the next potential target, they discover that the killer is actually a new cloned version of themselves, the X-Assassin. Following her trail leads them back to their ultimate nemesis in their mission to stop the misuse of clone experimentation—their own creator—as well as an army of more X-Assassins. But killing the X-Assassins means killing the only biological family Laura and Gabby have. How can they stop the egregious cloning experimentation of their DNA without harming their new sisters?

Continue reading Great Graphic Novels (#GGN2020) Nominees Round Up, November 21 Edition

Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers (#QP2020) Nominees Round Up, October 15 Edition

Click here to see all of the current Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers nominees along with more information about the list and past years’ selections.

Michigan vs. The Boys by Carrie S. Allen
KCP Loft / Kids Can Press
Publication Date: October 1, 2019
ISBN: 978-1525301483
Michigan Manning is thrilled when she earns a spot on the boys’ varsity ice hockey team. Despite becoming the team’s leading scorer, her teammates make it clear she’s not welcome. Even when “harmless” pranks cross the line into assault, Michigan fears that speaking up will cost her everything she loves. Continue reading Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers (#QP2020) Nominees Round Up, October 15 Edition