Okay, comics fans! Are you ready to topple that TBR? Don’t you just love that visual (pun intended)! This week’s list of Boy-I-Hope-These-Get-Nominated titles includes fiction and nonfiction, realism and fantasy, and starts with a learn-to-draw title!
Introducing Kristen Harvey
Kristen has participated in the CYBILS Awards since 2013 and is returning for her third year at the helm of the Graphic Novels category. She loves graphic novels and knows first-hand that young readers do, too. How? She’s a Library Media Specialist at a Chicago-area middle school!
Kristen’s Comics Picks
The Graphic Novel category has two divisions: elementary/middle-grade and young adult. In creating her list of comics she’d like to see nominated in the fall, Kristen included recommendations for each audience individually.
Elementary Graphic Novels
Adventures in Cartooning: Create a World
by James Sturm, Alexis Frederick-Frost, Andrew Arnold
The Knight is back and ready for another cartooning adventure with Edward the Horse! As every adventurer knows, you can’t have an epic journey without an epic new world to explore. They could fly to a floating metropolis or swim through an underwater empire, trek across a frozen tundra or climb to the top of a majestic mountain―the possibilities are endless! But before they do, they’ll need to draw it first.
The Knight is back and ready for another cartooning adventure with Edward the Horse! As every adventurer knows, you can’t have an epic journey without an epic new world to explore. They could fly to a floating metropolis or swim through an underwater empire, trek across a frozen tundra or climb to the top of a majestic mountain―the possibilities are endless! But before they do, they’ll need to draw it first.
Saving Chupie
by Amparo Ortiz, Ronnie Garcia (Illustrator)
Violeta Rubio only has one goal in mind for her first-ever trip to Puerto Rico: help Abuelita reopen her beloved restaurant, La Casita. After the destruction wrought by Huracán Maria, La Casita needs all the help it can get. The only problem is that Violeta’s whole family thinks they can do it without her.
With nothing to do, she joins her two new friends on a quest to capture the rumored chupacabra. Then, she meets the beast face to face!
Violeta Rubio only has one goal in mind for her first-ever trip to Puerto Rico: help Abuelita reopen her beloved restaurant, La Casita. After the destruction wrought by Huracán Maria, La Casita needs all the help it can get. The only problem is that Violeta’s whole family thinks they can do it without her.
With nothing to do, she joins her two new friends on a quest to capture the rumored chupacabra. Then, she meets the beast face to face!
Saving Sunshine
by Saadia Faruqi, Shazleen Khan (Illustrator)
As if being a kid with a funny sounding name and wearing a hijab wasn't enough, Zara is constantly fighting with Zeeshan. All the bickering and insults were ruining a family trip to Florida, so the twins' parents sentence them to the worst possible fate— each other’s company!
As if being a kid with a funny sounding name and wearing a hijab wasn't enough, Zara is constantly fighting with Zeeshan. All the bickering and insults were ruining a family trip to Florida, so the twins' parents sentence them to the worst possible fate— each other’s company!
Skeleanor the Decomposer: A Graphic Novel
by Emily Ettinger
Skeleanor loves music more than life itself. There’s just one problem: She has a bit more rattle than rhythm at the moment. No matter what type of instrument she plays—from the fiddle to the xylobone—she always seems to scare the people of Little Casketon away. But with the Little Casketon Summershine festival coming up, and the town band missing a player, maybe Skeleanor (along with the help of her best friend, Batima) could show people her skills and finally take center stage.
Skeleanor loves music more than life itself. There’s just one problem: She has a bit more rattle than rhythm at the moment. No matter what type of instrument she plays—from the fiddle to the xylobone—she always seems to scare the people of Little Casketon away. But with the Little Casketon Summershine festival coming up, and the town band missing a player, maybe Skeleanor (along with the help of her best friend, Batima) could show people her skills and finally take center stage.
Middle Grade Graphic Novels
Buzzing (A Graphic Novel)
by Samuel Sattin, Rye Hickman
Isaac Itkin (12) is a boy with OCD. The strict therapy his mother insists on doesn’t seem to be working.
When a group of friends invites him to join their after-school role-playing game, the thoughts feel a little less loud, and the world feels a little brighter. Until his grades slip and mom steps back in.
Isaac Itkin (12) is a boy with OCD. The strict therapy his mother insists on doesn’t seem to be working.
When a group of friends invites him to join their after-school role-playing game, the thoughts feel a little less loud, and the world feels a little brighter. Until his grades slip and mom steps back in.
Mexikid
by Pedro Martín
Pedro Martín loves the stories of his legendary crime-fighting Abuelito who was once part of the Mexican Revolution! That Abuelito is moving in with his family in their already-crowded home? Not so much.
The road trip to Mexico to bring Abuelito home becomes the trip of a lifetime. Pedro finally connects with his abuelito and learns what it means to grow up and find his grito.
Pedro Martín loves the stories of his legendary crime-fighting Abuelito who was once part of the Mexican Revolution! That Abuelito is moving in with his family in their already-crowded home? Not so much.
The road trip to Mexico to bring Abuelito home becomes the trip of a lifetime. Pedro finally connects with his abuelito and learns what it means to grow up and find his grito.
Pearl of the Sea
by Anthony Silverston, Raffaella Delle Donne, Willem Samuel (illustrator)
Since her mother left, Pearl spends most of her time fishing to help her father pay the bills. She gets mixed up with a group of illegal abalone poachers and starts diving near a restricted wreck. It is where she meets Otto, an ancient sea monster (who isn’t quite as monstrous as his reputation).
When Otto’s enemies come back to finish what they started, Pearl is the only one who can save him, but only if she has the courage to let go of her past and open up to others—including the girl from class she’s got a crush on.
Since her mother left, Pearl spends most of her time fishing to help her father pay the bills. She gets mixed up with a group of illegal abalone poachers and starts diving near a restricted wreck. It is where she meets Otto, an ancient sea monster (who isn’t quite as monstrous as his reputation).
When Otto’s enemies come back to finish what they started, Pearl is the only one who can save him, but only if she has the courage to let go of her past and open up to others—including the girl from class she’s got a crush on.
Shakti
by S.J. Sindu
Shakti is used to being the new girl at school. She and her two moms have moved more times than she can count. With her unborn baby brother on the way, Shakti hopes her family has found their forever home.
When Shakti and her new friend discover a group of mean girls casting spells in the woods, Shakti calls on ancient Indian magic to stop them. Instead, she conjures a destructive monster.
Shakti is used to being the new girl at school. She and her two moms have moved more times than she can count. With her unborn baby brother on the way, Shakti hopes her family has found their forever home.
When Shakti and her new friend discover a group of mean girls casting spells in the woods, Shakti calls on ancient Indian magic to stop them. Instead, she conjures a destructive monster.
Team Trash: A Time Traveler's Guide to Sustainability
by Kate Wheeler and Trent Huntington
Studious environmentalist Charlie is stuck with a science fair partner who seems like her complete Charlie wants to save the planet, and all Oliver wants is to doodle in his notebook.
When a mechanical mishap sends the partners back through time, the unlikely duo must gather data on recycling throughout the ages. Harnessing their frustration over the daunting ecological future they’ve inherited, Charlie and Oliver discover the ways in which they can use their sustainability knowledge to return home and build a better earth.
Studious environmentalist Charlie is stuck with a science fair partner who seems like her complete Charlie wants to save the planet, and all Oliver wants is to doodle in his notebook.
When a mechanical mishap sends the partners back through time, the unlikely duo must gather data on recycling throughout the ages. Harnessing their frustration over the daunting ecological future they’ve inherited, Charlie and Oliver discover the ways in which they can use their sustainability knowledge to return home and build a better earth.
Young Adult Graphic Novels
Cooking with Monsters (Book One): The Beginner's Guide to Culinary Combat
by Jordan Alsaga, Vivian Truong (illustrator)
Hana Ozawa is the newest face at the Gourmand Academy of Culinary Combat, a school that will teach her how to fight monsters AND how to turn them into delicious meals. Hana is a natural, but so are her classmates.
She's struggling to keep up with them. If she wants to impress the warrior chef who saved her life as a child, she HAS to find a way to stand out and impress.
Hana Ozawa is the newest face at the Gourmand Academy of Culinary Combat, a school that will teach her how to fight monsters AND how to turn them into delicious meals. Hana is a natural, but so are her classmates.
She's struggling to keep up with them. If she wants to impress the warrior chef who saved her life as a child, she HAS to find a way to stand out and impress.
Ghost Roast
by Shawnelle Gibbs, Shawnee Gibbs, Emily Cannon (Contributor)
Chelsea Grant does everything possible to shake her nickname "ghost girl" and distance herself from the damage her father's job does to her social life. Now in high school, she finally has friends in the popular crowd.
When a night out on the town goes sideways, Chelsea's punishment is unbearable: working for her father at Paranormal Removal Services. Her new job reveals an unexpected secret: she can see the ghosts her father is hunting.
Chelsea Grant does everything possible to shake her nickname "ghost girl" and distance herself from the damage her father's job does to her social life. Now in high school, she finally has friends in the popular crowd.
When a night out on the town goes sideways, Chelsea's punishment is unbearable: working for her father at Paranormal Removal Services. Her new job reveals an unexpected secret: she can see the ghosts her father is hunting.
Layers: A Memoir
by Pénélope Bagieu, Montana Kane (Translator)
When Pénélope Bagieu dusted off her old diaries, she found cringe-worthy, hilarious, and heartbreaking stories begging to be drawn.
The result is fifteen short stories about friendship, love, grief, and those awkward first steps toward adulthood.
When Pénélope Bagieu dusted off her old diaries, she found cringe-worthy, hilarious, and heartbreaking stories begging to be drawn.
The result is fifteen short stories about friendship, love, grief, and those awkward first steps toward adulthood.
Run and Hide: How Jewish Youth Escaped the Holocaust
by Don Brown
A gripping nonfiction graphic novel that follows the stories of Jewish children, separated from their parents. Unless they could escape, Jewish children would not be spared their deadly fate in the Holocaust.
Nonfiction storyteller Don Brown brings his expertise for journalistic reporting to the deeply felt personal narratives of Jewish children who survived against overwhelming odds.
A gripping nonfiction graphic novel that follows the stories of Jewish children, separated from their parents. Unless they could escape, Jewish children would not be spared their deadly fate in the Holocaust.
Nonfiction storyteller Don Brown brings his expertise for journalistic reporting to the deeply felt personal narratives of Jewish children who survived against overwhelming odds.
Superman: The Harvests of Youth
by Sina Grace
Despite being a superpowered teenager, high school has been pretty normal for Clark Kent. That idyllic life is wrenched away a classmate dies. As he and his friends grieve, the challenges they face become darker, more complex, and deeply insidious.
Clark feels completely out of his depth when Smallville’s latest threat proves that it takes more than fists and laser beams to save the day. For the first time in his life, Clark must grapple with life’s biggest questions, and confront his own mortality (or lack thereof) in order to become the hero his beloved town needs.
Despite being a superpowered teenager, high school has been pretty normal for Clark Kent. That idyllic life is wrenched away a classmate dies. As he and his friends grieve, the challenges they face become darker, more complex, and deeply insidious.
Clark feels completely out of his depth when Smallville’s latest threat proves that it takes more than fists and laser beams to save the day. For the first time in his life, Clark must grapple with life’s biggest questions, and confront his own mortality (or lack thereof) in order to become the hero his beloved town needs.
Kristen’s Other Nomination Nods
Kristen hopes to see these books nominated in October. You’ll find them on our Eligible in 2023 Goodreads Idea Board, too.
Dear Medusa (A Novel in Verse) by Olivia A. Cole
Eligible in Poetry: Novels in Verse
Alicia Rivers (16) has a reputation that precedes her. But there's more to her story than the whispers that follow her throughout the hallways at school. Alicia was abandoned by her best friend, quit the track team, and now spends her days in detention feeling isolated and invisible.
When mysterious letters left in her locker hint at another victim, Alicia struggles to keep up the walls she's built around her trauma. At the same time, her growing attraction to a new girl in school makes her question what those walls are really keeping out.
Alicia Rivers (16) has a reputation that precedes her. But there's more to her story than the whispers that follow her throughout the hallways at school. Alicia was abandoned by her best friend, quit the track team, and now spends her days in detention feeling isolated and invisible.
When mysterious letters left in her locker hint at another victim, Alicia struggles to keep up the walls she's built around her trauma. At the same time, her growing attraction to a new girl in school makes her question what those walls are really keeping out.
Finally Seen by Kelly Yang
Eligible in Middle-Grade Fiction
When Lina Gao (10) steps off the plane in Los Angeles, it’s her first time in America and the first time seeing her parents and little sister in five years!
She’s been waiting for this moment every day while she lived with her grandmother in Beijing, getting teased by kids at school as the "left behind girl." Joining her her parents and their fabulous life in America! Except, it’s not exactly like in the postcards her mom sent.
When Lina Gao (10) steps off the plane in Los Angeles, it’s her first time in America and the first time seeing her parents and little sister in five years!
She’s been waiting for this moment every day while she lived with her grandmother in Beijing, getting teased by kids at school as the "left behind girl." Joining her her parents and their fabulous life in America! Except, it’s not exactly like in the postcards her mom sent.
The Outlaws Scarlett and Browne (#1) by Jonathon Stroud
Eligible in Elementary/Middle-Grade Speculative Fiction
Set in a fragmented future England, Scarlett McCain, a formidable outlaw, brings us into a world where gunfights and monsters collide. Against her instincts, Scarlett agrees to help Albert Browne, the lone survivor of a wrecked coach.
This is a mistake. Soon, new and implacable enemies are on her heels. As a relentless pursuit continues across the broken landscape of England, Scarlett must fight to uncover the secrets of Albert’s past – and come to terms with the implications of her own.
Set in a fragmented future England, Scarlett McCain, a formidable outlaw, brings us into a world where gunfights and monsters collide. Against her instincts, Scarlett agrees to help Albert Browne, the lone survivor of a wrecked coach.
This is a mistake. Soon, new and implacable enemies are on her heels. As a relentless pursuit continues across the broken landscape of England, Scarlett must fight to uncover the secrets of Albert’s past – and come to terms with the implications of her own.
Got Recommendations?
We’d love to know about them! We’re not using the padlet Idea Boards this year. Instead, we’re gathering readers’ recommendations and ideas via Goodreads. Here’s how you recommend a book. [desktop, IOS, Android]