From the press release:

The Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), has announced its 2018 Great Graphic Novels for Teens list.

The list of 115 titles, drawn from 190 official nominations, is presented annually at the ALA Midwinter Meeting. The books, recommended for those ages 12-18, meet the criteria of both good quality literature and appealing reading for teens. The full list can be viewed at www.ala.org/yalsa/great-graphic-novels.

In addition to the full list, the committee chose the following titles as its top ten:

  • The Backstagers. By James Tynion IV. Illus. by Rian Sygh. 2017. BOOM! Studios. (9781608869930).
  • Black Hammer, Volume 1: Secret Origins. By Jeff Lemire. Illus. by Dean Ormston. 2017. Dark Horse. (9781616557867).
  • Brave. By Svetlana Chmakova. Illus. by the author. 2017. Yen Press. (9780316363174).
  • I Am Alfonso Jones. By Tony Medina. Illus. by Stacey Robison and John Jennings. 2017. Tu Books. (9781620142639).
  • Jonesy. By Sam Humphries. Illus. by Caitlin Rose Boyle.
    • v.1. 2016. BOOM! Studios. (9781608868834).
    • v.2. BOOM! Studios. (9781608869992).
    • v.3. BOOM! Studios. (9781684150168).
  • Kindred: A Graphic Novel Adaptation. By Damian Duffy and Octavia E. Butler. Illus. by John Jennings. 2017. Abrams ComicArts. (9781419709470).
  • Lighter than My Shadow. By Katie Green. Illus. by the author. 2017. Lion Forge. (9781941302415).
  • My Brother’s Husband. By Gengoroh Tagame. Illus. by Gengoroh Tagame. 2017. Pantheon Books. (9781101871515).
  • PashminaBy Nidhi Chanani. Illus. by Nidhi Chanani. 2017. First Second. (9781626720879).
  • Spill Zone. By Scott Westerfeld. Illus. by Alex Puvilland. 2017. First Second. (9781596439368).

 

Three books by Macmillan’s First Second imprint. Two by Boom! Studios. A diverse list, in publishers (large and small, comics and mainstream), content (adaptations, memoir, manga) and creators.

This list isn’t an award, like the Newbery, Caldecott, or Printz. It doesn’t automatically guarantee sales or notoriety, but it does present a list of great books for libraries and educators to consider.  Dating back t0 2007, it’s a great resource, one which I usually link to whenever a new librarian is looking for recommendations.

What’s a bit unusual is that this committee also releases a list of other worthwhile titles, this year numbering 115!  (And that means 75 titles weren’t worthy enough…draw your own conclusions.)

Here’s the complete list.  15 non-fiction titles, 100 fiction:

2018 Great Graphic Novels for Teens

*denotes top ten title


NONFICTION

Alexander Hamilton: The Graphic History of an American Founding Father. By Jonathan Hennessey. Illus. By Justin Greenwood. 2017. Ten Speed Press, $19.99 (9780399580000). The life and times of Alexander Hamilton, from his rise out of poverty to the heights of his career in post-Revolutionary War politics, and his scandal-ridden fall from grace.

Becoming Unbecoming. By Una. Illus. by the author. 2016. Arsenal Pulp, $24.95 (9781551526539). Una gives a searing analysis of how societal norms can support sexual violence, with both personal and public narratives.

Bessie Stringfield: Tales of the Talented Tenth, No. 2. By Joel Christian Gill. Illus. by the author. 2016. Fulcrum Publishing, $23.95 (9781938486944). Despite the dangers of riding through the Jim Crow South, Bessie Stringfield made history by spending decades riding her motorcycle across the U.S., and eventually became known as the Motor Cycle Queen of Miami. This is her story.

The Best We Could Do. By Thi Bui. Illus. by the author. 2017. Abrams ComicArts, $24.95 (9781419718779). Spurred on by the birth of her first child, author Thi Bui tries to reconcile the experiences of the journey her ancestors took from war torn Vietnam through to present day California.

California Dreamin’: Cass Elliot Before the Mamas & the Papas. By Pénélope Bagieu. Illus. by the author. 2017. First Second, $16.50 (9781626725461). Told through anecdotes of her family and friends, this detailed look at singer Mama Cass Elliot, of The Mamas and the Papas fame, traces her life from early childhood through to the formation of the band.

The Creeps. By Fran Krause. Illus. by the author. 2017. Ten Speed Press, $11.13 (9780399579141). A collection of fears, showing all the irrational, hidden worries we have as humans that have never before been spoken aloud, much less illustrated.

Fetch: How a Bad Dog Brought Me Home. By Nicole J. Georges. Illus. by the author. 2017. Mariner Books, $17.95 (9780544577831). The autobiographical story of the complex relationship between the author, Nicole, and her misunderstood dog, Beija, and the challenges Nicole faced as she tried to find healing for them both.

It’s All Absolutely Fine: Life is Complicated so I’ve Drawn it Instead. By Ruby Elliot. Illus. by the author. 2017. Andrews McMeel, $16.99 (978144948424). Through drawings and brief prose anecdotes, Ruby Elliot conveys her experiences of functioning with mental illness with honesty, humor and insight.

*Lighter than My Shadow. By Katie Green. Illus. by the author. 2017. Lion Forge, $19.99 (9781941302415). The author’s personal account of the eating disorders she developed in an attempt to manage the black scribbles of her inner thoughts. Green candidly recounts both her steps and missteps along her path to recovery.

Our Cats Are More Famous Than Us. By Ananth Hirsch and Yuko Ota. Illus by Yuko Ota. 2017. Oni Press, $34.14 (9781620103838). A collection of comics, spanning 8 years, which humorously depict Ananth and Yuko’s life after college with their friends and cats.

Quiet Girl in a Noisy World: An Introvert’s Story. By Debbie Tung. Illus. by the author. 2017. Andrews McMeel, $14.99 (9781449486068). A sweet and honest story written as a series of comics that chronologically detail introvert Debbie’s college years to the present.

Real Friends: A True Story About Cool Kids and Crybabies. By Shannon Hale. Illus. by LeUyen Pham. 2017. First Second, $12.99 (9781626727854). A relatable graphic memoir about fitting in (or not), growing up, and finding your friends.

Rendez-vous in Phoenix. By Tony Sandoval. Illus. by the author. 2016. Roar, $19.99 (9781942367284). An autobiographical account of the author’s illegal crossings from Mexico to the U.S. In 1998.

Rise of the Dungeon Master: Gary Gygax and the Creation of D&D. By David Kushner. Illus. by Koren Shadmi. 2017. Nation Books, $16.99 (9781568585598). Gary Gygax’s life is chronicled in relation to the creation of the role-playing game Dungeons and Dragons.

Spinning. By Tillie Walden. Illus. by the author. 2017. First Second, $17.99 (9781626729407). A mesmerizing tale of Tillie Walden’s devotion to the sport of ice skating and her struggle to stay in the competitive arena as other passions in her life begin to surface.

FICTION

4 Kids Walk Into a Bank. By Matthew Rosenberg. Illus. by Tyler Boss. 2017. Black Mask Comics, $14.99 (9781628751888). When 7th grader Paige and friends learn that her dad may be assisting ex-cons to rob a bank, Paige decides to change the course of events and take matters into her own hands.

Afar. By Leila Del Duca. Illus. by Kit Seaton. 2017. Image Comics, $14.99 (9781632159410). Siblings Boetema and Inotu tackle being separated from their parents, escaping the law, and Boetema’s newfound ability that allows her to astral project into the bodies of entities across the galaxy.

All’s Faire in Middle School. By Victoria Jamieson. Illus. by the author. Dial Books, $20.99 (9780525429982). Imogene has grown up with two constants in her life: homeschooling and the Renaissance Faire, where her parents work. As she begins one adventure training as a squire for the first time, she also sets out to conquer public middle school.

Angel City: Town without Pity. By Janet Harvey. Illus. by Megan Levens. 2017. Oni Press, $19.99 (9781620104262). Set during the Golden Age of cinema, Dolores Dare, a former struggling actress, is now an enforcer for one of the local Tinsel Town mobs. When her former best friend Frances turns up murdered in a dumpster, Dolores takes action to find her killer.

Anonymous Noise. By Ryoko Fukuyama. Illus. by the author.

  • v.1. VIZ Media, $9.99 (9781421594200).
  • v.2. VIZ Media, $9.24 (9781421594217).
  • v.3. VIZ Media, $9.99 (9781421594224).
  • v.4. VIZ Media, $9.99 (9781421594231).

Nino is so devastated when her childhood friend, Momo, moves away that she is filled with an uncontrollable urge to scream. Things seem bleak until she befriends a young composer, Yuzu, who convinces her to turn her screams into a song to bring Momo back.

Archie, Volume 2. By Mark Waid. Illus. by Veronica Fish. 2016. Archie Comics, $19.99 (9781627387989). Archie is struggling to make his relationship with Veronica work, but can it survive viral videos and election season?

As the Crow Flies. By Melanie Gillman. Illus. by the author. 2017. Iron Circus Comics, $30.00 (9781945820069). Charlie, a queer, black teenager, finds herself stranded in a dangerous and unfamiliar place: an all-white Christian youth backpacking camp.

*The Backstagers. By James Tynion IV. Illus. by Rian Sygh. 2017. BOOM! Studios, $14.99 (9781608869930). Jory, a new student at an all-boys school, feels left out of school life until he stumbles upon the backstage crew of the drama club and the mysterious tunnels they keep watch over.

Bad Machinery: The Case of the Unwelcome Visitor. By John Allison. Illus. by the author. 2016. Oni Press, $19.99 (9781620103517). School is out for summer and for the Tackleford mystery team, that means lazy days, balmy evenings, and…creeping existential dread that threatens the whole city. With half the team gallivanting off to exotic locales can Linton, Jack, and Lottie solve this season’s most dire case?

*Black Hammer, Volume 1: Secret Origins. By Jeff Lemire. Illus. by Dean Ormston. 2017. Dark Horse, $14.99 (9781616557867). Abraham Slam, Golden Gail, Colonel Weird, Madame Dragonfly, and Barbalien are trapped! In their old lives they were superheroes, but because of a strange occurrence in their multiverse they are thrust into life in a rural town from which they cannot escape.

*Brave. By Svetlana Chmakova. Illus. by the author. 2017. Yen Press, $11.00 (9780316363189). Jensen, a daydreaming artist obsessed with sunspots and NASA, navigates middle school, bullies and math!

Bungo Stray Dogs. By Kafka Asagiri. Illus. by Sango Harukawa.

  • v.1. Yen Press, $13.00 (9780316554701).
  • v.2. Yen Press, $13.00 (9780316468145).
  • v.3. Yen Press, $13.00 (9780316468152).
  • v.4. Yen Press, $13.00 (9780316468169).

Atsushi Nakajima has been kicked out of his orphanage and is on the brink of starving on the streets when he rescues a member of the Armed Detective Agency, a group of investigators with supernatural powers who take on cases that the regular police and military cannot handle.

The Case Study of Vanitas. By Jun Mochizuki. Illus. by the author. 2016. Yen Press, $13.00 (9780316552813). Rumors revolving around The Book of Vanitas, a clockwork grimoire of dubious reputation, draw Noé, a young vampire in search of a friend’s salvation, to Paris.

Crawl Space. By Jesse Jacobs. Illus. by the author. 2017. Koyama, $19.95 (9781927668412). Daisy has found a way to visit another sphere of the universe via her laundry machines. After she shows a friend at her new school, both that world and her own come under threat.

Dept. H. By Matt Kindt. Illus. by the author and Sharlene Kindt.

  • v.1. Pressure. Dark Horse, $19.99 (9781616559892).
  • v.2. After the Flood. Dark Horse, $19.99 (9781616559908).

Following the mysterious death of her father, Mia must travel to a research station six miles below the ocean surface to uncover the truth.

Descender. By Jeff Lemire. Illus. by Dustin Nguyen.

  • v.3. Singularities. 2016. Image Comics, $14.99 (9781632158789).
  • v.4. Orbital Mechanics. Image Comics, $16.99 (9781534301931).

Tim-21, Telsa, Bandit, Andy and Effie, and Driller’s backstories are uncovered and members of the group escape the Machine Moon in a quest to locate the robot who may be able to stop the Harvesters.

Dreamin’ Sun. By Ichigo Takano. Illus. by the author.

  • v.1. Seven Seas, $12.99 (9781626925250).
  • v.2. Seven Seas, $12.99 (9781626925274).
  • v.3. Seven Seas, $12.99 (9781626925458).

Since her mother’s death, Shimana Kameko has felt like an outsider in her own home. Her feelings of being unwanted eventually lead to Kameko running away, a choice that places her on a path to fulfilling her dreams in an unconventional way.

Erased. By Ken Sanbe. Illus. by the author.

  • v.1. Yen Press, $30.00 (9780316553315).
  • v.2. Yen Press, $30.00 (9780316468442).

Fujinuma has a unique ability that allows him to identify and course-correct tragic events. When his power sends him back in time and into the body of his 11 year old self, he is faced with fixing his past, stopping a murder, and finding the way back to the present.

Faith. By Jody Houser. Illus. by Pere Pérez, Marguerite Sauvage, Joe Eisma, and Kate Miemczyk.

  • v.2. California Scheming. Valiant Entertainment, $14.99 (9781682151631).
  • v.4. The Faithless. Valiant Entertainment, $14.99 (9781682152195).

Faith continues to settle into being a solo superhero, but with looming deadlines, new relationships, and random attacks breaking out across the city, she finds she still has a lot to learn.

Fish Girl. By Donna Jo Napoli. Illus. by David Wiesner. 2017. Clarion Books, $25.00 (9780544815124). Fish Girl lives in a tank in a boardwalk aquarium where she’s the main attraction. Visitors can only get a glimpse of her until a girl goes into an off-limits area of the aquarium and strikes up a friendship with her.

Flying Witch, Volume 1. By Chihiro Ishizuka. Illus. by the author. 2017. Kodansha, $10.95 (9781945054099). A novice witch moves to rural Japan to complete her training to become a full-fledged witch.

Generations. By Flavia Biondi. Illus. by the author. 2017. Lion Forge, $14.99 (9781941302507). After a fight with his father, Matteo left the countryside and moved to Milan, but after breaking up with his boyfriend three years later, he must return home to face his family and his past.

Giant Days. By John Allison. Illus. by Max Sarin.

  • v.3. 2016. Boom Box, $14.99 (9781608868513).
  • v.4. Boom Box, $14.99 (9781608869381).

Susan, Esther, and Daisy continue their college adventures with sleep deprived nights, relationship troubles, student elections, and the pressure to meet everyone’s expectations. Making it through their first semester is proving to be more difficult than they expected.

The Girl from the Other Side: Siuil, a Run. By Nagabe. Illus. by the author. 2017. Seven Seas, $12.99 (9781626924673). Left in the care of “Teacher”, a young girl named Shiva must survive in the Outside, a land filled with vicious beasts that can curse you with a touch.

Girls’ Last Tour. By Tsukumizu. Illus. by the author.

  • v.1. Yen Press, $15.00 (9780316470629).
  • v.2. Yen Press, $15.00 (9780316470643).

Two girls, Yuuri and Chito, cruise through a post-apocalyptic cityscape via motorbike.

Goldie Vance. By Hope Larson. Illus. by Brittney Williams.

  • v.1. 2016. BOOM! Studios, $9.95 (9781626924628).
  • v.2. BOOM! Studios, $14.99 (9781626925243).
  • v.3. BOOM! Studios, $14.99 (9781684150533).

Marigold “Goldie” Vance lives at a Florida resort with her dad, who manages the place, and dreams to one day become the hotel’s in-house detective.

Hana & Hina After School. By Milk Morinaga. Illus. by the author.

  • v.1. Seven Seas, $12.99 (9781626924628).
  • v.2. Seven Seas, $12.99 (9781626925243)

Hana is breaking school rules by having a part-time job at a cute character goods shop, but when the beautiful and popular Hina begins working there as well, they’ll have more than their work to keep secret.

Happiness. By Shuzo Oshimi. Illus. by the author. 2016. Kodansha, $12.99 (9781632363633). Makoto Ozaki’s ordinary life is turned upside down when he is attacked by a girl and given an extraordinary choice: live like her, or die.

Heathen. By Natasha Alterici. Illus. by the author. 2017. Vault Comics, $10.99 (9781939424198). When young Viking warrior Aydis is exiled for kissing another girl, she decides she’s had enough of the oppressive reign of the god-king Odin.  She’ll rescue maidens herself and she’ll make a place in the world for outcasts.

*I Am Alfonso Jones. By Tony Medina. Illus. by Stacey Robison and John Jennings. 2017. Tu Books, $18.95 (9781620142639). Fifteen year old Alfonso Jones is shot by the police while shopping for a suit, and his loved ones and classmates are left behind to address his death and the larger issue of police brutality.

I Hear the Sunspot. By Yuki Fumino. Illus. by the author. 2017. One Peace Books, $12.95 (9781944937300). Taichi is a starving, happy-go-lucky college student who can’t hold down a job. Kohei is a loner who uses his hearing disability to keep people at a distance. When the two of them unexpectedly cross paths, they form an unlikely but inseparable bond.

*Jonesy. By Sam Humprhies. Illus. by Caitlin Rose Boyle.

  • v.1. 2016. BOOM! Studios, $9.99 (9781608868834).
  • v.2. BOOM! Studios, $14.99 (9781608869992).
  • v.3. BOOM! Studios, $14.99 (9781684150168).

Jonsey’s superpower is that she can make anyone fall in love with anything… except herself!

Jughead, Volume 2. By Chip Zdarsky and Ryan North. Illus. by Derek Charm. 2017. Archie Comics, $17.99 (9781682559987). It’s summer vacation, and it appears that just about everyone in Riverdale is focused on romantic relationships.  Can Jughead survive the drama and have a relaxing summer with his friends? Or will love find him after all?

Kim & Kim, Volume 1: This Glamorous, High-flying Rock Star Life. By Magdalene Visaggio. Illus. by Eva Cabrera and Claudia Aguirre. 2017. Black Mask Studios, $12.97 (9781628751604). Kim Q and Kim D are just two intergalactic BFF bounty hunters trying to pay rent and make ends meet. With each other, their trusty flying van, and a healthy rivalry with another pair of bounty hunting frenemies, Kim and Kim can take on whatever comes their way.

*Kindred: A Graphic Novel Adaptation. By Damian Duffy and Octavia E. Butler. Illus. by John Jennings. 2017. Abrams ComicArts, $24.95 (9781419709470). It’s 1976 and Dana is trying to settle down to a comfortable life with her husband when she finds herself unexpectedly ripped from the present and sent hurtling to the slavery-era past. Here, she is tasked with saving the life of her ancestor, lest she risk never being born.

Ladycastle. By Delilah S. Dawson. Illus. by Ashley A. Woods. 2017. BOOM! Studios, $14.99 (9781684150328). When all the men of Mancastle get eaten by a dragon, their left-behind wives, daughters, and maids (not to mention a couple unruly princesses) must take charge.

The Lighthouse. By Paco Roca. Illus. by the author. 2017. NBM Graphic Novels, $15.99 (9781681120560). A young republican soldier, Francisco, flees the Spanish Civil War and ends up receiving refuge from a quirky lighthouse keeper.

Louis Undercover. By Fanny Britt. Illus. by Isabelle Arsenault. 2017. Groundwood Books, $19.95 (9781554988594). Louis’ dad cries, because Louis’ dad drinks.  Shuttling between the homes of his alcoholic father in the countryside and his concerned mother in the city, Louis observes and absorbs his parents’ anxieties and his little brother’s questions.

Love: The Dinosaur. By Frederic Brremaud. Illus. by Frederico Bertolucci. 2017. Roar, $17.99 (9781942367369). Life can be a challenge when you’re a small dinosaur trying to survive at the bottom of the food chain.

Lumberjanes, Volume 6: Sink or Swim. By Shannon Waters and Kat Leyh. Illus. by Carey Pietsch. 2017. Boom! Box, $14.99 (9781608869541). When The Lumberjanes all decide to learn more about mysterious Seafarin’ Karen, things take a turn for the strange.

Mighty Jack and the Goblin King. By Ben Hatke. Illus. by the author. 2017. First Second, $14.99 (9781626722668). After Maddy is taken against her will and carried off through a portal, her brother Jack and her neighbor Lilly must fight creatures both big and small in order to save her life and bring her back home.

Misfit City, Volume 1. By Kirsten “Kiwi” Smith. Illus. by Naomi Franquiz. 2017. BOOM! Box, $14.99 (9781684150274). The only interesting thing to happen in bored teen Wilder’s hometown is a movie that was filmed decades ago; the town eeks out a living on the tourist trappings surrounding it. But when Wilder and her friends stumble upon a mysterious treasure map, a real adventure begins!

Mis(h)adra. By Iasmin Ata. Illus. by the author. 2017. Gallery 13, $25.00 (9781501162107). Isaac, an Arab-American college student, struggles with his epilepsy and his father’s reaction to the diagnosis. He has become isolated at home and at school, which he is failing out of as he tries to cope with his symptoms.

Monstress, Volume 2: The Blood. By Marjorie Liu. Illus. by Sana Takeda. 2017. Image Comics, $16.99 (9781534300415). Maika Halfwolf, Kippa, and Captain Ren continue on their adventures in search of answers from Maika’s past.

Motor Crush. By Brenden Fletcher. Illus. by Cameron Stewart and Babs Tarr. 2017. Image Comics, $9.99 (9781534301894). Motorcycle racer Domino Swift competes for fame and money in sanctioned races during the day, and battles it out with gangs in drag races at night.

Ms. Marvel. By G. Willow Wilson. Illus. by Takeshi Miyazawa, Adrian Alphona, Mira Andolfo, and Francesco Gaston.

  • v.6. Marvel, $17.99 (9780785196129).
  • v.7. Marvel, $17.99 (9781302903053).

Even Ms. Marvel isn’t immune from Civil War, and the casualties leave Kamala exposed and alone when she’s forced to take down an actual online troll.

*My Brother’s Husband. By Gengoroh Tagame. Illus. by the author. 2017. Pantheon Books, $24.95 (9781101871515). After the passing of Ryoji, his twin brother, Yaichi, and his now widowed husband, Mike, come together to learn more about the loved one they have both lost.

Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys: The Big Lie. By Anthony Del Col. Illus. by Werther Dell’Edera. 2017. Dynamite Entertainment, $19.99 (9781524104177). The Hardy Boy brothers, Joe and Frank, are accused of their father’s murder in this updated noir take on the classic characters. Nancy Drew comes to town to help the boys clear their name and find the real culprit.

Nightwing, Volume 1: Better Than Batman. By Tim Seeley. Illus. by Yanick Paquette and Javier Fernandez. 2017. DC Comics, $16.99 (9781401268039). Dick Grayson has left the Spiral Agency to reclaim his mantel as Nightwing. His homecoming, however, isn’t as calm and welcoming as he would like.

The One Hundred Nights of Hero. By Isabel Greenberg. Illus. by the author. 2016. Little, Brown and Company, $25.00 (9780316259170). As Hero weaves tales of magic, adventure, and romance, the tale of Cherry and Hero unravels as well–a tale that is itself about magic, adventure, and romance (not to mention bad husbands and corrupt men), but is, above all, about the power of words and the bonds of sisterhood.

One Trick Pony. By Nathan Hale. Illus. by the author. 2017. Amulet Books, $10.01 (9781419721281). In a future Earth, alien “Pipers”, who steal all metal and technology from the planet, keep humans on the move. When three teens find a mass cache of hidden tech, they must run for their lives. For one, the love of a robot horse could destroy them all. Or save them all.

Paper Girls. By Brian K. Vaughan. Illus. by Cliff Chiang and Matt Wilson.

  • v.2. Image Comics, $12.99 (9781632158956).
  • v.3. Image Comics, $12.99 (9781534302235).

The four paper girls travel through time to the future and the prehistoric past, only to find neither is quite what they thought it would be.

*PashminaBy Nidhi Chanani Illus. by the author. 2017. First Second, $21.99 (9781626720879). Priyanka discovers in her mother’s belongings a magical pashmina that leads her on a journey to India, where she seeks to understand secrets of her family and to claim her own personal identity.

The Promised Neverland, Volume 1. By Kaiu Shirai. Illus. by Possums Demizu. 2017. VIZ Media, $9.99 (9781421597126). Orphans Emma, Norman, and Ray learn a terrible secret about the fate of children raised in their orphanage and work hard to construct a plan to escape before it’s too late.

Royal City. By Jeff Lemire. Illus. by the author. 2017. Image Comics, $9.99 (9781534302624). In the wake of his father’s stroke, Patrick Pike returns to his hometown only to be greeted by the ghost of his younger brother, Tommy.

The Royal Tutor. By Higasa Akai. Illus. by the author.

  • v.1. Yen Press, $13.00 (9780316439794).
  • v.2. Yen Press, $13.00 (9780316562843).
  • v.3. Yen Press, $13.00 (9780316441001).

Small in size but big in ability, Heine has accepted the impossible job of tutoring four mischievous and rebellious princes. He must use all of his skills to put up with the princes’ crazy antics and make sure they are ready for the crown.

School-Live!. By Norimitsu Kaihou. Illus. by Sadoru Chiba.

  • v.5. Yen Press, $13.00 (9780316310017).
  • v.6. Yen Press, $13.00 (9780316502726).

The School Living Club, four teen girls trapped in a school during a zombie apocalypse, thinks they are alone but stumble upon evidence of other survivors.

Secret Coders. By Gene Luen Yang. Illus. by Mike Holmes.

  • v.3. Secrets & Sequences. First Second, $10.99 (9781626726185).
  • v.4. Robots & Repeats. First Second, $10.99 (9781626726062).

Determined to learn the history of once-elite Stately Academy, Hopper, Eni, and Josh are challenged to outmaneuver Principal Dean, who demands that the team turn over their most powerful robot and threatening coding genius, Professor One-Zero.

Shade the Changing Girl, Volume 1: Earth Girl Made Easy. By Cecil Castellucci. Illus. by Marley Zarcone. 2017. Young Animal, $16.99 (9781401270995). After a particularly bad break up, an extraterrestrial girl decides to steal a Madness coat, which enables her to jump into other bodies in other worlds. When she lands in the body of comatose earth teenager Megan Boyer, Megan is reanimated but at a cost to them both.

She-Hulk, Volume 1: Deconstructed. By Mariko Tamaki. Illus. by Nico Leon and Dalibor Talajic. 2017. Marvel, $17.99 (9781302905675). Jen Walters has returned to practicing law after the second Civil War, but she has come back changed. No longer green and struggling to control her inner demons, Jen takes on a new client who is struggling with her own dark fears.

Slam! Volume 1. By Pamela Ribon. Illus. by Veronica Fish. 2017. BOOM! Box, $14.99 (978164150045). Jennifer and Maisie have been friends since the Fresh Meat orientation for the Eastside Roller Girls. When they’re drafted to different teams, their friendship is put to the test.

Snotgirl, Volume 1: Green Hair Don’t Care. By Bryan Lee O’Malley. Illus. by Leslie Hung. 2017. Image Comics, $9.99 (9781534300361). Three things to know about Lottie Person: 1. She is a fashion blogger with over 2 million followers on social media. 2. She’s going through a breakup. 3. She has crippling allergies that may or may not cause homicidal tendencies.

Space Battle Lunchtime: A Recipe for Disaster. By Natalie Riess. Illus. by the author. 2017. Oni Press, $12.99 (9781620104040). Chef Peony has made it to the Space Battle Lunchtime season finale but is kidnapped before the show is taped and forced to compete for her life on Cannibal Coliseum instead. Can she make her way out with the help of her friends and live to cook another day?

*Spill Zone. By Scott Westerfeld. Illus. by Alex Puvilland. 2017. First Second, $22.99 (9781596439368). An event destroyed the small city of Poughkeepsie three years ago, forever changing reality within its borders. When an eccentric collector makes a million-dollar offer, Addison breaks her own hard-learned rules of survival and ventures farther into the Spillzone than she has ever dared.

Star Trek: Boldly Go. By Mike Johnson. Illus. by Tony Shasteen. 2017. IDW, $19.99 (9781631409233). As the newest Star Trek movies’ timeline continues, the former crew of the Enterprise are reassigned to new roles on new ships and new worlds, but are reunited to face a dangerous enemy.

The Stone Heart: The Nameless City, Volume 2. By Faith Erin Hicks. Illus. by the author. 2017. First Second, $21.99 (9781626721593). After the attempted assassination of the General of All Blades, the Nameless City is thrown into chaos. Kaidu and Rat must find a way to save the city and restore peace.

Tales of the Mighty Code Talkers, Volume 1. Edited by Arigon Starr. Illus. by editor and others. 2016. Native Realities Publishing, $19.99 (9780990694755). The Navajo Code Talkers and their contributions during the Pacific campaigns of World War II are well documented and celebrated but this collection seeks to highlight the often overlooked role played in both World Wars by men of other tribes.

The Unstoppable Wasp, Volume 1: Unstoppable. By Jeremy Whitley. Illus. by Elsa Charretier. 2017. Marvel, $12.99 (9781302906467). Teenage super scientist and daughter of Ant Man (Hank Pym), Nadia Pym has escaped the Red Room and is on a mission to recruit the smartest girl geniuses in the greater NYC area.

Waiting for Spring. By Anashin. Illus. by the author.

  • v.1. Kodansha Comics, $12.99 (9781632365163).
  • v.2. Kodansha Comics, $12.99 (9781632365170).

Shy high school freshman Mizuki, on a quest to make friends, is torn between what she thinks will please the girls at her school and the slowly developing friendship with her high school basketball team.

The Wendy Project. By Melissa Jane Osborne. Illus. by Veronica Fish. 2017. Super Genius, $12.99 (9781629917696). Wendy has been in a terrible car accident in which one of her brothers has been killed…or has he? Wendy struggles with the vision she had of her brother going up to Neverland as she seeks to learn if he’s really dead or only lost.

Wires and Nerve. By Marissa Meyer. Illus. by Douglas Holgate. 2017. Feiwel & Friends, $21.99 (9781250078261). Iko, an android with a personality all her own, sets out to track and capture former Lunar military operatives and current rogue wolves wreaking havoc on Earth.

The Witch Boy. By Molly Ostertag. Illus. by the author. 2017. GRAPHIX, $12.99 (9781338089516). In Aster’s family, the girls become witches and the boys become shapeshifting warriors, but not only is Aster not any good at shapeshifting, he really wants to be a witch.  When his family is attacked by an unknown monster, he must go against his family’s wishes in hopes of saving them.

Your Name, Volume 1. By Makoto Shinkai. Illus. by Ranmaru Katone. 2017. Yen Press, $13.00 (9780316558556). When Mitsuha wished to escape her small mountain town she wasn’t expecting it to land her in the body of Taki, a male high school student in Tokyo.



1 COMMENT

  1. Quiet Girl in a Noisy World and Pashmina sound especially good to me. I thought Gene Luen Yang’s American Born Chinese was great at conveying experience. His recommendation on Pashmina is clincher on checking Pashmina for me

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