Refugee: The Graphic Novel by Alan Gratz, art by Syd Fini

 

This graphic novel re-telling of Alan Gratz's very successful novel, Refugee, is bringing the stories of Isabel, Josef, and Mahmoud to a new cohort of young readers. Each character is fleeing from their home country due to war and political violence, and each has an action-packed historical story. Refugee has been beloved by students and teachers since its publication in 2027 and this graphic novel perfectly captures the story. This is a must-purchase book for elementary and middle schools and will serve as an excellent springboard to discussions about immigration, human rights, and courage. 

Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt (graphic novel) adapted and illustrated by K. Woodman-Maynard

The first week of August hangs at the very top of summer, the top of the live-long year, like the highest seat of a ferris wheel when it pauses in its turning. 

Natalie Babbitt wrote the captivating, poetic, beautiful novel Tuck Everlasting over 50 years ago. In it, Winnie Foster comes to love the immortal Tuck family and must decide whether or not to drink from the spring of eternal life. The original story is full of metaphor and images of wheels turning and time moving forward. It's a book that opened my mind when I first read it as a sixth grader in 1980. I am thrilled to say that this graphic adaptation beautifully captures that ache that Winnie Foster has to laugh and be loved, and the painful lessons she learns about staying on the wheel of time. The story has action (very important for young readers today) and includes a kidnapping, an evil pursuer, a potential execution, and life-or-death decisions. I absolutely love this story in its original form and in this lovely graphic novel. I am thrilled that it will bring Tuck Everlasting to a new generation of young readers. This book belongs in every elementary and middle school library. 

The Girl Who Sang: A Holocaust Memoir of Hope and Survival by Estelle Nadel (Author), Sammy Savos (Author), and Bethany Strout (Author)

 

Estelle Nadel was seven years old when Nazis invaded Poland and her life was upended. She spent the next years in hiding, facing devastating losses and relying on the mercy of neighbors and strangers. She miraculously survives the war along with two of her brothers. It's a miraculous story, made even better by the fact that it doesn't end with the defeat of Hitler. This book follows Estelle's journey through refugee camps and eventually to America, where three young people without parents struggle to make lives for themselves. Sammy Savos, the illustrator and co-author, masterfully illustrates and tells Estelle's story in a way that draws readers in, never hiding the sadness, fear and desperation of the Jews in hiding. The Girl Who Sang is a gem, and should be read by adults as well as young people 6th grade-up. 

The Vanishing of Lake Peigneur: A Graphic Novel Based on a True Story by Allan Wolf (Author) and Jose Pimienta (Illustrator)

This gripping nonfiction graphic novel tells a little-known story about science, survival, and environmentalism, all from the first-person point of view of Lake Peigneur, which literally did vanish one day in 1980. Lake Peigneur, located in Louisiana, had an oil well and a salt mine on its shores, both of which contributed to the bizarre disaster that occurred on November 20, 1980. The lake had numerous people on its waters and shores, including fishermen, oilmen, and miners, all going about their normal work on an ordinary day. The author tells the tale of the 51 men deep in a salt mine, the father and son fishing on the lake, and the passengers on a boat rescuing some of the oil rig workers. It's a compelling survival story, with science and history thrown in. Curious middle schoolers will definitely be caught up in this story, and the back matter gives context and documentation to the remarkable tale. Highly recommended for middle school libraries. 

Outsider Kids by Betty C. Tang

 

I wasn't expecting to love this book even more than Parachute Kids, but the continuing story of the Lin siblings is even more compelling in Outsider Kids. A snooty cousin moves in with the siblings and upends their lives in ways they couldn't anticipate. Big sister is trying to get into college, older brother is grappling with his identity, and Feng-Li discovers that one impulsive act could upend their whole lives. I was totally engaged in the story and shocked at more than one plot twist. I cannot help but put myself in these kids' shoes, and I know that my middle schoolers do the same. We relate to these characters and we sympathize with the precarious situation they are in as parachute kids in the United States. Recommended for all middle school collections. 

Wish I Was a Baller by Amar Shah

 

In 1995 when author Amar Shah was a ninth grade sports journalist, he had the opportunity to meet and report on some of the greatest players of all time. This graphic novel chronicles his encounters with Shaq, Michael Jordan, and the coaches and players that he rather miraculously got to know. At the same time, Amar deals with jealous friends, awkward situations with girls, and he learns some lessons in how to behave in the grown-up world of sports reporting. Adults will likely be even more amazed than kids by Amar's high school experiences, but kids who love basketball will be thrilled to have a graphic novel for them. 

I Witnessed: The Lizzie Borden Story: A Graphic Novel by Jeramey Kraatz (Author)and Crystal Jayme (Illustrator)

 

Middle school kids are very interested in murder mysteries, so this graphic novel caught my attention. It features a 14-year-old boy who is the next door neighbor of Lizzie Borden. The year is 1892 and soon Lizzie's father and stepmother will be killed with an ax and Lizzie, the spinster daughter, will be accused of murder. Charlie is the next door neighbor (and there was actually a 14-year-old Charlie who lived next door). He knows the family, sees Lizzie try to purchase poison at a store in town, and even sees the shadow of someone lifting an ax. After news of the horrific crime becomes public, Charlie does a little sneaking around to try to find some answers. His mother is called to testify at the trial, and Charlie is at her side viewing the drama that unfolds in the tiny Massachusetts town. Much of the book is based on the well-known facts of the historical Lizzie Borden murder case, but Charlie's story is fictional. Nothing gory here, and kids might need some context to understand fact from fiction, but I think middle school readers will like this. 

We Are Big Time by Hana Khan

 

This graphic novel opens with a family moving from Florida to Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Moving is always hard on kids, and Aliya is not happy to be leaving behind the basketball team she loves and starting high school in a new city. She attends Peace Academy, a Muslim high school with a historically terrible basketball team. We Are Big Time follows Aliya's basketball team through their losing season, which is full of disappointments, improvements, and surprises. This book checks a lot of boxes in the world of what middle schoolers want to read. It's a graphic novel, it deals with sports, and has ninth grade characters, and it has great cultural representation, which is essential for Muslim and non-Muslim students alike. Recommended for all middle school libraries.

Parachute Kids by Betty C. Tang

 Imagine going on a vacation across the world, and then finding out you are never going home again. That's what happens to Feng-Li and her two older siblings. Their dream trip to America turns into a permanent situation, and the siblings are expected to learn English, attend school, and learn to navigate a new culture. But there's more--Feng-Li and her siblings are "parachute kids" who are dropped in the United States without their parents (mom and dad return to Taiwan, leaving their kids on their own in a rental house). Lots of hard things happen in this graphic novel, but also good things as the siblings navigate a new culture and try to escape the notice of the authorities. Middle schoolers are loving this book--there's lots to talk about and learn about and the highly engaging story keeps their attention. This is a must-buy for middle school libraries, and great news--the sequel, Outsider Kids, came out in April of 2025. 

Ash's Cabin by Jen Wang

 

Ash is fifteen and frustrated by lots of things in life--they come up with a plan to leave it all behind and spend time in the wilderness at a cabin. Ash sneaks away with only their dog, surviving mostly alone for many weeks. This is Ash's survival story and also the story of how people do need people, even when they disappoint and disrespect them. This is a thoughtful, beautifully illustrated graphic novel that is perfect for middle school libraries. #youngteenlit

Brownstone by Samuel Teer and Mar Julia

 

Imagine spending a whole summer with the father you've never met in a city you've never been to in a community where you don't speak the language. Almudena is 14 going on 15 and that's how she spends her summer. Her white mom leaves her with her Guatemalan dad in New York City. Her father, Xavier, is eager to get to know her, but he doesn't speak English and she doesn't speak Spanish. He is fixing up an old Brownstone building and expects her to demolish walls and put up sheetrock and learn construction skills. At the same time she meets his friends and neighbors and his girlfriend, and finds a vibrant community that she comes to know and want to join. This Printz Award winning graphic novel is a great example of Young Teen Lit. Recommended for middle and high school libraries. 

The Golden Hour by Niki Smith

 

This lovely graphic novel has developed a following in my middle school library, with kids repeatedly telling me how much they liked it. Now that I have finally read it, I can wholeheartedly recommend it to middle school readers. Manuel has experienced trauma (we don't know quite what he has seen) and his therapist has given him ways to use his camera to frame a scene and get himself centered. At first Manuel is lonely. He doesn't seem to. have great communication with his parents or peers as the book opens. But a group project that puts him with two new friends, Sebastian and Caysha, changes his life. Sebastian lives on a farm, and being involved with nurturing a new calf and helping his friends prepare for the county fair help Manuel open up and start to move on with living. Highly recommended for middle school libraries. 

Pearl by Sherri L. Smith and Christine Norrie

 

This captivating graphic novel follows a 13-year-old girl from Hawaii to Hiroshima and back again. The year is 1941 and Amy's parents, who are Japanese American, send Amy on a ship to Japan to meet her dying grandmother. Amy's grandma, whom she calls Sosobo, was a pearl diver in her younger years and Amy grows close to her in the months she lives in Japan on her family's farm. But it is 1941, and when Japan attacks Pearl Harbor, the world is at war and Amy can't go back home to Hawaii. Amy soon discovers that America is imprisoning Japanese Americans, including Amy's family. And when the Japanese army finds an American in their midst, they take teenage Amy to spy on American radio broadcasts. So much happens to this young girl, and middle schoolers will be engrossed in Amy's story and they will learn quite a bit about world history, including the atomic bomb that is destined to fall on Hiroshima. This is a quick read with a lot to think about, and one that should be in all middle school libraries. 

Lunar New Year Love Story by Gene Luen Yang and Leuyen Pham

 

Val always loved Valentine's Day until a family secret, a mysterious spirit, and a ripped-up Valentine spoiled the day for her. The spirit tells her that she will never find love, and although she is only 17, she is ready to give up on love altogether. This graphic novel takes Val through a year in her life as she navigates serious revelations about her parents that shake her whole sense of identity as well as a love triangle involving boys who are part of a lion dancing group that performs at Asian festivals around her city. It's hard to describe how charming and fresh this story is...it's beautifully written and illustrated and the captivating storytelling will keep teens and adults reading to the end. A real treasure, and one that will be a hit with middle schoolers as well as older students. Thank you Gene Yang and Leuyen Pham!

Plain Jane and the Mermaid by Vera Brosgol

 

This graphic novel is the story of an ordinary looking girl having extraordinary adventures. Young Jane is kicked out of her own home after her parents' death because there is no male heir. She quickly proposes to handsome Peter, but her hopes are dashed when he is kidnapped by a mermaid. Jane goes on a wild quest to save Peter (and her own future) in a dangerous underwater adventure. Behind this fairy tale is a lot of truth about how society views girls and youth and beauty and marriage. As Jane says in the end, "Someone somewhere makes up all these stupid rules and we're just all going along with them! Even if it makes us miserable!" Vera Brosgol is absolutely BRILLIANT (see Anya's Ghost and Be Prepared) and this magnificent graphic novel is going to have huge appeal to kids of all ages. 

Displacement by Kiku Hughes

 

In this time travel graphic novel a modern teenage girl finds herself transported (or “displaced”) back in time to a World War II internment camp for Japanese Americans. Kiki knows that her grandmother spent time in a camp, but knows very little about her experiences. After a few brief displacements, Kiki becomes stuck in the past, which gives her the  opportunity to observe her relatives and maybe even get to know them. She fully lives the life of one of the captive Japanese citizens, but longs to return to her mother in the present day. It can be hard to get kids interested in nonfiction books about this time period, and this story is an excellent gateway to learning about hard history and gaining some empathy for the Japanese people who were so callously displaced. I wished that she had actually gotten to know her grandmother better in the past, but that wasn’t the direction the story took. The art is perfectly suited to the story and will draw readers in. Highly recommended for grades 7-up. 

Every Day by David Levithan, illustrated by Dion MBD (graphic novel)

 

I have long loved the novel Every Day by David Levithan with its highly unique premise. This graphic novel version brought new life to the story and got me excited about it all over again. The protagonist is A, a teen who wakes up in a different body every day. Because A only inhabits other teens’ bodies, A has no gender and no real identity. But A longs to make connections. In one incarnation, A is in the body of a teenage boy and he skips school with his girlfriend, Rhiannon. They have a lovely day at the beach together, and Rhiannon is shocked at how well her boyfriend (really A in her boyfriend’s body) treats her.  The next day A moves onto another body, but A does not forget Rhiannon. In fact, A has her email address and is able to contact her via an email that A uses in spite of all his different incarnations. A manages to meet up with Rhiannon in various bodies and convinces her of A’s changing identity. It is such an intriguing conundrum—they love each other but how can they ever be together? One major advantage of the graphic novel is seeing A in all of the different bodies—male, female, as well as different races. It is a highly effective way to bring the 2013 novel to new readers. Recommended for 8th-up. 

Two Tribes by Emily Bowen Cohen

 

Mia is a middle schooler with two identities--her mother is Jewish and her father is a member of the Muscogee Nation. She lives with her mom and stepfather in California and attends a Jewish school. She doesn't have a lot of contact with her father, who now lives far away in Oklahoma with a new wife and children. Mia begins to have questions about her heritage and realizes that she doesn't know anything about being Muscogee. After some insensitive comments from classmates and the school's rabbi about her background, Mia hatches a plan to visit her father in Oklahoma without her mother knowing (her mom harbors a lot of resentment toward her ex-husband). The plan involves pretending to go on a school trip, but taking a taxi to a bus station and riding a bus across the country to Oklahoma. She gets away with it for a short time and makes valuable connections with her father and her relatives there, including meeting her grandmother and going to a powwow. This could have been a preachy book about a girl learning about her two identities, but in reality it's a compelling story that beautifully shows Jewish traditions and native traditions and makes connections between them. I especially liked that the adults in Mia's life are not perfect--they make mistakes and have regrets and do their best to make things right. Essential reading for middle schoolers--and it's a graphic novel which means kids will be drawn to it. 

Becoming RBG: Ruth Bader Ginsburg's Journey to Justice by Debbie Levy and Whitney Gardner

 

This outstanding biographical graphic novel not only illuminated the life of feminist legal pioneer Ruth Bader Ginsburg, but it also showed how she systematically used the law to open up opportunities for women. I was fascinated by the step-by-step progression of cases that she took on that led the courts to make decisions that bolstered the idea of gender equality. While accessible to 6th graders and older students, the graphic novel format is an ideal way for readers of any age to understand the genius of this woman who has had an affect on every American's life. Highly recommended for middle and high schoolers and adults--a great addition to nonfiction graphic novel collections and biography collections. Also should be required reading for aspiring law students. 

Almost American Girl by Robin Ha

 

Robin relocates from South Korea to Huntsville, Alabama in this autobiographical graphic memoir of her teen years. In South Korea it was Robin and her mom against the world (single parent families were not well accepted there at the time), but when a trip to Alabama turns into a permanent move including a surprise marriage for her mom, Robin is hurt and angry, and school is not going well. Any middle schooler will relate to losing friends, feeling alone, and the bullying and the feeling of being an outsider that Robin experiences. Fortunately, her love of art and anime help her find a place in America, but not without years of struggle. I read several immigration memoirs this year and this was one of the best. Recommended for 7th-10th graders (and adults, too).