Graphic Novel Gift Guide
People often ask me for similar titles to my work, so I thought I’d pull a few together a few of my favorite middle grade and YA graphic novels into a gift guide! Remember to buy from independent bookstores, and to put in holiday orders early because the supply chain is absolutely wacky right now.
For someone who was a fan of THE WITCH BOY series:
Artie and the Wolf Moon by Olivia Stephens. This book is absolutely wonderful; the story of a young girl in the Pacific Northwest discovering that she’s descended from a line of werewolves. It’s about community, as she convinces her Mom to seek out the werewolf family she left behind after mysterious events from the past. It’s about finding your people, as she meets other young werewolves who understand her in ways that no one from school does. It’s about danger, as she learns about the ancestral enemy of werewolves and finds herself caught up in a conflict between two sides. Stephens’ art is dynamic and emotional and the story is satisfyingly full of twists and turns.
Snapdragon by Kat Leyh. Kat’s bouncy, expressive art makes you immediately love her main character, Snapdragon, a girl who doesn’t fit in anywhere until she forms an unexpected connection with Jacks, an old ex-motorcyle-racer who is totally not a witch…or is she? This is a story where the magic is just as lived in and considered as the rest of the world and characters. Snap’s family is complicated, her neighborhood friend is getting bullied, and Jacks has an unexpected connection to Snap’s family history. There are some lovely, very real queer stories woven through this book. There’s also lots of literal and metaphorical skeletons! It’s one of my very favorites.
Jukebox by Nidhi Chanani. Nidhi is already well known for her beautiful book Pashmina; this is her newest graphic novel. It’s about Shaheen and Tannaz, two cousins in San Francisco who, while searching for Shaheen’s missing father, stumble upon a magical jukebox that takes them back in time to the place and time the music was made. The research into this time travel is extensive; I really loved how easily Nidhi transports the reader to different eras of music. They search for Shaheen’s dad while working through some friendship issues of their own. It’s a really delightful book!
The Prince and the Dressmaker by Jen Wang. Jen was one of my idols when I was studying comics, and this is my favorite book of hers. It’s about a Parisian prince with a secret: by day, he meets an endless parade of potential brides introduced by his parents. By night, he sneaks out and comes to life as Lady Crystallia, a beautiful red-headed woman. When he shares his secret with Frances, a dressmaker, she gets to create the fabulous fashion she’s always dreamed of, and Lady Crystallia becomes a fashion icon. But of course, it’s hard to live in someone else’s closet. This book is beautifully drawn—the fashion! oh my god the fashion—and so sweetly queer.
For someone who was a fan of THE GIRL FROM THE SEA:
Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me by Mariko Tamaki and Rosemary Valero-O’Connell. This is one of those instant-classic, once-in-a-lifetime books. It’s about a fraught high school relationship between Frederica Riley and Laura Dean—Freddy’s absolute dream girl, who has floppy boy-band hair and a problem with commitment. Freddy struggles to find herself in her on-and-off-again relationship, as chasing Laura leads to her drifting away from her best friend Doodle. The story is partially told through an ongoing correspondence with an advice columnist, as Freddy spills her heart and tries to sound in control at the same time. Rosemary’s art is achingly beautiful and intricate and Mariko understands, so well, the specific pains and joys of queer love and queer community (also read This One Summer if you haven’t).
Cosmoknights by Hannah Templer, a neo-medieval space opera. In it you’ll find a patriarchal system of mech-suit jousts, incredibly drawn action scenes, and a small town girl finding family in the badass women who infiltrate the jousts and rescue the princesses. This book is chock full of lesbians, which means that it’s about queer romance but it’s also about queer friendship, community, and burning down the patriarchy. Hannah is wickedly good at drawing, and you can’t help but fall in love with all her characters. This book is the first in a series, I can’t wait for the rest!
My Lesbian Experience With Loneliness by Nagata Kabi. This is a diary style autobio comic about a young woman in Japan. It’s…difficult to pitch it succinctly. It’s about sexuality and queerness; it’s about deep childhood trauma and family; it’s about depression and substance abuse. It’s sometimes very funny and sometimes very painful, always drawn with simple, expressive lines that cut right to the heart of an emotion. It’s incredibly honest and heart-baring in a way that is almost frightening to read at times. This is the kind of book that I started crying halfway through reading and couldn’t stop—it felt like the author was putting certain things in words and pictures that I’d never said, even to myself. Content warning for all of the aforementioned themes; this is definitely not a book for a young teen, but I think older teens and young adults will find it really meaningful.
This is only a small selection of graphic novels that I love! Please leave more recommendations in the comments!
"Laura Dean" was such an eye-opener the minute I picked it up - and I mean that for more than just its stunning artwork, which deserves all kinds of acclaim in its own right. But the story, its message, the weight of it in the world - I couldn't help but imagine it in the life of my younger self. Maybe that's just my background of teaching literature to young adults talking, but this book really, truly is the game-changer Molly portrayed it as.
Gotta put in a good word for "Gender Queer" by Maia Kobabe here as well because very honestly, it changed my life and answered so many questions I had long had about myself, just below the surface. It's facing blowback in more conservative school districts around the US right now, but if anything, that's a clear indication of the "good trouble" a one-in-a-million book like this can create.
Oh, and "Be Prepared" by Vera Brogsol! I picked this one up because it was just plastered with Scouting imagery and having been a Scout myself, I knew immediately I could connect with the story. But even if you were never a Scout yourself or never spent a week away from home, sweating and trying to make the best of it at summer camp in the woods, you'll connect with the main character's desire to fit in, with her peers and with a culture she is both a part of and, in some ways, disconnected from.
My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness cuts real deep! Especially if you have difficulty in social situations or (in my case) agoraphobia. Quick note that there is a sequel (My Solo Exchange Diary) about the author's ongoing journey of improvement, and how things can get better.