For years there have been ongoing conversations among educators, families, and literacy advocates about whether graphic novels count as “real” books or reading. Jerry Craft, the recipient of this year’s distinguished Newbery Award for, New Kid, a graphic novel, had this to say, “‘I do think that things are changing. It is very surreal to me that a kid who was afraid to read comics in school out of fear that they would be confiscated, grew up to make the first comic to win a Newbery. That’s as ‘real’ as it gets!’” This article from the International Literacy Association discusses some of the benefits of reading graphic novels. Class Act, the sequel to Craft’s New Kid, was released this month to wonderful praise. The middle-grade and young adult graphic titles listed include fiction and nonfiction books, two of which will be released in 2021. For more selections, go to the “Comics/Graphic Novels” category here. If you know of a title to add to the list, leave a comment below.
Miles Morales: Shock Waves
Justin A. Reynolds | Pablo Leon | Scholastic Inc | June 1, 2021 | MG | Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound
Nubia: Real One
L. L. McKinney | Robyn Smith | DC Comics | February 2, 2021 | YA | Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound
Twins (Bk 1)
Varian Johnson | Shannon Wright | Graphix | October 6, 2020 | MG | Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound
Long Way Down: The Graphic Novel
Jason Reynolds | Danica Novgorodoff | Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy | October 13, 2020 | YA | Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound
Becoming Muhammad Ali
James Patterson | Kwame Alexander | Dawud Anyabwile | Jimmy Patterson | October 5, 2020 | MG | Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound
When Stars Are Scattered
Omar Mohamed | Victoria Jamieson | Iman Geddy | Dial Books | April 14, 2020 | MG | Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound
Amazons, Abolitionists, and Activists: A Graphic History of Women’s Fight for Their Rights
Mikki Kendall | A. D’Amico | Ten Speed Press | November 5, 2019 | YA | Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound
The Crossover (Graphic Novel) (The Crossover Series)
Kwame Alexander | Dawud Anyabwile | HMH BYR | September 24, 2019 | MG | Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound
Shuri: The Search for Black Panther
Nnedi Okorafor | Leonardo Romero | Jordie Bellaire | Marvel | May 7, 2019 | YA | Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound
New Kid (Bk 1 of 2)
Jerry Craft | Quill Tree Books | February 5, 2019 | MG | Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound
Jake the Fake Keeps it Real (Bk 1 of 3)
Craig Robinson | Adam Mansbach | Keith Knight | September 4, 2018 | MG | Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound
I Am Alfonso Jones
Tony Medina | Stacey Robi | John Jennings | Turtleback | October 22, 2017 | YA | Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound
Monster: A Graphic Novel
Walter Dean Myers | Guy A. Sims | Dawud Anyabwile | HarperAlley | October 20, 2015 | YA | Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound
Strange Fruit, Volume I: Uncelebrated Narratives from Black History
Joel Christian Gill | Fulcrum Publishing | May 1, 2014 | YA | Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound
March: Book One (Bk 1 of 3)
John Lewis | Andrew Aydin | Nate Powell | Top Shelf Productions | August 13, 2013 | YA | Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound
Fist Stick Knife Gun: A Personal Story Of Violence
Geoffrey Canada | Jamar Nicholas | Turtleback Books | September 14, 2010 | YA | Amazon | IndieBound
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