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Graphic Novels ~ Teen & YA
Arcana. The Lost Heirs
Created by Sam Prentice-Jones
Published by Hot Key Books
Queer joy, fantasy, romance and all wrapped up in one gorgeous graphic novel, the first of a series too- one of my favourite things! How much do you know about magic, how much would you like to know about magic?
Important questions before you embark on this reading journey…
The Arcana are a secretive society of witches. The Majors are their enigmatic govenors. To James, Daphne, Koko and Sonny this is home. For Eli magic had been something he knew of but he knew no other witches. Then he met James. Then he is inducted into the Arcana and finds spells, secrets, family, romance, and something more sinister. As this group start to investigate the mystery of the deaths of the parents they discover the power of the Arcana has a cost, one that they may be the next to pay. They have to risk everything. Are you brave enough to find out if they do?
Bad Kid. A Graphic Memoir
Created by Sofia Szamosi
Published by Holler
Bad Kid is more than a graphic novel, it is a memoir, heartbreaking, revealing and incredibly addictive. It takes us into the heart of what has been, for many years, the secretive correctional facilities in America for troubled teens. Raw, honest and darkly funny.
It isn’t a narrative journey of exploration but a series of flashbacks we travel through as we share in Sofia’s turbulent childhood experiences. From being taken in the dead of night to a facility to the way in which she met Marigold and began to discover all the things that teens love to do – that is breaking the rules for the most part! Teens around the world will identify with Sofia’s story, empathize with her and see that it is possible, no matter what anyone else thinks, to be redeemed.
Ghost Boys
Written by Jewell Parker Rhodes
Illustrated by Setor Fiadzigbey
Published by Hachette Children's
Ghost Boys was first issued as a novel, poignant and gripping. The graphic novel is no different in that regard but it is perhaps more powerful with the addition of the graphics, bringing the gritty realities of the story into a stark existence.
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When a Black boy is killed by a white police officer he becomes a ghost, not necessarily to haunt the man who killed him, nor to watch his family, but to discover, to understand what really happened. He never got into trouble, attended school, did his homework and looked after his sister. He was a shot when his toy gun was supposedly mistaken for the real thing. As a ghost he meets other boys with stories, with something in common. They all have their own stories and this novel begins to unravel them for us to help us understand more about the complex issues of race and racism in our world.
Keeper of the Lost Cities, vol 2
Written by Shannon Messenger
Adapted by Celina Frenn
Published by Simon & Schuster Children's
Keeper of the Lost Cities was such a successful book that it is being reimagined into graphic novels. This is the second of them and its full colour artwork with adaptation of the full-length text from the novel is a wonderful treat for readers.
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Sophie Foster discovered she’s an elf and made the decision, the almost impossible one, to leave her family and her human life and start again, in the Lost Cities. Her new life is nothing like her wildest imagination could have ever conjured. She has new friends, amazing powers and has met all manner of creatures. As a human she didn’t struggle with her education, as an elf it’s far more challenging, particularly the alchemy. The there are the worries, will she be adopted by the guardians, what are all these conspiracies and the memories in her head that she’s sure aren’t hers… Is there a conspiracy and can she unravel it?
Skating Wilder
Creators Brandon Dumais & AJ Dungo
Published by Flying Eye Books
​If you have ever tried to skateboard you’ll know that it is hard work and more often than not it hurts thanks to the falls, bumps and scrapes that come with it. When I was a kid those were plenty as no-one even considered we might want protective gear!
If you ask the pros they will tell you, as will the amateurs and anyone else who has tried to find out, no-one actually knows who invented it or where it started. What they can all tell you is that it is an inspirational sport and past time. The history of skateboarding is covered as are the best and worst memories of the book’s creators. They admit they aren’t experts but they love the sport and they know how much it means to people and their communities where it's been adopted. It’s a wild ride and I recommend giving it a try – skateboarding of course!