Graphic Novel Roundup
I’ve read some great graphic novels lately, a number of which my teen pushed into my hands with an exhortation to “Read this!”
Cheer Up: Love and Pompoms by Crystal Frasier, Val Wise, and Oscar O. Jupiter (2021)
A trans cheerleader convinces an old friend to try out for the squad, even though she doesn’t seem the cheer type. While they fall in love, the pair also helps each other be more open and confident.
Unfamiliar by Haley Newsome (2022)
Magical misfits form a found family in this sweet volume of comic stories. Planchette, a kitchen witch, seeks out help when her new house is haunted but ends up feeding her ghosts.
Hockey Girl Loves Drama Boy by Faith Erin Hicks (2023)
A sweet story of falling in love as well as learning how to deal with anger and bullying. Alix puts hockey above all else and sticks with her team even when her captain taunts and insults her. When her temper almost costs her a place on the team, she seeks out theater nerd Ezra, always unflappable, to ask for help keeping her cool.
Next Stop by Debbie Fong (2024)
Fong’s strength is her sensitive and patient handling of this plot about love and loss. Pia blames herself for an accident in the past. She goes on a bus tour to a “magical” spring in the hopes that her wish to change the past will be granted.
Maelstrom: A Prince of Evil by Lorian Merriman (2024)
D&D-like heroes and villains battle in this entertaining book. Maestrom is the child of the evil queen and raised to be a demon, but he’s not sure that is his true calling. When he runs away and joins a group fighting for good, he has to make big choices for the first time.
Escape from St. Hell: My Trans Teen Life Levels Up by Lewis Hancox (2024)
The second graphic memoir from Hancox hits just as hard as the first. Lewis hopes that going to college will mean a fresh start and a way to be fully accepted as male. But challenges don’t go away with an address change. The British health system doesn’t make his transition easy either.
Brownstone by Samuel Teer and Mar Julia (2024)
Amazing book about seeing and accepting people as they are. When Almudena has to spend the summer with the father she’s never known, she is unenthused. It doesn’t help that she’s in an unfamiliar city and doesn’t know enough Spanish to communicate well with her father. And why has he never bothered to be a part of her life before? A touching a rich story.