Summer Reading Graphic Novel Picks

We are excited to share many new graphic novels gracing our shelves this summer. Here at some of new available titles:

Call Me Iggy by Jorge Aguirre and Rafael Rosado(ILT)
Library Catalog

Ignacio “Iggy” Garcia is an Ohio-born Colombian American teen living his best life. After bumping into Marisol (and her coffee) at school, Iggy's world is spun around. But Marisol has too much going on to be bothered with the likes of Iggy. She has school, work, family, and the uphill battle of getting her legal papers. As Iggy stresses over how to get Marisol to like him, his grandfather comes to the rescue. The thing is, not only is his abuelito dead, but he also gives terrible love advice. The worst. And so, with his ghost abuelito's meddling, Iggy's life begins to unravel as he sets off on a journey of self-discovery.

Call me Iggy tells the story of Iggy searching for his place in his family, his school, his community, and ultimately—as the political climate in America changes during the 2016 election—his country. Focusing on familial ties and budding love, Call me Iggy challenges our assumptions about Latino-American identity while reaffirming our belief in the hope that all young people represent. Perfect for lovers of multigenerational stories like Displacement and The Magic Fish. –McMillan Palgrave

Delicious in Dungeon, Vol 1 by  Ryoko Kui
Library Catalog

When young adventurer Laios and his company lose all of their money and provisions in a dungeon, they decide to eat the monsters they encounter in order to escape. –Baker & Taylor

The Baker and the Bard: A Cozy Fantasy Adventure by Fern Haught
Library Catalog

When an unusual order at the bakery sends them on a journey to forage for magical mushrooms, apprentices Juniper and Hadley find their simple errand turning into a thrilling quest to save some furry new friends — and their caretaker — who are in danger of losing their home. Simultaneous. Illustrations. –Atlas Publishing

Freshman Year (a Graphic Novel) by Sarah Mai
Library Catalog

A stylish graphic novel about the unique angst, humor, and self-doubt that comes with going away to college—perfect for fans of Heartstopper.

Everyone gets a fresh start. Who do you want to be?  Sarah is leaving suburban Wisconsin for college in Minnesota. She has high hopes for the future: impress her professors, meet interesting new people, stay close to her best friends and boyfriend back home, flourish as an artist, and shed her lingering high school anxieties. What seems manageable at first quickly unravels into a tailspin and she is overwhelmed by the freedom, the isolation, and all the possibilities that await in this new environment. Based on the author’s personal college journal and comics, Freshman Year navigates the inner workings of an 18-year-old girl in witty and heartfelt detail. –Grand Central Pub

Just Another Story: A Graphic Migration Account by Ernesto Saade
Library Catalog

“This is the story of Carlos and Elena, the story of thousands, the story of my country . . . This is just another story.”

When Carlos was nineteen years old, his mother decided to leave her life in El Salvador for a new start in the United States. Reluctant to follow, but unwilling to let his mother go without him, Carlos joined her on the journey north. During their trip through Mexico and into the US, they experienced the risks and fears countless people from Central American countries have faced while migrating to different lands. Ten years later, Carlos shared these memories with his cousin, cartoonist Ernesto Saade. The result of their conversation is Just Another Story: A Graphic Migration Account. This stirring and thoughtful graphic work goes beyond headlines and statistics to provide a powerful individual account of migration.

“Until now, the story of Carlos was diluted between thousands and thousands of similar stories (or infinitely worse ones). However, this doesn’t detract from his story or anyone else’s. They’re not numbers or statistics but individuals whose lives are a reflection of serious problems in the region. This is the story of Carlos and Elena, the story of thousands, the story of my country . . . This is just another story.”–Lerner Pub Group

Out of Left Field by Jonah Newman
Library Catalog

A nerdy gay teenager jumps headfirst into the bro-y world of high school baseball in this semi-autobiographical LGBTQ+ graphic novel.

Ninth-grader Jonah is not a jock. On the contrary, he loves history class and nerdy movies, and his athletic ineptitude verges on tragic. So, what’s he doing signing up for the baseball team? Could it have something to do with the cute shortstop, Elliot?

For the rest of high school, Jonah faces challenges on and off the baseball field, from heteronormative social pressure to thrilling romance. Realizing who his real friends are, he figures out what really matters and finally recognizes and embraces his gay identity.

Based on debut author-illustrator Jonah Newman’s coming-of-age experiences, Out of Left Field is a big-hearted and funny YA graphic novel about learning to be yourself. –Andrews McMeel

Insomniacs After School, Vol. 5 by Makoto Ojiro
Library Catalog
The first book in the series is available here.

Two sleepless teenagers find kinship as they escape to their school’s astronomy observatory.

Unable to sleep at night, Ganta Nakami is cranky in class and unpopular with his classmates. He discovers that the school observatory, once used by the now-defunct astronomy club, may be the perfect place for a nap—but he's not alone. Fellow insomniac Isaki Magari is willing to share the observatory with Nakami, and a friendship between the two begins as they bond over the most unlikely things.

After discovering the source of Magari’s insomnia, Nakami and Magari implement a new nighttime routine, hoping to improve their sleep. With the Perseid meteor shower viewing party and the national photo contest still to come, it’s shaping up to be an eventful summer for this pair of insomniacs! –Simon and Schuster

Komi Can't Communicate, Vol. 28 by Tomohito Oda
Library Catalog
The first book in the series is available here.

The journey to 100 friends begins with a single conversation.

Socially anxious high school student Shoko Komi’s greatest dream is to make some friends, but everyone at school mistakes her crippling social anxiety for cool reserve. Luckily she meets Tadano, a timid wallflower who decides to step out of his comfort zone in order to help her achieve her goal of making 100 friends. –Simon and Schuster

Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Teens, Library News, and Teens.

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