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  • Best Manga and Graphic Novels For Teens 2024
Staff Picks

Best Manga and Graphic Novels For Teens 2024

  • Thomas M.
  • Thursday, December 19, 2024

Collection

December is a great month for reflecting on the year that was - and all the great comics that came out! Below is a list chock full of quality titles for teens as selected by School Library Journal, Booklist, and Kirkus Reviews.

You and I Are Polar Opposites. Vol. 01

You and I Are Polar Opposites. Vol. 01

Agasawa, Kocha, author, artist
Published in 2024
Miyu Suzuki is a bright and bubbly high schooler who's got a crush. There's just one little problem--when it comes to personality, the guy she's into is her polar opposite! Suzuki's a high school student girl in love, but the guy she's fallen for is nothing like her! While she's cheerful, outgoing, and always trying to fit in, her classmate Yusuke Tani is stoic, quiet, and doesn't seem to care what people think of him. Will Suzuki be able to overcome her anxieties and ask him out, or will she discover that opposites really don't attract?
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Call Me Iggy

Call Me Iggy

Aguirre, Jorge
Published in 2024
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 .
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The Guy She Was Interested in Wasn't a Guy at All. 1

The Guy She Was Interested in Wasn't a Guy at All. 1

Arai, Sumiko, author.
Published in 2024
"Fashionable and upbeat high schooler Aya loves listening to rock, but no one else seems to share her interest ... until she meets a cool, stylish employee at a CD shop. Dressed in black from head to toe, he has this air of mystery about him, and his taste in music is impeccable. Aya falls hard for him--not knowing her crush is actually her female classmate Mitsuki! For her part, Mitsuki generally keeps to herself and avoids standing out at school. But given that she sits right next to Aya, Mitsuki's all too aware of the other girl's feelings, and she's afraid to reveal the truth. So why does she find herself talking with Aya more and more ...?--Amazon.
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A Kingdom of Quartz. Vol. 01

A Kingdom of Quartz. Vol. 01

Bomhat, author, artist
Published in 2024
In a world where angels protect the people against demons, a young orphan with pitch-black wings may hold the key to the kingdom's fate. An exquisitely drawn, dark fantasy manga for fans of Puella Magi Madoka Magica, Made in Abyss, and Witch Hat Atelier. An orphaned girl named Blue has always dreamed of joining the ranks of the noble Angels, servants of the floating palace who protect the Quartz Kingdom against demons. Yet, Blue is not like the other children at the orphanage. Where their fledgling angel wings are downy white, Blue's are pitch black, giving rise to whispers that she is cursed. One day, the orphanage comes under attack by a host of demons. Angels swoop down from the palace to drive the demons back, but Blue watches in horror as they are cut down one after another. Just when all seems lost, Blue feels a dark power welling up inside of her. It may be enough to avenge her friends...but will the cost prove too great?
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The Jellyfish

The Jellyfish

Boum, author, illustrator.
Published in 2024
"Odette is a twenty-something year old with their own place, a steady job at a local bookstore, an adorable pet rabbit, and a budding crush on one of their customers. But Odette is haunted by something only they can see: a jellyfish that's floating in their eye, blocking their vision. It's a seemingly minor annoyance...until the jellyfish starts multiplying."-- Amazon.com.
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Heavyweight

Heavyweight

A Family Story of the Holocaust, Empire, and Memory
Brager, Solomon J., author illustrator.
Published in 2024
"Solomon Brager grew up with accounts of their great-grandparents' escape from Nazi Germany, told over and over until their understanding of self was bound up with the heroic details of their ancestors' exploits. Their great-grandmother related how her husband, a boxing champion, thrashed Joseph Goebbels and cleared beer halls of Nazis with his fists, how she broke him out of an internment camp and carried their children over the Pyrenees mountains. But that story was never the whole picture; zooming out, everything becomes more complicated. Alongside the Levis' propulsive journey across Europe and to the United States, Brager distills fascinating research about the Holocaust and connected periods of colonial history. Heavyweight asks us to consider how the patterns of history emerge and reverberate, not as a simple chain of events but in haunting layers. Confronting the specters of violence as both historian and descendent, this book is an exploration of family mythology, intergenerational memory, and the mark the past makes on the present."--Amazon.
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Plain Jane and the Mermaid

Plain Jane and the Mermaid

Brosgol, Vera
Published in 2024
From Anya's Ghost and Be Prepared author Vera Brosgol comes an instant classic graphic novel that flips every fairy-tale you know on its head, and shows one girl's crusade for the only thing that matters—her own independence. Jane is incredibly plain. Everyone says so: her parents, the villagers, and her horrible cousin who kicks her out of her own house. Determined to get some semblance of independence, Jane prepares to propose to the princely Peter, who might just say yes to get away from his father. It's a good plan! Or it would've been, if he wasn't kidnapped by a mermaid. With her last shot at happiness lost in the deep blue sea, Jane must venture to the world underwater to rescue her maybe-fiancé. But the depths of the ocean hold beautiful mysteries and dangerous creatures. What good can a plain Jane do?
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Plain Jane and the Mermaid

Plain Jane and the Mermaid

Brosgol, Vera, author, artist.
Published in 2024
When her last shot at happiness is kidnapped by a mermaid, Jane, who is incredibly plain according to everyone around her, ventures underwater to rescue her maybe-fiancé, summoning her courage, confidence and inner beauty to crusade for the only thing that matters--her independence.
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The Book of Denial

The Book of Denial

Chávez Castañeda, Ricardo
Published in 2024
From award-winning Mexican author Ricardo Chávez Castañeda and the visionary Mexican designer Alejandro Magallanes comes a horror story and ghost story that is both daringly and beautifully told in word and image. There are stories so terrible that we tremble to hear even a whisper of them. Even more terrible, some of them are true.This is one such story, a story of our deepest inhumanity—one that confronts the history of violence against children, and through its young narrator attempts to find a way out. A horror story and ghost story told as much through art as through text, The Book of Denial is an antidote to our collective silence. By uplifting storytelling as a means of understanding the past and shaping the future, it is also—improbably—a beacon of hope. Written by genre-defying Mexican author Ricardo Chávez Castañeda, The Book of Denial is a dark and powerful story within a story, illustrated with a striking graphic sensibility by Alejandro Magallanes and translated by Lawrence Schimel.This is the third book to appear under Unruly, an imprint of picture books for older readers, and will include a short note to readers about how it continues to build this experimental framework of visually complex, sophisticated picture books for teens and adults.
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The Book of Denial

The Book of Denial

Chávez Castañeda, Ricardo, 1961- author.
Published in 2024
"There are stories so terrible that we tremble to hear even a whisper of them. Even more terrible, some of them are true.This is one such story, a story of our deepest inhumanity--one that confronts the history of violence against children, and through its young narrator attempts to find a way out. A horror story and ghost story told as much through art as through text, The Book of Denial is an antidote to our collective silence. By uplifting storytelling as a means of understanding the past and shaping the future, it is also--improbably--a beacon of hope. Written by genre-defying Mexican author Ricardo Chávez Castañeda, The Book of Denial is a dark and powerful story within a story, illustrated with a striking graphic sensibility by Alejandro Magallanes and translated by Lawrence Schimel.This is the third book to appear under Unruly, an imprint of picture books for older readers, and will include a short note to readers about how it continues to build this experimental framework of visually complex, sophisticated picture books for teens and adults."--Amazon
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Nothing Special. Volume 1

Nothing Special. Volume 1

Through the Elder Woods
Cook, Katie, 1981- author, artist.
Published in 2024
"Two not-so-human teenagers and a friendly ghost radish face the fantasy adventure of a lifetime."-- Provided by publisher.
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Wildflower Emily

Wildflower Emily

A Story About Young Emily Dickinson
Corry, Lydia.
Published in 2024
Meet Emily the person, not just Emily the poet. Emily Dickinson is one of America's greatest and most original poets of all time. When you hear her name, you may imagine a white dress worn by a slight, quaint, and introverted figure. A famous recluse, whose withdrawal from society became legendary. But it's time to meet a new side of Emily, that re-remembers her as the powerful, adventurous, and joyful girl she truly was. Follow along as we delve into Emily Dickinson's childhood as a young girl desperate to go out exploring to meet the flowers in their own homes. Wade through tall grasses to gather butterfly weed and goldenrod, the air alive with the buccaneers of buzz. And, don't forget to keep a hot potato in your pocket to keep your fingers warm. This is Emily Dickinson as you've never seen her before, embarking on an unforgettable journey in her hometown of Amherst with her trusty four-legged companion, Carlo.
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The Gulf

The Gulf

de Souza, Adam
Published in 2024
Staring down the final days of high school, a group of friends run away from home in order to join a commune in this YA graphic novel for ages 14 and up. Stand by Me meets Catcher in the Rye by way of Skim . Ever since Oli found a pamphlet for a remote island commune as a kid, it's all she can think about. Now that she's nearing the end of high school, feeling frustrated with the mounting pressure to choose a career and follow a path she has no interest in, the desire to escape it all has been steadily increasing. Everything comes to a head when Oli's relationship with her best friend goes south and she claps back at a school bully with more than just words. Oli flees to find the commune on a Gulf Island off the coast of Vancouver, taking with her Milo, who can't help but hide his feelings behind the safety of a video camera, and Alvin, a shy teen who sees more than he lets on. Behind them trails Liam, Oli's ex-best-friend and sometimes love interest, who wants to apologize for the way things went down. All four are grappling with a world that cannot be changed . . . and simply trying to find their place in it. This YA anti-coming-of-age road trip adventure, by talented up-and-coming comic artist Adam de Souza, captures at once the angst and humor of being a teen during a time of great transition.
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Visitations

Visitations

Egbert, Corey
Published in 2024
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Visitations

Visitations

Egbert, Corey
Published in 2024
Inspired by true events, this haunting yet hopeful young adult graphic novel weaves together family dynamics, mental illness, and religion—perfect for fans of Hey, Kiddo . Corey's mom has always made him feel safe. Especially after his parents' divorce, and the dreaded visitations with his dad begin. But as Corey grows older, he can't ignore his mother's increasingly wild accusations. Her insistence that God has appointed Corey as his sister's protector. Her declaration that Corey's father is the devil. Soon, she whisks Corey and his sister away from their home and into the boiling Nevada desert. There, they struggle to survive with little food and the police on the trail. Meanwhile, under the night sky, Corey is visited by a flickering ghost, a girl who urges him to fight for a different world—one outside of his mother's spoon-fed tales, one Corey must find before it's too late. Drawing inspiration from his own upbringing in the Mormon church, Corey Egbert welcomes readers on an emotionally stirring, nuanced journey into the liminal spaces between imagination and memory, faith and truth.
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In the Name of the Mermaid Princess. Vol. 01

In the Name of the Mermaid Princess. Vol. 01

Fumikawa, Yoshino, author.
Published in 2024
In a society hostile to diversity, can mermaid princess Mio be true to herself? In the classic fairy tale, a mermaid princess gives up her special abilities for love. What happens if she doesn’t? Princess Mio is betrothed to Prince Chika. However, they’ve never met, and he doesn’t know her secret--she’s a mermaid! When her tutor, Yuri, takes her out of the castle to meet her subjects, Mio begins to accept her true self. But Yuri has a secret too… And when Mio tells her father, the king, she wants to live life openly as a mermaid, he punishes her. How can she stay true to herself?
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In Utero

In Utero

Gooch, Chris, author.
Published in 2024
kira meets Aliens, and Annihilation meets Evangelion, in this coming-of-age monster tale from award-winning graphic novelist Chris Gooch. Twelve years after a disastrous explosion, young Hailey is dropped off by her mum at a holiday camp in a dilapidated shopping mall. Alienated from the other kids, she connects with an eerie older teen named Jen… but soon dark horrors awaken, and the two new friends are caught up in a cataclysmic battle between two terrifying creatures who have been lying dormant all this time. One of Australia's most acclaimed young graphic novelists, Chris Gooch expertly crafts a taut and intimate thriller about mothers and daughters, the monstrous and the mundane, and the power of friendship in the midst of catastrophe.
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Kagurabachi. Vol. 01

Kagurabachi. Vol. 01

Hokazono, Takeru, author, artist.
Published in 2024
"As a young boy, Chihiro trains every day under his father to become a swordsmith. Although different in temperament, the two spend peaceful days laughing and working together. But one day, tragedy strikes… Now Chihiro burns with hatred and sets out to exact revenge. Following clues left behind by a ruthless yakuza organization, Chihiro confronts the Hishaku, a deadly group of sorcerers that may be behind his father's murder!"-- Provided by publisher.
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How It All Ends

How It All Ends

Hunsinger, Emma
Published in 2024
"How It All Ends is hilarious, inventive, smart, and silly, and perfectly captures the overwhelming confusion, anxiety, and joy of a young gay crush." —Alice Oseman, bestselling author of Heartstopper "Emma Hunsinger's sharp wit and eclectic humor shines in this fantastic story about making new friends and surviving school. I simply adore her work as a writer and an artist." —Dan Santat, National Book Award winner for A First Time for Everything "Imaginative and hysterical, and with the sort of rare, clear-seeing honesty that will make any reader feel less alone in the world. I loved it." —Eliot Schrefer, two-time National Book Award finalist and New York Times bestselling author "Emma Hunsinger is a master at revealing human emotion through comedy and absurdism . How It All Ends is a hilarious, surreal, and deeply sincere story about finding yourself in a situation that you don't feel ready to face and making your way through it anyway." —Sarah Sax, author of Picture Day "How It All Ends felt like Emma Hunsinger's inner child asking my own inner child, 'Hey, you want to sit together?' I've never felt so healed by a book. I can't wait to give it to everyone I know. " —Adib Khorram, award-winning author of Darius the Great Is Not Okay A funny, vulnerable, and disarming debut graphic novel from Emma Hunsinger, the creator of the popular "How to Draw a Horse." How It All Ends is a book about being overwhelmed by who you are and who you might be—and all the possibilities in between. For fans of Snapdragon, The Magic Fish, Heartstopper, and New Kid. Thirteen-year-old Tara lives inside the nonstop adventure of her imagination. It's far more entertaining than dull, everyday life. But when she's bumped from seventh grade directly to high school, she gets a dramatic jolt to reality. Now Tara is part of a future she doesn't feel at all ready for. She's not ready to watch the racy shows the high school kids like, or to listen to the angsty music, or to stop playing make-believe with her younger brother. She's not ready to change for PE in front of everyone, or for the chaos of the hallways, or for the anarchy of an English class that's overrun with fourteen-year-old boys. But then there's Libby. Tara doesn't know whether she's ready for Libby. She can't even explain who Libby is to her because she doesn't know yet. She just knows that everything's more fun when she and her new classmate are together. But what will happen next? How will it all end? This debut graphic novel is a clever and candid portrait of a young girl grappling with the pressures of fitting in, finding your people, and sorting through confusing feelings. Emma Hunsinger has a pitch-perfect ear for the awkward yet endearing moments that accompany growing up, and her illustrations are downright hilarious. She brilliantly captures the humor and the horror of self-discovery and the first blushes of having a crush. How It All Ends deftly explores how unbearable—but exciting!—it is to grow up.
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How It All Ends

How It All Ends

Hunsinger, Emma, author, illustrator.
Published in 2024
"Thirteen-year-old Tara skips eighth grade to go directly to high school and struggles with adjusting, until she meets her classmate Libby"-- Provided by publisher.
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The Harrowing

The Harrowing

Kiesling, Kristen, author.
Published in 2024
In award-winning author Kristen Kiesling and illustrator Rye Hickman's YA graphic novel The Harrowing, a psychic teen hunts potential killers until she discovers the boy she loves is her next target. Rowan Sterling should be worrying about normal teenage things like attending college and whether her best friend Lucas is maybe more than a friend. . . . Instead, she's having terrifying visions of blood and violence. As the premonitions increase in number and intensity, Rowan seeks her father's help, but instead finds herself drugged, kidnapped, and sent to a mysterious facility called Rosewood. It isn't long before Rowan discovers Rosewood isn't a boarding school or an asylum: it's a training center for teens with special abilities who are known as Harrows. Harrows can view the actions of would-be murderers before they commit crimes, and the scientists at Rosewood believe it is their duty to use the Harrows' powers to make the world a safer place. When they are apprehended by a Harrow, imminent criminals, known as imcrims, are captured and indefinitely detained in a state of sedation. At Rosewood, the Harrows are taught how to identify, track, and apprehend imcrims. Rowan is immediately drawn to Rosewood's mission; after all, she lost her mother to a random act of violence two years prior. However, some of the other Harrows question the treatment of imcrims-how can it be ethical to imprison people who haven't actually done anything yet? Empowered by the skills she's acquired and ready to change the world, Rowan returns home, but when she reunites with Lucas, she has a vision of him shooting a man in cold blood. Now Rowan is questioning everything she learned at Rosewood-she refuses to believe Lucas is capable of murder-and sets out to protect him from the Harrows.
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Woe

Woe

A Housecat's Story of Despair
Knisley, Lucy, author, illustrator.
Published in 2024
What if our cats could talk? Would they ask endless questions about why we haven't given them wet food...again? Would they scream greetings at the first sign of life before the sun even rises? Linney certainly will. Have you met Linney yet? If not, prepared to be blessed! Lucy Knisley's online Linney comics are collected for the very first time in this gifty hardcover featuring the internet sensation, Linney. With all-new comics, this collection shows us just how amazing, and what a true gift, all cats are.
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Continental Drifter

Continental Drifter

MacLeod, Kathy
Published in 2024
"A fantastic story about the awkward feelings of being from neither here nor there." —Dan Santat, National Book Award winner and author of A First Time for Everything With a Thai mother and an American father, Kathy lives in two different worlds. She spends most of the year in Bangkok, where she's secretly counting the days till summer vacation. That's when her family travels for twenty-four hours straight to finally arrive in a tiny seaside town in Maine. Kathy loves Maine's idyllic beauty and all the exotic delicacies she can't get back home, like clam chowder and blueberry pie. But no matter how hard she tries, she struggles to fit in. She doesn't look like the other kids in this rural New England town. Kathy just wants to find a place where she truly belongs, but she's not sure if it's in America, Thailand . . . or anywhere.
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Continental Drifter

Continental Drifter

Macleod, Kathy, author, illustrator.
Published in 2024
"With a Thai mother and an American father, Kathy lives in two different worlds. She spends most of the year in Bangkok, where she's secretly counting the days till summer vacation. That's when her family travels for twenty-four hours straight to finally arrive in a tiny seaside town in Maine. Kathy loves Maine's idyllic beauty and all the exotic delicacies she can't get back home, like clam chowder and blueberry pie. But no matter how hard she tries, she struggles to fit in. She doesn't look like the other kids in this rural New England town. Kathy just wants to find a place where she truly belongs, but she's not sure if it's in America, Thailand... or anywhere"-- Provided by publisher.
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Bad Dream

Bad Dream

A Dreamer Story
Maines, Nicole, 1997- author.
Published in 2024
"Nia's spent her whole life taking a back seat to her older sister, Maeve, who's expected to inherit their mother's Seer powers: the ability to see the future through dreams, passed down to one woman in each generation. But when Nia, a trans girl, starts having visions of the future, she must suppress her powers to protect her relationship with her sister. Soon Nia's dreams become impossible to ignore, and she has no choice but to distance herself as she navigates her new reality. Taking off for Metropolis. Nia is quickly swept up in the bustling city and, guided by her dreams, connects with a group of queer girls who feel more like sisters than her own. As Nia starts to discover her powers may be more than just a burden, she's given a choice: accept her new responsibility as a Seer or give it all up for a chance at normalcy"--Back cover.
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Bad Dream

Bad Dream

A Dreamer Story. Volume 1
Maines, Nicole, author.
Published in 2024
Dreamer's origin story has finally arrived, featuring characters from Galaxy: The Prettiest Star in DC's first YA crossover!! Nia Nal's spent her whole life taking a back seat to her older sister, Maeve, who's expected to inherit their mother's Naltorian powers-the ability to see the future through dreams. But when Nia starts having visions of the future, she must suppress her powers to protect her relationship with her sister. There's only one problem: Nia can't stay awake forever... From actress, activist, and writer Nicole Maines, who originated the role of Dreamer-the first trans superhero on TV-and artist Rye Hickman comes the highly anticipated origin story of a girl who must accept her destiny to discover she's more powerful than she could ever dream of.
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Past Tense

Past Tense

Facing Family Secrets and Finding Myself in Therapy
Mardou, 1975- author, artist, colorist, letterer.
Published in 2024
When Sacha Mardou turned forty-years-old, she was leading a life that looked perfect on the outside: happily married to the love of her life, enjoying motherhood and her six-year-old daughter, and her first book had just been published. But for reasons she couldn't explain, the anxiety that had always plagued her only seemed to be getting worse. The product of a stoic, working-class British family, Sacha had a deeply seeded distrust of mental health treatment, but now, living the life she'd built in the US and desperate for relief, she finds herself in a therapist's office for the first time. There she begins the real work of growing up: learning to understand her family of origin and the childhood trauma she thought she'd left hidden in the past but is still entangled in her present life. Past Tense takes us inside Sacha's therapy sessions, which over time become life-changing: She begins to come to terms with her turbulent and complicated upbringing, which centered around her now estranged father, who had a violent relationship with her mother and would later go to prison for sexually abusing her stepsister. With her therapist's guidance, she sees how these wounds and other generational trauma has been passed through her family as far back as her grandmother's experiences during The Blitz of World War Two.
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Steel of the Celestial Shadows. Vol. 1

Steel of the Celestial Shadows. Vol. 1

Matsuura, Daruma, 1984- author, artist.
Published in 2024
"A down-and-out samurai named Ryudo Konosuke struggles through his hardscrabble life in early 19th-century Japan. It is said that a samurai's spirit rests in their sword--and Konosuke can't even pick one up thanks to a cruel curse that repels anything made of metal that gets near him. Destitute and hopeless, he decides to end it all. But when a beautiful and mysterious woman saves his life and his soul, it is the beginning of Konosuke's journey into a strange world of magic that exists a step away from his own"-- Back cover.
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Maelstrom

Maelstrom

A Prince of Evil
Merriman, Lorian, author artist.
Published in 2024
"Maelstrom is a half-demon prince pining for a place in history. (Honestly, he's just bored and searching for a way to pass the time.) Twigs is the young, prophesized Hero of Virtue fated to face him--or so we've been told . . . But Maelstrom's mother, regent to the throne and a powerful necromancer, is determined to keep an iron grip on her domain. Bemoaning his lost destiny, Maelstrom teams up with the Hero to stop his mother and forge a new destiny for himself. What Twigs doesn't know is that Maelstrom has a cunning plan to build his own epic legend and double-cross Twigs at the perfect moment. . ."-- Provided by publisher.
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The Girl Who Sang

The Girl Who Sang

A Holocaust Memoir of Hope and Survival
Nadel, Estelle, author.
Published in 2024
"A heartrending graphic memoir about a young Jewish girl's fight for survival in Nazi occupied Poland, The Girl Who Sang illustrates the power of a brother's love, the kindness of strangers, and finding hope when facing the unimaginable." -- Publisher annotation.
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Safe Passage

Safe Passage

Neri, Greg, author.
Published in 2024
"An epic journey across the South Side of Chicago for Darius, his little sister Cissy, and his best friend Booger as they set out to find an armored truck that has lost a payload of cash"--Provided by publisher.
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The Deep Dark

The Deep Dark

Ostertag, Molly Knox
Published in 2024
From Molly Knox Ostertag, writer-illustrator of the New York Times and ABA Indie bestselling The Witch Boy trilogy and The Girl from the Sea , comes a darkly beautiful story of identity, family, love, loss, and magic. Everyone has secrets. Mags's has teeth. Magdalena Herrera is about to graduate high school, but she already feels like an adult with serious responsibilities: caring for her ailing grandmother; working a part-time job; clandestine makeouts with a girl who has a boyfriend. And then there's her secret, which pulls her into the basement each night, drains her of energy, and leaves her bleeding. A secret that could hurt and even kill if it ever got out — like it did once before. So Mags keeps her head down, isolated in her small desert community. That is, until her childhood friend Nessa comes back to town, bringing vivid memories of the past, an intoxicating glimpse of the future, and a secret of her own. Mags won't get attached, of course. She's always been strong enough to survive without anyone's help. But when the darkness starts to close in on them both, Mags will have to drag her secret into the daylight, and choose between risking everything... or having nothing left to lose.
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The Deep Dark

The Deep Dark

Ostertag, Molly Knox, author, artist.
Published in 2024
High school senior Magdalena Herrera already has adult responsibilities and a deadly secret hidden in the dark of the basement, one that drains her of energy and leaves her bleeding--until the return of her childhood friend, Nessa, forces her to face her secrets.
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Leap

Leap

Popescu, Simina
Published in 2024
A coming-of-age graphic novel following two dancers at a conservative performing arts school—exploring friendship, first love, and what it means to fall out of step with your own dreams. Ana has been studying contemporary dance since she was little, but her heart isn't in it anymore. Instead her focus is on Carina—a beautiful, ambitious ballerina whose fear of being outed keeps Ana in the closet and their fragile relationship from seeing the light of day. Risking her own career, Ana gives up more and more in order to fit into the shadows of Carina's life. Sara, on the other hand, is fielding whispers she may be the best dancer their school has produced in years. Much of that is thanks to her mentor and instructor, Marlena, who plucked Sara from the classical track and encouraged her to blossom as a contemporary dancer. Sara has always been in awe of Marlena, but recently, that admiration has sparked into something more, and Sara's not sure what to do about it. As junior year at their performing arts school begins, Ana and Sara are assigned as roommates. What starts off as a tentative friendship soon becomes a much-needed anchor.
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Popescu, Simina
Published in 2024
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Just Another Story

Just Another Story

Saade, Ernesto, author.
Published in 2024
"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."
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Just Another Story

Just Another Story

A Graphic Migration Account
Saade, Ernesto, author, artist.
Published in 2024
"When Carlos was nineteen, his mother decided to leave her life in El Salvador. Refusing to let her go without him, Carlos joined the journey north. Together they experienced the risks countless people faces as they migrate"-- Provided by publisher.
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Suzume. Vol. 1

Suzume. Vol. 1

Shinkai, Makoto, author.
Published in 2024
"High school junior Suzume has no idea why the beautiful stranger she meets is looking for ruins, for a certain door. Soon after pointing the stranger, Souta, in the direction of an abandoned resort, she thinks better of it and goes to try and stop him. But before she can find Souta, Suzume unknowingly opens a decrepit door to a world beyond time and place--and stumbles into an adventure of seismic proportions."--Publisher description.
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Watch Dogs Tokyo. Volume 1

Watch Dogs Tokyo. Volume 1

Shirato, Seiichi, author.
Published in 2024
When the Tokyo Metropolitan Government applies a new, futuristic urban infrastructure management system called J-ctOS, it appears to be an instant success. Citizens' lives are quickly improved thanks to the ease of interconnectivity and convenience. However, all is not as it seems; while everything may appear to be going well, there are secrets lurking behind Blume Japan, the creator of J-ctOS. Inspector Goda Gordon is a dedicated, honorable policeman who believes in justice above all - a mindset that is harder and harder to hold onto as his investigations continue to hit dead ends. After some off-the-books sleuthing, he comes to understand the grip that J-ctOS has on every aspect of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, including its police department. Soon, he realizes that his only option to fight the injustice and corruption in his city may lie in the hands of a group of vigilante hackers known as DEDSEC. How far is Inspector Gordon willing to go in his fight against J-ctOS? And who, exactly, is DEDSEC?
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Karate Prom

Karate Prom

Starks, Kyle
Published in 2024
Don "TheDragonWilson" Jones is the finest fighter Benjamin Harrison High School has ever produced. But when he enters the ring against Lincoln High's Sam Steadman, it's love at first knockout. Unfortunately, Sam has a jerky ex-boyfriend...and Don has a seriously terrifying ex-girlfriend. Like, "global crime cartel" terrifying. From prom to the after-party to graduation, Don and Sam—and an increasingly eclectic cast of supporting oddballs—will have to fight their way through a gauntlet of opponents, all in the name of love (and punching). Did we mention the punching?
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Karate Prom

Karate Prom

Starks, Kyle, author.
Published in 2024
Don "TheDragonWilson" Jones is the finest fighter Benjamin Harrison High School has ever produced. But when he enters the ring against Lincoln High's Sam Steadman, it's love at first knockout. Unfortunately, Sam has a jerky ex-boyfriend--and Don has a seriously terrifying ex-girlfriend. Like, "global crime cartel" terrifying. From prom to the after-party to graduation, Don and Sam--and an increasingly eclectic cast of supporting oddballs--will have to fight their way through a gauntlet of opponents, all in the name of love (and punching). Did we mention the punching?
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The Girl Who Sang

The Girl Who Sang

Strout, Bethany
Published in 2024
A heartrending graphic memoir about a young Jewish girl's fight for survival in Nazi occupied Poland, The Girl Who Sang illustrates the power of a brother's love, the kindness of strangers, and finding hope when facing the unimaginable. Born to a Jewish family in a small Polish village, Estelle Nadel—then known as Enia Feld—was just seven years old when the Nazis invaded Poland in 1939. Once a vibrant child with a song for every occasion, Estelle would eventually lose her voice as, over the next five years, she would survive the deaths of their mother, father, their eldest brother and sister, and countless others. A child at the mercy of her neighbors during a terrifying time in history, The Girl Who Sang is an enthralling first-hand account of Estelle's fight for survival during World War II. She would weather loss, betrayal, near-execution, and spend two years away from the warmth of the sun—all before the age of eleven. And once the war was over, Estelle would walk barefoot across European borders and find remnants of home in an Austrian displaced persons camp before finally crossing the Atlantic to arrive in New York City—a young woman carrying the unseen scars of war. Beautifully rendered in bright hues with expressive, emotional characters, debut illustrator Sammy Savos masterfully brings Estelle story of survival during the Holocaust to a whole new generation of readers. The Girl Who Sang is perfect for fans of March , Maus , and Anne Frank's Diary .
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The Ghostkeeper

The Ghostkeeper

A Graphic Novel
Taylor, Johanna, author, illustrator.
Published in 2024
"A gothic graphic novel that follows a young medium with the gift--or curse, as some might say--to communicate with the dead"-- Provided by publisher.
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Brownstone

Brownstone

Teer, Samuel, author.
Published in 2024
In the summer of 1995, almost-fifteen-year-old Almudena is sent to live with her estranged Spanish-speaking father, and together they renovate a brownstone and build a relationship while Almudena navigates the Latin American side of her heritage for the first time.
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Medalist. Vol. 01

Medalist. Vol. 01

Tsurumaikada, author, artist.
Published in 2024
"Inori is a little girl who dreams of becoming a figure skater. Yet, the obstacles to this dream feel insurmountable: Inori's already "too old" (she's 11); she's always had trouble at school; and, worst of all, her older sister's skating dreams ended in failure, so her mother is dead set against putting her other daughter through a similar experience. Still, the rink is the only place Inori can be herself, and she's out on the ice when a fateful meeting takes place. Tsukasa, a frustrated coach on the edge of giving up competitive skating himself, will join Inori to form an unstoppable duo powered by hard work, transcendent joy, and an unshakeable belief that they can prove everyone wrong"--Publisher's website.
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Gachiakuta. Vol. 01

Gachiakuta. Vol. 01

Urana, Kei, author.
Published in 2024
Rudo lives in the slums of a floating town, where the poor scrape by under the shadow of the rich, who live a sumptuous life, simply casting their garbage off the side, into the abyss. Then one day, he's falsely accused of murder, and his wrongful conviction leads to an unimaginable punishment-exile off the edge, with the rest of the trash. Down on the surface, the cast-off waste of humanity has bred vicious monsters, and if Rudo wants to have any hope of discovering the truth and seeking vengeance, he will have to master a new power and join a group known as the Cleaners who battle the hulking trash beasts of the Pit!
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Big Jim and the White Boy

Big Jim and the White Boy

An American Classic Reimagined
Walker, David, 1968- author.
Published in 2024
Big Jim and the White Boy is a radical retelling of this American classic, centering the experiences of Jim, an enslaved Black man in search of his kidnapped wife and children, along with his cheeky sidekick, Huckleberry Finn. Jim and Huck's high-stakes adventures take them on an epic voyage across the antebellum South and Midwest, through Confederate war camps and runaway safe houses, into Old West standoffs, and on the road as covert Underground Railroad agents. Intertwined into the story of Jim and Huck are the stories of Jim's descendants in the 1930s, 1980s, and 2020s, making this a multigenerational family epic as well as an adventure story. Big Jim and the White Boy takes readers on a journey through Jim and Huck's past, present, and future, delving into their incredible friendship and years of adventures--a bond that transcends the gruesome racism of the Civil War era.
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Ash's Cabin

Ash's Cabin

Wang, Jen
Published in 2024
Ash has always felt alone. Adults ignore the climate crisis. Other kids Ash's age are more interested in pop stars and popularity contests than in fighting for change. Even Ash's family seems to be sleepwalking through life. The only person who ever seemed to get Ash was their Grandpa Edwin. Before he died, he used to talk about building a secret cabin, deep in the California wilderness. Did he ever build it? What if it's still there, waiting for him to come back...or for Ash to find it? To Ash, that maybe-mythical cabin is starting to feel like the perfect place for a fresh start and an escape from the miserable feeling of alienation that haunts their daily life. But making the wilds your home isn't easy. And as much as Ash wants to be alone...can they really be happy alone? Can they survive alone? From New York Times –bestselling author and illustrator Jen Wang comes a singularly affecting story about self-discovery, self-reliance, and the choice to live when it feels like you have no place in the world.
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Ash's Cabin

Ash's Cabin

Wang, Jen, 1984- author, illustrator.
Published in 2024
"Ash has always felt alone. Adults ignore the climate crisis. Other kids Ash's age are more interested in pop stars and popularity contests than in fighting for change. Even Ash's family seems to be sleepwalking through life. The only person who ever seemed to get Ash was their Grandpa Edwin. Before he died, he used to talk about building a secret cabin, deep in the California wilderness. Did he ever build it? What if it's still there, waiting for him to come back...or for Ash to find it? To Ash, that maybe-mythical cabin is starting to feel like the perfect place for a fresh start and an escape from the miserable feeling of alienation that haunts their daily life. But making the wilds your home isn't easy. And as much as Ash wants to be alone...can they really be happy alone? Can they survive alone?." -- Provided by publisher.
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Status Royale

Status Royale

Vol. 01
Xu, Ru.
Published in 2024
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Punk Rock Karaoke

Punk Rock Karaoke

Xunise, Bianca
Published in 2024
"Stole my heart from the first page to the last. Endlessly funny and sincere." —Tillie Walden, Eisner & Ignatz Award–winning cartoonist A debut graphic novel from Ignatz Award–winning and nationally syndicated cartoonist Bianca Xunise. When life gives you guitars, smash them! School is out for summer and Ariel Grace Jones is determined to make it one for the books! Together with their bestie bandmates, Michele and Gael, Ariel believes they’re destined to break into the music industry and out of Chicago’s Southside by singing lead in their garage punk band, Baby Hares. But before Baby Hares can officially get into the groove, the realities of post grad life start to weigh on this crew of misfits. Ari begins to worry that it’s time to pull the plug on their dreams of making it big. Just when all hope feels lost, a fellow punk and local icon takes an interest in their talent. It seems like he might be the only one Ariel can rely on as frustrations between bandmates reach at an all-time high. Punk Rock Karaoke is a coming-of-age tale that draws upon the explosive joy of the underground scene, while raising questions about authenticity, the importance of community and what it means to succeed on your own terms.
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Punk Rock Karaoke

Punk Rock Karaoke

Xunise, Bianca, author.
Published in 2024
"Ariel has dreams of leaving her southside Chicago neighborhood and making it big as a punk rocker with her best friends and bandmates, now that they've graduated from high school, but the realities of young adulthood make that challenging and strain their friendships with each other."-- Provided by publisher.
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Lunar New Year Love Story

Lunar New Year Love Story

Yang, Gene Luen
Published in 2024
Graphic novel superstars Gene Luen Yang and LeUyen Pham join forces in this heartwarming rom-com about fate, family, and falling in love. She was destined for heartbreak. Then fate handed her love . Val is ready to give up on love. It's led to nothing but secrets and heartbreak, and she's pretty sure she's cursed—no one in her family, for generations, has ever had any luck with love. But then a chance encounter with a pair of cute lion dancers sparks something in Val. Is it real love? Could this be her chance to break the family curse? Or is she destined to live with a broken heart forever?
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Lunar New Year Love Story

Lunar New Year Love Story

Yang, Gene Luen, author.
Published in 2024
Graphic novel superstars Gene Luen Yang and LeUyen Pham join forces in this heartwarming rom-com about fate, family, and falling in love. Val is ready to give up on love. It's led to nothing but secrets and heartbreak, and she's pretty sure she's cursed--no one in her family, for generations, has ever had any luck with love. But then a chance encounter with a pair of cute lion dancers sparks something in Val. Is it real love? Could this be her chance to break the family curse? Or is she destined to live with a broken heart forever?
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Fool Night. Vol. 01

Fool Night. Vol. 01

Yasuda, Kasumi.
Published in 2024
The earth of the distant future is covered in thick clouds, and the sun no longer shines. Plants wither, and oxygen is thin. To fight extinction, humankind has developed a technology that turns humans into plants, providing a small amount of oxygen. Is this process sustainable? Is it ethical? Toshiro Kamiya must consider these questions as he’s faced with a difficult choice—save his family or save himself. Kamiya is at the end of his rope. His mother is ill, and his job barely pays for her medication, much less food. With few options left, he considers the life-changing process of transfloration. Ready to give his body up for a payday, Kamiya is about to explore the limits of society’s waning humanity.
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