Love graphic novels? The Young Adult Library Services Association (YALS) recently announced their picks for the top ten graphic novels of the year. Check them out!
My Friend Dahmer by Derf Backderf: You only think you know this story. In 1991, Jeffrey Dahmer—the most notorious
serial killer since Jack the Ripper—seared himself into the American
consciousness. To the public, Dahmer was a monster who committed unthinkable
atrocities. To Derf Backderf, "Jeff" was a much more complex figure: a high
school friend with whom he had shared classrooms, hallways, and car rides. In
My
Friend Dahmer, a haunting and original graphic novel, writer-artist Backderf
creates a surprisingly sympathetic portrait of a disturbed young man struggling
against the morbid urges emanating from the deep recesses of his psyche—a shy
kid, a teenage alcoholic, and a goofball who never quite fit in with his
classmates. With profound insight, what emerges is a Jeffrey Dahmer that few
ever really knew, and one readers will never forget.
Available through interlibrary loan
Trinity: A Graphic History of the First Atomic Bomb by Jonathan Fetter-Vorm: Trinity, the debut graphic book by the gifted illustrator Jonathan
Fetter-Vorm, depicts in vivid detail the dramatic history of the race to build
and the decision to drop the first atomic bomb. This sweeping historical
narrative traces the spark of invention from the laboratories of
nineteenth-century Europe to the massive industrial and scientific efforts of
the Manhattan Project. Along the way, Fetter-Vorm takes special care to explain
the fundamental science of nuclear reactions. With the clarity and accessibility
that only a graphic book can provide,
Trinity transports the reader into
the core of a nuclear reaction—into the splitting atoms themselves.
Available through interlibrary loan
Annie Sullivan and the Trials of Helen Keller by Joseph Lambert: Helen Keller lost her ability to see and hear before she turned two years old.
However, she became a world famous speaker and
author. She befriended Mark Twain, Charlie Chaplin, and Alexander Graham Bell.
And above all, she revolutionized public perception and treatment of the blind
and the deaf. The catalyst for this remarkable life’s journey was
Annie Sullivan. Hired on as a
tutor when Helen was six years old, Annie broke down the barriers between Helen
and the wider world, becoming a fiercely devoted friend and lifelong companion
in the process. In
Annie Sullivan and the Trials of Helen
Keller, author and illustrator Joseph Lambert examines the powerful bond
between teacher and pupil, forged through the intense frustrations and
revelations of Helen’s early education. The result is an inspiring, emotional,
and wholly original take on the story of these two great Americans.
Available through interlibrary loan
Ultimate Comics Spider-Man Vol. 1 by Brian Michael Bendis: The year's most talked about story! Miles Morales IS the new Spider-Man! What's
the secret behind his powers, and how will he master them? What new and familiar
enemies will rise to challenge this all-new Spider-Man? And will Miles live up
to Peter Parker's legacy.
Available through interlibrary loan
Friends With Boys by Faith Erin Hicks: After an idyllic childhood of homeschooling with her mother and three older brothers, Maggie enrolls in public high school, where interacting with her peers is complicated by the melancholy ghost that has followed her throughout her entire life.
Available through interlibrary loan
The Silence of Our Friends by Mark Long & Jim Demonakos: This semi-autobiographical tale is set
in 1967 Texas, against the
backdrop of the fight for civil rights. A white family from a notoriously racist
neighborhood in the suburbs and a black family from its poorest ward cross
Houston’s color line, overcoming humiliation, degradation, and violence to win
the freedom of five black college students unjustly charged with the murder of a
policeman.
Available through interlibrary loan
Stargazing Dog by Takashi Murakami: Fed up with his down-and-out life, Daddy sets out in his car to just get away from it all to nowhere in particular. His family and friends have abandoned him. The one companion he can count on completely, his dog, follows him blindly and faithfully to the end.
Available through interlibrary loan
Drama by Raina Telegemeier: Callie rides an emotional roller coaster while serving on the stage crew for a middle school production of "Moon over Mississippi" as various relationships start and end, and others never quite get going.
New Teen Fiction Telegemeier
A Flight of Angels by various authors: Deep in the woods outside of a magical kingdom, a strange group of faeries and forest creatures discover a nearly dead angel, bleeding and unconscious with a sword by his side. They call a tribunal to decide his fate, each telling stories that delve into different interpretations of these winged, celestial beings: tales of dangerous angels, all-powerful angels, guardian angels and death angels, that range from the mystical to the mysterious to the macabre.
Not available
Daredevil Vol. 1 by Mark Waid: With new enemies, new friends and that same old "grinnin' in the face of hell"
attitude, the Man Without Fear is back in action and leading with his face! Having turned his world upside down during the past several years, Matt
Murdock realizes justice may not be blind to his past and villains may not be
the only ones looking for answers. Bring it on! If Matt Murdock could see what
he was doing, he'd be terrified.
Available through interlibrary loan
Deadly by Sara Shepard (Pretty Little Liars #14): In Rosewood, news vans lurk outside gated drives and FBI agents are knocking on every mansion door--and it's all because four very pretty liars simply don't know how to be good. Spencer, Hanna, Emily, and Aria have been keeping killer secrets for an entire year--things that could land them in jail if A ever told. And now A has. One by one, the girls' worst deeds come out, and their worlds come crashing down around them. Spencer gets kicked out of Princeton. Hanna gets kicked out of her dad's campaign--and his heart. Emily gets kicked to the curb. And Aria may get kicked out of the country. The girls are the lowest they've ever been. They've lost everything. But A's not done yet. If A's deadly plan succeeds, the liars will have told their last lie... New Teen Fiction Shepard
The Impossible Knife of Memory by Laurie Halse Anderson: For the past five years, Hayley Kincaid and her father, Andy, have been on the road, never staying long in one place as he struggles to escape the demons that have tortured him since his return from Iraq. Now they are back in the town where he grew up so Hayley can attend school. Perhaps, for the first time, Hayley can have a normal life, put aside her own painful memories, and even have a relationship with Finn, the hot guy who obviously likes her but is hiding secrets of his own. Will being back home help Andy’s PTSD, or will his terrible memories drag him down? New Teen Fiction Anderson
Invasion by Walter Dean Myers: Josiah Wedgewood and Marcus Perry are on their way to an uncertain future: one white, one black, these young men have nothing in common and everything in common as they approach an experience that will change them forever. It's May 1944. World War II is ramping up, and so are these young recruits, ready and eager. I n small towns and big cities all over the globe, people are filled with fear. When Josiah and Marcus come together in what will be the greatest test of their lives, they learn hard lessons about race, friendship, and what it really means to fight. New Teen Fiction Myers
Into the Still Blue by Veronica Rossi (Under the Never Sky #3): In the final book of the Under the Never Sky trilogy, Aria and Perry struggle to reconcile their people, the Dwellers and Outsiders, united only in their hatred of their desperate situation. Meanwhile, time is running out to rescue Cinder, who was abducted by Hess and Sable for his unique abilities. Then Roar arrives in a grief-stricken fury, endangering all with his need for revenge. Out of options, Perry and Aria assemble an unlikely team for an impossible rescue mission. Cinder isn't just the key to unlocking the Still Blue and their only hope for survival--he's also their friend. And in a dying world, the bonds between people are what matter most. New Teen Fiction Rossi
The Girl Who Soared Over Fairyland and Cut the Moon in Two by Catherynne M. Valente (Fairyland #3): Now 14, September makes her way back to Fairyland and discovers a land so plagued by rules and regulations that she must receive an official profession--she’s named “royal scofflaw, professional revolutionary, and criminal of the realm”--prior to entering. But before she can start adventuring, she’s tasked with delivering a package to the moon, which has begun to shudder and shake with moonquakes because a terrible yeti is trying to break it to pieces. September and her friends travel the moon, meet their fates, encounter older and younger versions of themselves, and wonder what, exactly, makes them who they are—all while trying to find the speedy yeti and stop him from his destructive plans. New Teen Fiction Valente
Hollow City by Ransom Riggs: In this follow-up to bestseller Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, having narrowly escaped Miss Peregrine’s island by the skin of their teeth, Jacob and his new friends must journey to London, the peculiar capital of the world. Along the way, they encounter new allies, a menagerie of peculiar animals, and other unexpected surprises. Complete with dozens of newly discovered (and thoroughly mesmerizing) vintage photographs. New Teen Fiction Riggs
Frozen by Melissa de la Cruz (Heart of Dread #1): Welcome to New Vegas, a city once covered in bling, now blanketed in ice. Like much of the destroyed planet, the place knows only one temperature--freezing. But some things never change. The diamond in the ice desert is still a 24-hour playground and nothing keeps the crowds away from the casino floors, never mind the rumors about sinister sorcery in its shadows. At the heart of this city is Natasha Kestal, a young blackjack dealer looking for a way out. Like many, she's heard of a mythical land simply called “the Blue.” They say it’s a paradise, where the sun still shines and the waters are turquoise. More importantly, it’s a place where Nat won’t be persecuted, even if her darkest secret comes to light. But passage to the Blue is treacherous, if not impossible, and her only shot is to bet on a ragtag crew of mercenaries led by a cocky runner named Ryan Wesson there. Danger and deceit await on every corner, even as Nat and Wes find themselves drawn to each other. But can true love survive the lies? New Teen Fiction Cruz 
