Graphic Novels

Co-authors Kekla Magoon & Cynthia Leitich Smith in conversation about the inspiration behind The Blue Stars Series: Mission One: The Vice Principal Problem: "When we set out to write a middle grade graphic novel series about cousins who became superheroes to save their school library, we couldn't have imagined how timely our story would become."

National Tell a Fairy Tale Day is February 26 this year. Young readers can revisit stories about Goldilocks and Jack and the Beanstalk—with new characters and formats giving the classic stories a fresh feel.

Graphic-format book publishers continue to enjoy sales success, even though the pandemic boom has subsided. Graphic-format book publishers now have the power to touch more lives and impact the culture. For their young readers, creators are exploring the emotional challenges of growing up amidst stressors like a pandemic, wars, and climate change.

Eight books for elementary through high school readers center issues of democracy with engaging examples and stories.

“Because Black history isn’t centered, you have to search harder for those stories,” says Gill, who has researched figures including Spottswood Rice, who escaped enslavement and joined the Union Army, and motorcyclist Bessie Stringfield. 

In this guest post, artist Sammy Savos details her creative process and discusses her collaboration with Holocaust survivor Estelle Nadel to create the graphic memoir The Girl Who Sang. "I’m very grateful that she was able to see the finished book, hold it in her hands, and tell me how happy she was with it."

The 2015 Caldecott winner explains why the award should go to the illustrator and the author, and reveals his memorable middle-of-the-night DM from that year's Newbery winner, Kwame Alexander.

These nine works for elementary students to teenagers use visual strategies to convey inner thoughts, feelings, and emotions. 

From a spirited shark to a cheerful squirrel, the characters in these four graphic novels will inspire holiday cheer in readers.