It’s Art, Baby: Spring 2024 YA Comics and Graphic Novels
Are you a fan of YA books? What about comics and graphic novels? Then you’re in for dozens of treats as this spring’s collection of YA comics and graphic novels is out of this world good. There are cozy fantasies, engaging memoirs, and so much more.
This roundup of spring 2024 YA comics and graphic novels has a few parameters. It does not include titles from superhero series or long-time franchises, nor does it include ongoing manga series. Those are worthy of discussion, but this isn’t the particular post for it. Instead, what you’ll find here are comics and graphic novels written explicitly for YA readers and published either as brand-new series or stand-alone titles. Over the last several years, the world of YA comics publishing has exploded, and more publishers have developed imprints that exclusively put out works for teen readers (and not-so-teen readers who enjoy these stories).
Although the list below is not comprehensive, it is pretty thorough and covers a wide range of YA comics hitting shelves between April and June 2024. I’ve broken them down by publication date, and because this list is so lengthy and my time to read these has not yet come, I’m relying on the descriptions from Amazon here—I do the same in my mega roundups of YA books and YA paperbacks hitting shelves each season because it is just a lot of books. That is, of course, the best problem to have!
I use both the terms “comics” and “graphic novels” interchangeably in this post and in other writing about these types of books for a purpose. Comics are a format of presenting a story through illustration. It’s a broad and encompassing term of all the genres and styles within it. Graphic novels are a little more specific in that they are fictional stories told through the comic format. Compare that to graphic nonfiction or graphic memoir—both of which tell true stories in the comic format. Still, the phrase “graphic novel” is one that is used interchangeably with comic, even though it is more specific, so it’s worth utilizing both to help those who are just discovering or beginning their journey into these books. (And as a related aside, “graphic” used in front of “novel” or “memoir” or “nonfiction” makes these books easy targets for book banners because folks who seek to remove these titles from schools and libraries do not care that “graphic” refers to the format and not the content itself).
All of the titles include the author, as well as the illustrator and colorist, if those differ from the author. If you only see one name, that is who created all elements of the book.
Now onto the YA comics!
April 2
Here I Am, I Am Me by Cara Bean
Join author-illustrator Cara Bean in Here I Am, I Am Me, as she takes readers on an illustrated journey to the center of the brain. Each of the 9 chapters explores a different aspect of mental health, from the brain and the mind, to feelings and emotions. By portraying complex neuroscience concepts with a cast of illustrated characters (that represent parts of the brain), the book explains what is really going on in the reader’s head in an accessible, approachable way that ultimately serves to empower the reader.
Each chapter includes a “question map” that gives context to and helps frame the pages that follow as well as a “Bean Memory,” which shares a first-person true story that illustrates the chapter’s subject matter as it has played out in the author’s life.
Just Another Story by Ernesto Saade
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.”
April 16
The Harrowing by Kristen Kiesling, illustrated by Rye Hickman
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.
How Do I Draw These Memories? by Jonell Joshua
Jonell Joshua spent her childhood shuttling back and forth between Savannah and New Jersey — living in grandparents’ homes during the times her mother, struggling with mental illness, needed support to raise her and her brothers. Together the family found a way to keep going even in the darkest of times.
How Do I Draw These Memories? is an illustrated memoir about nostalgia, faith, the preciousness of life, and unconditional love.
From Jonell’s devastatingly brilliant pen as a writer and an artist, it plumbs the depths of what family can be — and how joy and hope can be found in the most ordinary and extraordinary moments.
Lies My Teacher Told Me: A Graphic Adaptation by James W. Loewen and Nate Powell
Since its first publication in the 1990s, Lies My Teacher Told Me has become one of the most important and successful—and beloved—history books of our time. As the late Howard Zinn said, “Every teacher, every student of history, every citizen should read this book.” Having sold well over 2 million copies, the book also won an American Book Award and numerous other commendations and prizes and was even heralded on the front page of the New York Times long after its first publication.
Now, the brilliant and award-winning artist Nate Powell—the first cartoonist ever to win a National Book Award—has adapted Loewen’s classic work into a graphic edition that perfectly captures both Loewen’s text and the irreverent spirit of his work. Eye-popping illustrations bring to life the true history chronicled in Lies My Teacher Told Me, and ample text boxes and callouts ensure nothing is lost in translation. The book is perfect for those making their first foray past the shroud of history textbooks, and it will also be beloved by those who had their worldviews changed by the original.
April 23
Homebody by Theo Parish
In their comics debut, Theo Parish masterfully weaves an intimate and defiantly hopeful memoir about the journey one nonbinary person takes to find a home within themself. Combining traditional comics with organic journal-like interludes, Theo takes us through their experiences with the hundred arbitrary and unspoken gender binary rules of high school, from harrowing haircuts and finally the right haircut to the intersection of gender identity and sexuality—and through tiny everyday moments that all led up to Theo finding the term “nonbinary,” which finally struck a chord.
“Have you ever had one of those moments when all of a sudden things become clear…like someone just turned on a light?”
A whole spectrum of people will be drawn to Theo’s storytelling, from trans or questioning teens and adults, to folks who devoured Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe or The Fire Never Goes Out by ND Stevenson, to any person looking to dive a little deeper into the way gender can shape identity. Throughout the book, Theo’s crystal-clear voice reminds the reader that it’s okay not to know, it’s okay to change your mind, and it’s okay to take your time finding your way home.
“We are all just trying to find a place to call our own. We are all deserving of comfort and safety, a place to call home.”
Punk Rock Karaoke by Bianca Xunise
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.
April 30
Pillow Talk by Stephanie Cooke, illustrated by Mel Valentine Vargas
Grace Mendes a.k.a. Cinderhella is a fierce competitor in the PFF, a pillow fight federation that’s part roller derby, part professional wrestling. But in this fresh, coming-of-age YA graphic novel, Grace needs to learn to overcome her biggest enemy: herself. For fans of Check, Please and Bloom.
When college freshman Grace Mendes reluctantly attends her first pillow fight match, she falls in love with the surprisingly gritty sport.
Despite her usually shy, introverted, and reserved nature, Grace decides to try out for the Pillow Fight Federation (PFF), a locally famous league of fighters with larger-than-life personas like Pain Eyre, Miss Fortune, and champion Kat Atonic. They may battle with pillows, but there is nothing soft about these fighters. The first and only rule to pillow fighting is that the pillow needs to be the first point of contact; after that, everything else goes.
Grace struggles with deep-seated body image issues, so she is especially shocked when she makes the competitive league and is welcomed into the fold of close knit, confident fighters. As her first official fight performing as newly crafted alter-ego/ring persona Cinderhella looms on the horizon, the real battle taking place is between Grace and her growing insecurities. What if people laugh or make fun of her? Why did she think she could pillow fight in the first place when she doesn’t look like your “typical” athlete?
Turns out, no one is laughing when Cinderhella dominates her first match in the ring. And as her alter-ego rises through the ranks of the PFF, gaining traction and online fame (and online trolls), can Grace use the spotlight to become an icon for not just others, but most importantly, for herself?
Pillow Talk is an inclusive, high-octane, outrageously fun graphic novel that aims a punch at the impossibly high standards set for women in sports (and otherwise) and champions the power of finding a team that will, quite literally, fight for you. A knock-out!
May 7
The Boy From Clearwater, Book 2 by Pei-Yun Yu, illustrated by Jian-Xin Zhou, translated by Lin King
After his imprisonment in Green Island, Kun-lin struggles to pick up where he left off ten years earlier. He reconnects with his childhood crush Kimiko and finds work as an editor, jumping from publisher to publisher until finally settling at an advertising company. But when manhua publishing becomes victim to censorship, and many of his friends lose their jobs, Kun-lin takes matters into his own hands. He starts a children’s magazine, Prince, for a group of unemployed artists and his old inmates who cannot find work anywhere else. Kun-lin’s life finally seems to be looking up… but how long will this last?
Forty years later, Kun-lin serves as a volunteer at the White Terror Memorial Park, promoting human rights education. There, he meets Yu Pei-yun, a young college professor who provides him with an opportunity to reminisce on his past and how he picked himself up after grappling with bankruptcy and depression. With the end of martial law, Kun-lin and other former New-Lifers felt compelled to mobilize to rehabilitate fellow White Terror victims, forcing him to face his past head-on. While navigating his changing homeland, he must conciliate all parts of himself—the victim and the savior, the patriot and the rebel, a father to the future generation and a son to the old Taiwan—before he can bury the ghosts of his past.
Breathe: Journeys to Healthy Binding by Maia Kobabe and Dr. Sarah Peitzmeier, illustrated by Maia Kobabe
Breathe arose from the need for a resource for folks considering chest binding as gender-affirming care. Dr. Peitzmeier interviewed twenty-five people of different ages and backgrounds about their journeys with binding, and then she and Kobabe combined excerpts from those interviews with evidence-based resources on binding into this extremely accessible guide.
Breathe is both a practical resource for trans and nonbinary folks and an engaging and perspective-broadening read for anyone interested in what it means to be on a journey of expressing one’s gender in ways that are joyful, healthy, and affirming.
Escape From St. Hell by Lewis Hancox
In this sequel to the Indie bestseller WELCOME TO ST. HELL, Lewis Hancox tells the hilarious, inspiring story of coming into his own as a trans man
For Lew, figuring out he was a guy and wanted to live life as a guy was the end of our journey… and the start of a whole other journey. Escape From St. Hell charts all the changes that Lew wanted to be made in order for him to live as a young trans man — changes not just to his own body and perspective, but to the perspectives of the family, friends, and enemies around him.
As he did in his bestselling graphic memoir Welcome to St. Hell, Lewis Hancox charts his journey with plenty of laughs, a good number of cringes, and an honesty that takes readers along for the ride of Lew’s life.
Garbage Night: The Complete Collection by Benji Lee
A bind-up edition of the first Garbage Night book, along with the eagerly anticipated new sequel. A tale of friendship, trust and survival in a post-apocalyptic world.
In a barren and ransacked backyard, a dog named Simon lives with his two best friends: a raccoon and a deer. The unlikely gang spend their days looting and waiting for the return of the hallowed ‘garbage night’ – but week after week, the bins remain empty. When the gang are told of the ‘other town’, where humans are rumoured to live, the trio set off into the unknown…
On their journey, the trio encounter a collective of their fellow animals who have control and live in semi-chaotic harmony. It doesn’t take long for them to settle into the community, but something isn’t quite right about their new allies, and the mystery of Black Thistle Acres begins to unravel feelings, truths, and secrets from every side. The real question is, will they continue their mission to the city? Or will someone get left behind?
Hotelitor by Josh Hicks
Take a trip aboard Hotelitor: the finest hospitality craft in its colony, equipped with jet feet, a hyperspace engine, and single, double, and adjoining rooms.
When a giant alien attacks the ship, Hotelitor’s surviving guests and staff find themselves stranded in deep space. There, 18-year-old intern Anna Greene must take charge. Alongside her fellow entry-level service workers, she’ll try to control the chaos while rival factions emerge, wealthy VIPs seize hotel resources, and the musician-in-residence develops a literal cult following. As Anna and her friends search for a way home, shocking discoveries about Hotelitor’s owners await them―if another giant alien doesn’t smash the crew first.
Karate Prom by Kyle Starks
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?
Fast-paced, madcap, and completely free of any kind of redeeming or morally thoughtful content, KARATE PROM is a loving homage to teen comedies of the ’80s as well as badly dubbed kung-fu films.
Mangilaluk by Bernard Andreason, illustrated by Alan Gallo
“Some children are born into the world and are home as soon as they come Earthside. Others spend their lifetimes searching for a home, a place to belong, a place where they are safe. I am one of those children.”
After running away from residential school, Bernard Andreason and his two best friends begin a harrowing 130-kilometre journey from Inuvik to Tuktoyaktuk, one which only Bernard would survive. In this heartbreaking and beautifully told graphic memoir, Bernard recounts his time in residential school and the tragic journey that took the lives of his two best friends. We then follow Bernard as he returns home, haunted by his past and struggling to find his place. Despite enduring more challenges into adulthood, Bernard never stops pursuing healing and higher learning, and he finds a support network that helps him. His story shows us that the possibility of finding a safe and loving home exists, and it is something every child deserves.
Mangilaluk is an extraordinarily affecting new addition to Qinuisaarniq (“resiliency”), a collection of books created to educate readers about the history and impacts of residential schools.
The Scarf and the Butterfly by Monica Ittusardjuat, illustrated by Coco Apunnguaq Lynge and Scott Plumbe
“’There’s an opening above me, but it’s far, and I have to stack up rocks to jump up, and it’s almost impossible to get out.’ That’s when I realized that I was stripped of my identity, and there was nothing of my culture left in me. It was like I wasn’t in my body anymore. It was bare and desolate and empty and cold, lifeless in my body. Where was I? Where had I gone?”
In this visceral graphic memoir, Monica Ittusardjuat brings readers with her from residential school classrooms to government apologies on her journey to rediscovering what it means to be Inuk. Born prematurely in an iglu on Baffin Island, Monica attended three residential schools over eleven years. She details her resulting struggles with addiction, mental health, and domestic violence, which haunted her into adulthood.
Equal parts heartbreaking and hopeful, Monica’s memoir is a testimony to the lasting impacts of residential schools and one woman’s fight to reclaim what she lost.
The Scarf and the Butterfly is a stunning new addition to Qinuisaarniq (“resiliency”), a collection of books created to educate readers about the history and impacts of residential schools.
Sunhead by Alex Assan
In this queer coming-of-age teen graphic novel by breakout talent Alex Assan, high schooler Rotem feels herself growing apart from her friends in a million inexpressible ways. But an unexpected connection with another student makes her feel more herself than ever before. This incisive and stunningly gorgeous debut is perfect for fans of Bloom and Gender Queer.
Rotem is a Sunhead, a fan of the international smash hit Sunrise series of books and films. She’s obsessed with the story’s love interest, Edmund, and no one else gets it. But all that changes when she befriends Ayala, a shy classmate and avid book lover who’s as swept away by the romance as she is. The two become fast friends, but as their deep connection grows stronger, Rotem starts to wonder: What exactly draws her to this story?
Alex Assan’s debut, Sunhead, is an earnest coming-of-age graphic novel that explores how the stories we love help us understand our friendships, our relationships, and ourselves.
May 14
Young Hag and The Witches’s Quest by Isabel Greenberg
Once there was magic in Britain. There were dragons and wizards and green knights and round tables and kings that pulled swords out of stones. But now, the doors to the Otherworld have closed, and the magic is gone. All that is left are the stories of those bygone days. Young Hag, her mother and her grandmother, Ancient Crone, are the last of the witches in Britain. At least, that’s what Ancient Crone says.
Young Hag has grown up hearing those tales and believing in her the power of her Grandmother. But when tragedy strikes, and their world is shaken, Young Hag turns her back on magic. She is sick of the tales of family curses, faerie doors, lost magic, and ancient swords. If they are witches, where is their magic when they really need it?
May 21
A Haunted Girl by Ethan Sacks, Naomi Sacks, illustrated by Marco Lorenzana
A Haunted Girl is a horror story that explores the real-life terror that comes with the struggles of anxiety and depression.
The fate of all life on Earth depends on a girl who doesn’t know if she wants to live.
Cleo, a 16-year-old adopted Japanese-American whose anxiety and depression drives her to suicidal thoughts, is fresh out of the hospital and trying unsuccessfully to reintegrate back into her old life. What she doesn’t know is that her real struggles are just beginning as she finds herself encountering an increasingly terrifying succession of ghosts. Is she losing her grip on reality…or is the explanation much, much worse.
Courtesy of writers Ethan Sacks (Old Man Hawkeye, Star Wars: Bounty Hunters) and his daughter, Naomi Sacks and artist Marco Lorenzana (Hulk), this gripping saga aims to be both a paranormal thriller and an inspiration to those who are battling their own, less literal, demons in real life.
The Worst Ronin by Maggie Tokuda-Hall, illustrated by Faith Schaffer
Being a samurai isn’t easy. Sixteen-year-old Chihiro Ito knows that more than anyone. Her father is renowned among the samurai, but the only thing Chihiro is known for is spending way too much time on her phone obsessing over Tatsuo Nakano, Chihiro’s idol and the first woman to be accepted into Kesi Academy, a prestigious samurai school.
So, when Chihiro’s father is conscripted for service and the opportunity arises to work with Tatsuo in his stead, Chihiro jumps at the chance to prove that she’s worthy of a spot at Kesi Academy and the samurai title. Their mission: kill the yamauba demon terrorizing a village. With a legendary samurai like Tatsuo by her side, Chihiro is convinced victory is inevitable. But Tatsuo isn’t at all like the hero Chihiro imagined. Foulmouthed, quick tempered, and a terrible drunk, Tatsuo completely turned her back on the samurai way and is now a ronin working for hire as a means of escaping the grief that haunts her. Forced to work together, the two are thrust on a treacherous journey filled with epic battles and twisted conspiracies as they must put aside their differences to save the village and face the demons of the past.
May 28
Maelstrom: A Prince of Evil by Lorian Merriman
In this action-packed, hilarious fantasy graphic novel perfect for fans of Nimona and The Adventure Zone, Maelstrom, the demon son of an evil tyrant improbably teams up with the Hero of Virtue to take his mother down―that is, unless, Maelstrom decides to betray the Hero first.
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. . .
June 4
The Deep Dark by Molly Knox Ostertag
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.
Haphaven, Deluxe Edition by Norm Harper, illustrated by Louie Joyce
How far would you go to change your luck? For superstitious teen Alex Mills, it’s straight into the land of superstition itself. One part fantasy, one part coming-of-age adventure, Haphaven takes readers through the rainbow on a quest to right unlucky wrongs.
Now in a new deluxe hardcover with never-before-seen bonus content!
Ever-superstitious Alex Mills will do anything to avoid a jinx. Picking up pennies, knocking on wood, collecting rabbit’s feet . . . you name it. That is, until she steps on a crack and it actually does break her mother’s back. To save her mom, Alex must follow Hubbub Caskside, a trusty leprechaun, on a journey through the end of a rainbow to Haphaven, the world where all of Earth’s superstitions draw their power. All she needs is a rabbit’s foot to save her mom, but she soon discovers the lucky article won’t be so easy to retrieve. Not only is the rabbit’s foot guarded by Haphaven’s most formidable creature, the Jinx, there’s also a forest full of trees that knock back if you don’t knock on wood, people named Penny who do not like to be picked up, and a particularly vindictive black cat who will not be crossed. As Alex finds herself desperately searching for a way to save her mom, she learns of a mysterious connection between her family’s fate and the rulers of Haphaven. With her mother’s life on the line and her own fate at stake, Alex must find the strength within herself to unlock the mystery and take back control of the superstitions that have controlled her life . . . even if it means crossing the Black Cat once and for all.
An Outbreak of Witches by Deborah Noyes, illustrated by M. Duffy
A gripping tale of paranoia at its worst, this bewitching narrative nonfiction graphic novel visually imagines the haunting details behind the Salem witch trials.
From 1692 to 1693, fear reigned in the small village of Salem, Massachusetts. The night Abigail Williams and Betty Paris first accused their servant of witchcraft was only the beginning.
Several more accusations would follow suit, sparking a widespread panic that consumed Salem in one of the longest cases of witch trials in America, where more than twenty innocent lives were lost, and mistrust ran amok.
The community was in ruins, from the afflicted who fanned the flames of superstition to the judges who used their power unjustly and the accused who were falsely charged and hanged in consequence. In the absence of due process and with hysteria abounding, no one in Salem was safe.
Journey into how it all began in this arresting, true-to-life look at how lies became facts, friends turned to foes, and loved ones turned to enemies.
Tristan and Lancelot by James Persichetti, illustrated by L.S. Biehler
In this queer reimagining of an Arthurian legend, Knights of the Round Table Lancelot and Tristan set out on a quest to find the missing magician Merlin but instead discover an unexpected romance perfect for fans of The Prince and the Dressmaker and Squire.
When Merlin goes missing and Camelot falls under attack, King Arthur sends his estranged half-sister, Morgan le Fay, and esteemed Knights of the Round Table, Tristan and Lancelot, to find him. As the reluctant trio travels through Albion saving towns from treacherous foes and battling fae, their bonds deepen, and sparks fly between the two knights. Before they can sort through their complicated feelings, an unexpected dark force appears, bringing what just might be the end of Camelot.
From debut author James Persichetti and new talent L.S. Biehler, Tristan and Lancelot: A Tale of Two Knights will sweep readers away with an epic quest and a love story for the ages.
June 11
Brownstone by Samuel Teer, illustrated by Mar Julia
Almudena has always wondered about the dad she never met.
Now, with her white mother headed on a once-in-a-lifetime trip without her, she’s left alone with her Guatemalan father for an entire summer. Xavier seems happy to see her, but he expects her to live in (and help fix up) his old, broken-down brownstone. And all along, she must navigate the language barrier of his rapid-fire Spanish—which she doesn’t speak.
As Almudena tries to adjust to this new reality, she gets to know the residents of Xavier’s Latin American neighborhood. Each member of the community has their own joys and heartbreaks as well as their own strong opinions on how this young Latina should talk, dress, and behave. Some can’t understand why she doesn’t know where she comes from. Others think she’s “not brown enough” to fit in.
But time is running out for Almudena and Xavier to get to know each other, and the key to their connection may ultimately lie in bringing all these different elements together. Fixing a broken building is one thing, but turning these stubborn individuals into a found family might take more than this one summer.
When The Lake Burns by Geneviève Bigué, translated by Luke Langille
When a local lake catches fire, a group of teens set out to see the spectacle for themselves—but not everything goes as planned.
A very rare natural phenomenon is causing quite a stir in Rivière-aux-Corbeaux: Lake Kijikone has caught fire and grown into a veritable inferno. When the disaster occurs, an old local legend re-emerges, and a group of local teens decide to find out if the stories are true. Deep in the woods, one of the teens shares a secret so shocking that the group splits up—and the real nightmare begins.
Wolfpitch by Balazs Lorinczi
All’s fair in love and music when this supernatural all-girl rock band must beat the odds and become the best band in town!
Izzy’s a bass-playing werewolf. Geraldine’s the ghost of an amazing jazz pianist. Delilah’s the meanest drummer in town. They’d be the perfect trio to win the Battle of Bands…except Geraldine can’t play a solo since she passed away, and Izzy and Delilah are at each other’s throats at every opportunity. Can they work through their problems to win the competition, or will they be defeated by Delilah’s ex-band and their villainous frontman, Dylan?
Cymbals will crash, ears will ring, and hearts will melt like milkshakes in the latest delicious LGBTQ romp from graphic novelist Balazs Lorinczi (Doughnuts and Doom).
