Graphic Novels

Encore

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by Miles Toriko Burks
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!
Release date: June 2, 2026
Review copy provided by the publisher.
Content: There is some swearing and talking about sex. It will be in the Teen Graphic Novel section of the bookstore.

It’s senior year, and Clay is determined to have a good year, surrounded by friends. But when his ex-best friend, Aron, suddenly appears in Clay’s theater class and (gasp) they are paired together, Clay isn’t sure where he stands. Especially since Aron is acting like nothing happened between them (and that he didn’t ghost Clay). As Clay and Aron spend more time together, Clay starts neglecting his current friends, and things spiral out of control. Can Clay save his friendships before it’s too late? (And what ARE those feelings he’s been having for Aron?)

The thing I kept thinking while reading this was that it was very much an American Heartstopper. Which is a compliment! I liked the characters, I liked their friendships, and I liked Aron’s journey to realizing his feelings for Clay and who he is as a person. I liked Clay’s journey to get past old hurt and to trust Aron again. I liked that it was effortlessly queer, and I liked the theater setting. It was all just joyful and fun.

I hope that Burke writes more, either with these characters or with new ones, because he is a talented artist, and I’d love to see more!

The Dream Thieves: The Graphic Novel

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by Maggie Stiefvater
Illustrated by Sas Milledge
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!
Release date: August 4, 2026
Review copy provided by the publisher
Others in the series: The Raven Boys
Content: There is violence, drug use, and some swearing, including f-bombs. It will be in the Teen Graphic Novel section.

This follows the novel pretty closely; there are some scenes that are cut, some that are collapsed, but the highlights are there (I do miss my “furiously red tie” though). I think this one lends itself to graphic novel adaptation really well – there are a couple of serious antagonists and the plot is fairly straightforward. And the art, like before, is gorgeous. (Though I’m not sure Kavinsky looks like what I thought Kavinsky should look like.) I enjoyed this one more than I liked Raven Boys; it just felt more cohesive as a graphic novel (which does leave me a bit concerned for Blue Lilly and Raven King, though).

I really enjoyed it.

Midsummer Sisters

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by Niki Smith
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!
Release date June 2, 2026
Review copy provided by the publisher.
Content: There are a couple of instances of parents fighting and children being afraid, and there is mention of crushes. It will be in the Middle Grade Graphic Novel section.

Kenzie and Quinn are stepsisters, but they have grown up together for most of their twelve years. They don’t remember a time when they weren’t sisters. But, their parents – Kenzie’s dad and Quinn’s mom – are arguing all the time now, their fights getting worse, and Quinn’s mom is looking at a divorce and moving away. Neither girl wants this, but they have no say. When the fighting gets really bad, they go out to the Outer Banks to visit Kenzie’s grandmother, where they become invested in the wild horses. They work out their own issues – anxiety about no longer being sisters – while watching the horses and enjoying the island.

I wanted to like this one a lot more than I did. One of my coworkers mentioned that horse books are popular again, and this one definitely falls into that category. I know there will be kids – step-siblings whose parents are going through a divorce – who will find this helpful, but I couldn’t connect. I appreciated the grandmother (she’s the one with the most sense), and I think if I were more of a horse girl, I would have really enjoyed Kenzie and Quinn’s interactions with the horses.

As it was, I recognized that it was good, but I didn’t love it.

To Dance the Moon and Stars

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by Tasia M S and Barbara Perez Marquez
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!
Release date: July 14, 2026
Review copy provided by the publisher.
Content: There is some violence (including poisoning a king), and some kissing. It will be in the Teen Graphic Novel section of the bookstore.

Myra has spent her entire life training to succeed her grandmother as high priestess for her country. She desperately wants to do a good job, but there are problems: dancing is banned and Myra loves to dance. And she’s in love with the crown prince, but the Heir to the kingdom and the High Priestess can never be together.

Oh dear, what will they do?

Okay, that sounds sarcastic, and maybe that’s a little harsh, but that’s kind of how I felt reading this one. I wanted more. I wanted more depth, I wanted more angst, I wanted more drama. And all I got was some dancing (nothing wrong with that) that helps defeat a demon. Ok then.

I think this has the bones of a good idea, and there will be people who like it, but it just felt flat to me.

Haven and the Fallen Giants

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by Jen Xu and Kate Rhodes
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!
Review copy provided by the publisher
Release date: June 16, 2026
Content: There are some depictions of violence and some intense moments. It will be in the Middle Grade Graphic Novel section of the bookstore.

Haven has grown up outside the town of Raqmu in the desert. She’s never been unhappy with her life, even though she has to sneak into the town to get at the parts she needs to sell her wares. As she is scavaging, she finds an ancient relic – but the Guardians of the town are after her. The majority of the book is her running through the town’s festival evading the Guardians, but she isn’t alone: a town girl, Lin, helps her out. It sounds unintersting, but believe me: it’s not.

While I liked the plot – Xu and Rhodes deal with the class issues between the city-dwellers and the desert-dwellers – it was the art that took my breath away. I haven’t seen a graphic novel this beautiful since Amulet, and I don’t say that lightly. there’s a spread near the beginning, as a young Haven sees a Giant, that is absolutely gorgeous. I can’t wait to see this in print. And while the book ended in a bit of a cliffhanger – it captivated me enough that I’m going to be invested in this series as it comes out.

It’s one of the best graphic novels I’ve seen in a long time.

Patchwork: A Graphic Biography of Jane Austen

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by Kate Evans
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!
Content: It’s a bit cumbersome being a hardcover graphic novel, but otherwise, there’s nothing. It’s in the Graphic Novel section of the bookstore.

This is a slightly fictionalized biography of the life of Jane Austen. It’s different in that Evans takes a look at the fabrics in Austen’s life – one of the more interesting parts is when Evans breaks down the history of individual fabrics that Austen would have had use of – and she also extrapolates elements of Austen’s life from her novels. I found it beautiful and interesting – mostly because I enjoyed Evans’s art and her take on Austen’s life, but also because I found the notes and the use of Austen’s book fascinating. I didn’t really learn anything – I’ve read other books about Austen, her works, and her life, but I found this one enjoyable and (more particularly) a beautiful book.

Offside

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by Christina Diaz Gonzalez and illustrated by Mari Costa
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!
Review copy provided by the publisher
Release date: July 7, 2026.
Content: There is some neglect by parents, and conflict between friends. It will be in the Middle Grade Graphic Novel section of the bookstore.

Jackson Middle School’s soccer team has gone co-ed. Al – the team captain – doesn’t like this, but mostly because his dad is staunchly against Al playing on a team with girls. Nicky, the girl who pushed for the team to go co-ed, is ecstatic once she makes the team, but is finding it difficult to be a team player. Palmer has been sidelined for the season due to a torn ACL, but is finding new talents writing for the school (and city) newspaper. And Fabiola and Seba are adjusting to life in America and learning how to belong here.

It’s a story of friendship and belonging, of teamwork and chasing your dreams, and I really enjoyed it. I do think there was a bit too much going on – not only did Nicky have issues with her old teammates who felt they dropped her for the boys, but she also had drama with her dad, who spent more time with his new girlfriend/wife than with her. Al’s biggest issue was his overbearing (and sexist) dad, a problem that was magically resolved when Al’s grandpa came to visit from Brazil and was suddenly okay with girls and boys playing soccer together. Fabiola and Seba’s problems were straightforward: they couldn’t speak English well and struggled to communicate. The characters were all pretty well developed, but I think I would have rather there be less going on. But maybe that wouldn’t have been realistic.

At any rate, it was a good graphic novel, and one I’d definitely recommend to soccer-loving kids.

Two Tribes

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by Emily Bowen Cohen
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!
Review copy provided by the publisher
Content: There is bad-mouthing by divorced parents of the other parent, a runaway kid (nothing happens), and some slurs against Native Peoples. It’s in the Middle Grade Graphic Novel section of the bookstore.

Mia lives with her Jewish mother and stepfather in LA, and goes to a Jewish school. Which is all good, except her father is Muscogee and she longs to learn about her Native side of the family. Her mom is not really open to talking about Mia’s dad, or her Native family, so Mia hatches a plan to take a bus to Oklahoma and visit them, without her mom’s knowledge or approval. Once in Oklahoma, she meets relatives she barely remembers, learns about the traditions, and goes to a powwow. Once her mom figures out what she’s done, however, she is whisked back to LA. There, she finds the courage to confront her mother about wanting to learn more about both sides, both tribes, that she has inherited.

On the one hand, I think this is an excellent story about kids struggling between identities, with divorced parents who aren’t on good terms with each other. It’s a basic primer about Native peoples – there is a confrontation with a kid at the Jewish school who insists she can’t be Native because they “aren’t even alive anymore.” There’s also a side bit about a book that perpetuates negative Native stereotypes. And a confrontation with her Rabbi about using a slur – something he didn’t even register.

On the other hand, I’m not sure I really liked it. I liked parts of it, sure, and I liked the Idea behind it, and I think it’ll be good for kids to have access to. But, the story felt flat. It all happened too quickly. There wasn’t enough development with the character or her family. Mom turned on a dime (I wanted a story about mom, honestly). It just lacked the depth I think it could have had.

But it’s still a good graphic novel.

Angelica and the Bear Prince

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by Trun Le Nguyen
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!
Review copy pilfered from the ARC shelves at work.
Content: There is racism toward Asian people and bad boyfriends. It’s in the Teen Graphic Novel section of the bookstore.

Angelica was an overachiever. She did everything, and was super good at it all. That is, until she burned out her junior year. She’s spent a while recovering and is slowly trying to get back into participating. She got an internship at the local children’s theater. Where they’re doing a production of East of the Sun, West of the Moon, with the classic Bear Prince costume. With whom Angelica has been DMing on Instagram and may like. Gable – who was Angelica’s best friend in childhood – is the bear prince but is concerned that Angelica won’t like him in his new trans identity. It’s full of ups and downs, nice adults and lame boyfriends, and is a perfect snapshot of a moment in the life of a couple of high school students.

Nguyen wrote The Magic Fish, which I adored, and his art and storytelling are just as strong here, even if the subject matter is lighter. I like the way he wove the fairy tale through these books as well. It’s a sweet little graphic novel, one that is bound to make readers smile.

Winging It

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by Megan Wagner Lloyd and Michelle Mee Nutter
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!
Review copy provided by the publisher.
Release date: October 21, 2025
Content: There is talk of dead parents and some awkward situations. It will be in the Middle Grade Graphic Novel section.

Luna’s mom died when she was a baby, but she and her dad have always gotten along fine. Except now, her dad’s decided that they need to move across the country from LA to Washington DC to live with her (white) mother’s mother, someone that Luna barely knows and doesn’t have a great opinion of. But, in the months that they are there, Luna not only learns to understand her grandmother, but learns to appreciate her dead mother’s love of nature.

This one was…. nice. I like knowing that there are books out there about change and growing – especially moving and making new friends, which is hard – but I wasn’t really drawn in by Luna and her quest to find a luna moth and understand her mother. Perhaps it’s because it took place over a huge chunk of time – an entire year – but it just didn’t resonate with me.

That doesn’t mean that kids won’t love it.