Kelly is a former librarian and a long-time blogger at STACKED. She's the editor/author of (DON'T) CALL ME CRAZY: 33 VOICES START THE CONVERSATION ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH and the editor/author of HERE WE ARE: FEMINISM FOR THE REAL WORLD. Her next book, BODY TALK, will publish in Fall 2020. Follow her on Instagram @heykellyjensen.
Now that we’re halfway into October, let’s both catch up with and look forward to the latest in YA comics and nonfiction books on shelves this month. Both the comic format and the nonfiction category of YA tend to get less spotlight than their novel counterparts. This is despite the fact both comics and nonfiction are widely read by their intended teen audiences and readers who simply love young adult literature.
If you’re looking for a new and compelling work of nonfiction or an immersive illustrated story, try one of these new releases on for size. If there’s not an illustrator called out in the title line, that’s because the author of the comic is also the illustrator. Some of the below cover both the nonfiction side and the comic/graphic novel side. I’ve called out nine titles to highlight and included nearly that many more below because October is a packed month.
As a note, the representation of inclusive voices and genders is a little lighter than normal this month. This particular roundup does not represent the breadth of voices typically seen in YA and especially YA comics and nonfiction.
The Ballerina of Auschwitz by Edith Eva Eger
In Hungary in 1943, Edie struggles to fit into her family, despite her skill as a dancer and gymnast, with dreams of the Olympics on her mind. She’s also Jewish, and while the world around her hasn’t been her focus, it has to be.
When Edie falls in love with Eric, her world is flipped upside down. Her family is sent to Auschwitz, and the last words Eric tells Edie are what help sustain her through the horrific experience. Edie and her sister Magda make it out, and this is Edie’s memoir about that experience.
If this book sounds familiar, it might be because you read the adult edition called The Choice.
Civic Minded: What Everyone Should Know about the US Government by Jeff Fleischer
How do different government processes work? Where and how did they originate and where or how might they be changed or altered? Those are just some of the topics explored in this engaging and inviting guide to the history, present, and future of American civics.
This book was included in a roundup late this summer that explored civics-focused books for teen readers.
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A Deathly Compendium of Poisonous Plants by Rebecca E. Hirsch
This paperback original work of nonfiction is for all of the readers who love science, plants, nature, and things that are slightly wicked (I check all of those boxes!). It’s a look at the deadliest and most ghoulish plants in the world. Some of the stories include a fungus tied to the Salem Witch Trials, toxic plant evolution, the weed that killed Abraham Lincoln’s mom, and more.
Ditching Saskia by John Moore, illustrated by Neetols
Damian lives with his grandfather and he’s really having a hard time fitting in and feeling at home in the world. He decides to do what any kid would do: summon the ghost of his mother to have her there for him to talk things out.
Except he doesn’t end up summoning his mom. He summons Saskia, a young kid. It’s not what he expected and he’s certainly not happy about it, but ultimately, the relationship he builds with this little girl ends up changing both of their worlds for the better.
Girlmode by Magdalene Visaggio, illustrated by Paulina Ganucheau
Phoebe Zito is brand new to her high school, to Los Angeles, and to having transitioned. She hopes to fly under the radar as she figures out exactly who she is with all of this change. But she can’t—the school’s most popular and beloved girl, Mackenzie Ishikawa, wants to befriend Phoebe stat.
Mackenzie encourages Phoebe to be her truest self and promises to have her back through it all. But when Phoebe decides to take that advice, will Mackenzie and the other new friends she’s making really be there for her? Or will people be hurt in the process?
Halfway There: A Graphic Memoir of Self-Discovery by Christine Mari
Christine has never felt quite whole—she’s Japanese American, born in Tokyo but raised in the US—and now she’s spending a year living abroad in Tokyo in hopes of finding more of herself through the experience. It is not what she anticipates at all, though. Instead, Christine feels even more out of place in Tokyo and is not sure how she can go about truly understanding her two identities, even in the city where she was born. This memoir is about self-discovery, with a particular appeal to readers who are or enjoy reading about growing up between cultures and never feeling wholly one or the other. Halfway There looks like an excellent read alike to Ay, Mija by Christine Suggs and I Was Their American Dream by Malaka Gahrib.
I Shall Never Fall in Love by Hari Conner
George inherited their family’s failing estate. That’s not their only issue though. They’re also having complicated feelings about best friend Eleanor and have to ensure they never get caught dressing in men’s clothes.
Meanwhile, Eleanor is someone who strives to be right in all she does. The challenge she has is never finding a boy who has felt quite right for her. Her time with George and cousin Charlotte is much more enjoyable. At least until a surprise suitor comes to town and now, Eleanor has to face some feelings and thoughts she never has before. Not to mention that that suitor might come between her and the two people she cares most about in the world.
A joyfully queer Jane Austen mashup retelling with the flavor of The Prince and the Dressmaker sounds fantastic, doesn’t it?
No Rules Tonight by Kim Hyun Sook and Ryan Estrada
Anjeon University is hosting its annual winter camp this weekend, and while still under the watchful eye of 1980s South Korean police, the event happens over Christmas Eve. That is the one day a year where self-expression is allowed, where rules are relaxed, and there are no curfews.
The students are eager for their one night of freedom, and each have different plans for how they’ll spend it. Hyun Sook wants to restart her banned books club and knows she’ll have to do so on the down low thanks to a tattle tale classmate. Taehee and Kiwoo plan to finally confess their feelings toward one another, and Suji plans to tell a lifelong secret to someone.
This comic is a bright story of the feeling of freedom, of growing up, and so much more. I’m going to pick this one up in the depths of winter because it sounds like such a good one for those long cold nights.
Side Quest: A Visual History of Roleplaying Games by Samuel Sattin, illustrated by Steenz
Side Quest is a mixture of history, memoir, and fantasy, as it follows the little-known history of roleplaying games through the actual playing of such games by the author and illustrator of the book. It’s not only meant to be enlightening and entertaining but it’s meant to be a gentle introduction for readers who’ve never played a tabletop game before or felt intimidated by the culture surrounding TTRPG—while also being a book that long-time fans of TTRPGs will nerd out to because of how much they’re learning and experiencing right along with the book’s creators.
Want more? Here are several more YA comics and works of nonfiction hitting shelves in October:
– Please Be My Star by Victoria Grace Elliott
– The Strange Case of Harleen and Harley by Melissa Marr, illustrated by Jenn St-Onge
– The Sweetness Between Us by Sarah Winifred Searle
– The Terrifying Tales of Vivian Vance by Josh Ulrich
– Thief of the Heights by Son M., illustrated by Robin Yao
– This Land Is Our Land by Julio Anta, illustrated by Jacoby Salcedo
– Your Throne Volume 1 by SAM
English (US) · 