After a YA nonfiction drought for months, April brings several fresh new works of nonfiction to shelves. Among them are books that encourage activities, explore the history of AIDS, and highlight one of the most memorable baseball seasons of all time. There’s also an excellent work of graphic nonfiction, too, and one that remains timely and relevant.
But it’s not only a good month for YA nonfiction. It’s also a good month for YA comics, where several standalone titles have been released. There’s also been the launch of a new series and the continuation of a popular manga series.
April’s been a great month for readers who love nonfiction and comics. Here’s everything you can pick up right now.
New YA Nonfiction
Baseball’s Shining Season by Martin W. Sandler and Craig Sandler
This book lands at the intersection of American history and baseball history, and it looks excellent. The Sandlers are a father-son writing duo covering the 1941 baseball season. It was the year before America entered World War II, and the popularity of “America’s sport” was undeniable, especially as the rivalry between the New York Yankees and Brooklyn Dodgers heated up.
While the 1941 season was about the records broken by Ted Williams and Joe DiMaggio, it was also a season when the game had a reckoning with how it treated its Black and female players. Black baseball players were relegated to their own league, while women struggled to develop one of their own. This book uses extensive archival materials throughout to help illustrate the story of a pivotal year.
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The Fight of Our Lives: AIDS In America by David Levithan and Gabriel Duckels
The history of AIDS in America is a complicated and complex one. It’s one of grief and heartbreak, alongside stories of activism and hope. Levithan and Duckels explore the history of where and how America has handled the AIDS epidemic since its early years. Readers will learn about many of the major movements and cultural touchstones related to AIDS, including the Names Quilt, ACT UP, and more. Peppering the text are poems, stories, and other ephemera from those who lived through and stood at the forefront of the fight.
Hmong: A Graphic History by Vicky Lyfoung, translated by Kao-Ly Yang
Lyfoung tells the history of the Hmong people through the lens of her own family history. It’s a story of an ethnic group that has long been oppressed but has continued to preserve its vibrant culture and traditions. This is a work of graphic nonfiction, so you’ll get to visually experience the Hmong story.
More April YA Nonfiction Releases:
- 101 Things To Do Screen Free by Dawn Isaac
- The Real Rosalind by Debbie Loren Dunn and Janet Fox (paperback)
New YA Comics
Everything Amplified by Sarah Lippett and Ziggy Hanaor
15-year-old Nel has a lot going on, and it all feels hard. School’s hard. Adults have no idea what’s going on. It’s hard to make and keep friends. Worse, Nel’s twin brother, Ludo, doesn’t seem to have any of these issues, and watching his life look so easy only makes her feel worse. Nel’s being kept together by music and her best friend, Kit.
That won’t last long, though. Ludo’s just joined a band, and Kit’s started dating the guitarist. Suddenly, Nel finds herself alone. But then Nel needs to step in to take Ludo’s spot in the band. It’s here where she begins to wonder whether or not everything she believes about his life–and her own–is true or merely perceptions.
This looks like an especially good graphic novel for those who are looking for younger YA titles and for those who love a good music-fueled story.
Good Morning, Salwa, Volume 1 by Shazleen Khan
This is the graphic novel adaptation of the beloved webcomic BUUZA!!. Set in 1997, it follows Zach, a phone operator, who receives a misdialed call from someone named Zhen. There’s an undeniable spark from the start, and Zach is bound and determined to track down Zhen. It leads him across multiple cities, missed connections, exes, frenemies, and more.
Good Morning, Salwa, is a queer romance set in a world inspired by the Silk Road history and both Asian and African Islamic cultures. It’s not entirely realistic, either–it blends magic and mystery within it.
Until We Meet Again by Lily Kim Qian
If you, like me, are a fan of graphic memoirs, pop this one on your TBR ASAP.
Lily’s life has been unsettled for as long as she can remember. Her family is always moving, settling into various towns throughout Canada. But then they finally settle down in Shanghai, China. Her dad is the primary caretaker, as her mother is frequently absent; when mom does show up, she throws Lily’s life into chaos.
Finally in college, Lily hopes to understand better what was happening with her family, what being a child of immigrants was like, and where and how she may have inherited a legacy of family trauma.
More April YA Comic Releases:
- Forgive Me Not by Mari Costa
- Someday Perfect by Kat Schneider
- unOrdinary, Volume 4 by uru-chan
Want more? Now’s the perfect time to catch up with this year’s new YA comics and new YA nonfiction releases for March, February, and January.
English (US) · 