The 12 Best Graphic Novels for Teens

If your teenager enjoys reading and looking at illustrations, it would be a good idea to introduce him/her to the wonders of graphic novels. There are tons of notable titles to choose from, but the 12 graphic novels below from a variety of genres offer the best experience.

1. Little Fish: A Memoir from a Different Kind of Year (2013) by Ramsey Beyer
This graphic novel reads like a compilation of journals, stories, and lists of an 18-year-old girl who goes into the city to attend college.

2. Maus: A Survivor’s Tale (1991) by Art Spiegelman
This tale of cats, pigs, and mice was inspired by the cartoonist’s father’s stories about the Holocaust. This graphic novel is notable for being the first of the genre to win a Pulitzer Prize.

3. Runaways (2003) by Brian K. Vaughan and Adrian Alphona
A collection of graphic novels wouldn’t be complete without a volume about superheroes. This series features teenagers who band together to fight an evil organization.

4. Anya’s Ghost (2011) by Vera Brosgol
Anya became friends with Emily when they both agreed to make the former popular in school. Anya, however, doesn’t know that Emily is a ghost of a girl who died years ago.

5. Baba Yaga’s Assistant (2015) by Marika McCoola and Emily Carroll
Masha, the heroine of the story, isn’t intimidated by the famous Russian witch’s reputation and is willing to undergo the tests and trials to become an assistant.

6. The Evil Garden (2011) by Edward Gorey
In this frightful tale, a family enters a beautiful garden one sunny afternoon, but soon realize it was a mistake after hearing strange sounds and discovering that they could no longer find the exit.

7. Skim (2008) by Mariko Tamaki and Jillian Tamaki
A graphic novel with a more serious theme, it’s about a Japanese student who attends an all-girls Catholic school, where a tragic suicide changed the mood students.

8. Persepolis (2000) by Marjane Satrapi
This autobiography chronicles the events of the Islamic revolution in Iran from the point of view of a child.

9. Yummy: the Last Days of a Southsude Shorty (2010) by G. Neri and Randy DuBurke
Robert “Yummy” Sandier accidentally killed a neighbor after being involved in a gang initiation and has gone into hiding since the incident.

10. I Kill Giants (2008) by Joe Kelly and J.M. Ken Niimura
It’s about a girl who’s having a difficult time adjusting to real-life problems finds solace in a make-believe world filled with giants, fairies, and other fantastic creatures.

11. Amulet (2008) by Kazu Kibuishi
When Emily found a magical amulet from her great-grandfather, her mother Karen was kidnapped by an arachnopod and taken to another world. Emily and her brother Navin decided to follow their mother.

12. Bad Island (2011) by Doug TenNapel
Reese finds himself trapped in an island after going on a trip with his family. He has to find a way to survive and escape the island using whatever resources he could find.

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