The CBC 99 Best New Graphic Novels
The Children’s Book Council (CBC) is a leader in providing expertly chosen lists for use by teachers, librarians, booksellers, and parents of the best new books for kids and teens in many categories.
It’s even better when the experts ARE actually kids, teens, teachers, and librarians!
For the first time, we have compiled a list of the 99 best new graphic novels – across all ages from early readers to teens – chosen from two of our major awards programs: Building a Home Library and the CBC Favorites Awards.
We have selected 33 of them to feature here, but the full 99 is in this spreadsheet, sortable in any way, including age group and subject matter.
Enjoy!
49 Days, by Agnes Lee (Levine Querido)
Active Minds Graphic Novel: Alphabet, by Cassie Gitkin; illustrated by Michael S. Miller (Phoenix International Publications / Sequoia Kids Media)
Alterations, written and illustrated by Ray Xu (Union Square & Co. / Union Square Kids)
The Best Worst Camp Out Ever, written and illustrated by Joe Cepeda (Holiday House)
Blue Stars: Mission One: The Vice Principal Problem: A Graphic Novel, by Kekla Magoon and Cynthia Leitich Smith; illustrated by Molly Murakami (Candlewick Press)
Bog Myrtle, by Sid Sharp (Annick Press)
Buckle Up (A Graphic Novel), written and illustrated by Lawrence Lindell (Random House Children’s Books / Random House Graphic)
Cactus Kid and the Battle for Star Rock Mountain, by Emmanuel Guerrero (Nobrow / Flying Eye Books)
Caterpillars: What Will I Be When I Get to Be Me? (TOON Level 1), by Kevin McCloskey (Astra Publishing House / TOON Books)
Ghost Roast, by Shawneé Gibbs and Shawnelle Gibbs; illustrated by Emily Cannon (HarperCollins / Versify)
Gigi Shin Is Not a Nerd, by Lyla Lee (Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing / Aladdin)
Global: One Fragile World. An Epic Fight for Survival., by Eoin Colfer and Andrew Donkin; illustrated by Giovanni Rigano (Sourcebooks Young Readers)
Hammer, Volume 1: The Ocean Kingdom, by Jey Odin (The Quarto Group / Rockport Publishers)
Here I Am, I Am Me, by Cara Bean (Hachette / Workman Kids)
The House of Hades: The Graphic Novel, by Rick Riordan (Disney Publishing / Disney Hyperion)
Investigators: Agents of S.U.I.T.: Wild Ghost Chase, by John Patrick Green and Christopher Hastings; illustrated by Pat Lewis (Macmillan Children’s Group / First Second)
Jackson’s Wilder Adventures Volume 1: Habits and Habitats, written and illustrated by Sarah Davidson (Papercutz)
Mamie Phipps Clark, Champion for Children, by Lynette Mawhinney; illustrated by Neil Evans (American Psychological Association (APA) / Magination Press)
Mooncakes Collector’s Edition, by Suzanne Walker; illustrated by Wendy Xu (Oni Press)
The Mythmakers: The Remarkable Fellowship of C.S. Lewis & J.R.R. Tolkien (A Graphic Novel), by John Hendrix (ABRAMS / Abrams Fanfare)
Navigating with You, by Jeremy Whitley; illustrated by Cassio Ribeiro (Mad Cave / Maverick)
The New Girl: A Graphic Novel (The New Girl #1), written and illustrated by Cassandra Calin (Scholastic / Graphix)
Noodle & Bao, written and illustrated by Shaina Lu (HarperCollins / Quill Tree Books)
Out of Left Field, by Jonah Newman (Andrews McMeel Publishing)
Pablo and Splash, by Sheena Dempsey (Bloomsbury / Bloomsbury Children’s Books)
Pearl of the Sea, by Anthony Silverston and Raffaella Delle Donne; illustrated by Willem Samuel (Catalyst Press)
Pencil & Eraser: We Have a Dull-Emma!: An Early Reader Graphic Novel, by Jenny Alvarado (Penguin Young Readers / G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers)
The Rez Doctor, by Gitz Crazyboy; illustrated by Veronika Barinova, Azby Whitecalf, and Toben Racicot (Portage & Main Press / HighWater Press)
The Squad: The Tryout #2 (A Graphic Novel), by Christina Soontornvat; illustrated by Joanna Cacao (Scholastic / Graphix)
Stand Up! (A Graphic Novel), written and illustrated by Tori Sharp (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers / Little, Brown Ink)
This Book Will Self-Destruct, written and illustrated by Ben Sanders (Kane Miller Books)
Transformers: Robots In Disguise, by Daniel Warren Johnson; illustrated by Daniel Warren Johnson and Mike Spicer (Image Comics / Skybound Entertainment)
A Witch’s Guide to Burning, written and illustrated by Aminder Dhaliwal (Drawn & Quarterly)
List compiled by CBC’s own Sommer Wissner. Check out more Graphic Novel news and other Funtastic Festivities on our blog.
