Selecting Materials that Will Appeal to Girls
"I’d like to purchase graphic novels for my library, but I don’t know anything about comics; I only read Archie and Richie Rich as a kid." This is a common confession of many librarians who think of comic books as superhero stories only of interest to boys. Actually, like Archie and Richie Rich, comics are being published today that appeal to both boys and girls.
"Girls’ comics" or "girl-friendly comics" are industry terms used to describe comic books that feature prominent female characters, are free of objectionable language and explicit violence, and avoid what Robbins refers to as "improbably breasted women, attired in little besides thong bikinis and spiked-heeled, thigh-high boots."1 Before surveying current titles, let’s consider the long history of girl-friendly comics.
In 1941, girls’ comics debuted with Pep Comics #21, the first appearances of Archie, Jughead, and Betty, as well as All-Star Comics #8, which introduced Wonder Woman. William Moulton Marston, inventor of the lie detector, created Wonder Woman as a positive role model for girls. He crafted feminist stories that espoused equality of the sexes, self-empowerment, and global peace. Soon dozens of successful girls comics appeared, and more girls than boys were reading comic books.2 After World War II, comics for girls began to diminish; only a few series, such as Betty and Veronica, Mille the Model, Lois Lane, and Wonder Woman, survived. By the mid-1960s, comics had become an adolescent boy’s world, populated almost exclusively with male superheroes. Most comics aimed at girls were discontinued. In the late 1970s, the industry changed slightly, attracting a female readership to The Uncanny X-Men, Elfquest, and Love and Rockets. The 1980s and 1990s saw the fledgling popularity of manga (a term for Japanese comics), a favorite with teenage girls, as well as the founding of Friends of Lulu, a national organization designed to promote and encourage female readership.3 After a thirty-five-year hiatus, girls’ comics are making a comeback, as artists create comics that range from teen humor to realistic fiction.
Recommended Graphic Novels
The following list is a sample of graphic novels that will appeal to girls. Titles are categorized by genre. A single volume is listed if it is part of a series, but the entire series is recommended. Books with mature subject matter are marked with an asterisk (*). These are suitable for most high school library collections, but should be previewed before adding them to your collection
All Ages/Humor
All-ages comics are suitable for younger children, but also appeal to older readers. They are free of graphic violence and objectionable language and focus on humor. These titles are especially good for ESL and struggling readers because the plot, action, and dialogue are easily understood. Alison Dare and Little Miss Adventures fulfill a reader’s desire for suspenseful adventure, while Amelia Rules!, Archie Americana, Bone, Scary Godmother, and Simpsons Comics should satisfy readers looking for a few chuckles.
Gorelick, Victor, ed. Archie American Series: Best of the Sixties, vol. 3. Mamroneck, Calif.: Archie Comic Books, 1998.
This volume, part of a series of reprints by decade from the 1940s to 1990s, provides a glimpse into the pop culture of the 1960s in stories that focus on folk music, drag racing, the British Invasion, mini skirts, and flower power. Grades 3+
Gownley, Jimmy. Amelia Rules!, Volume 1: In with the In Crowd. Harrisburg, Pa.: Renaissance Pr., 2002.
Reminiscent of the Peanuts strips, Amelia and her friends encounter adventure from schoolyard to backyard. These short stories speak in a language that children will love. Grades 3+
Groening, Matt. Simpsons Comics Royale. New York: HarperCollins, 2001.
Based on characters from the television show, this edition contains stories about Bart, Lisa, Krusty, and Radioactive Man. Also included are several text pieces and puzzles. Grades 3+
Smith, Jeff. Bone, Volume 1: Out from Boneville. Columbus, Ohio: Cartoon Books, 1995.
Three Bonecousins (Fone, Phoney, and Smiley) explore the world outside of Boneville in a humorous Tolkien-meets-Pogo fantasy. Grades 4+
Thompson, Jill. Scary Godmother. Dover, N.J.: Sirius Entertainment, 1997. 
A friendly witch, Scary Godmother, helps young Hannah Marie teach her mean, older cousin Jimmy a lesson in a Halloween story full of ghosts and ghouls. Grades 4+
Torres, J. The Return of Alison Dare, Little Miss Adventures. Portland, Ore.: Oni Pr., 2002.
At the St. Joan of Arc Academy for Girls, Alison and her best friends, Wendy and Dot, encounter magic genies, super-powered bank robbers, and a dastardly baron. Grades 3+
Horror and Mystery
Young readers love the genre of horror. Like any good Gothic novel, these stories use monsters and other imaginative creatures to explore our greatest hopes and deepest fears. Leave it to Chance and Buffy will be enjoyed by readers who like traditional monsters and the occult. Black Orchid, The Books of Magic, Death, and Sandman offer older teens complexly plotted narratives with psychological depth and rich characterization.
*Gaiman, Neil. The Sandman: A Game of You. New York: DC Comics, 1993.
Once Barbie’s dream world begins spilling over into her waking reality, Thessaly, a young witch, leads her and an eclectic group of young women on a quest to find and destroy the mysterious, evil Cuckoo. Grades 10+
*--, Death: The High Cost of Living. New York: DC Comics, 1994.
In the incarnation of a young woman, Death spends one day every hundred years as a mortal on earth exploring what it means to be human. Grades 10+
*--, Black Orchid. New York: DC Comics, 1996.
The result of experimental biological testing, Black Orchid searches for the missing pieces to her past as she struggles to reconcile her human memories and botanical origins. Grades 10+
Golden, Christopher. Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Origin. Milwaukie, Ore.: Dark Horse Comics, 1999.
Based on the film and television series, this story explores how teenage Buffy Summers becomes a vampire slayer. Grades 7+
*Reiber, John Ney. Books of Magic: Bindings. New York: DC Comics, 1995.
Long before Harry Potter, there was Timothy Hunter, a teenage magician who wears glasses and has an owl companion. His troubles with Dad, school, and a visit from Death keep Tim busy. Grades 10+
Robinson, James. Leave It to Chance: Shaman’s Rain. New York: DC Comics, 2000.
Chance Falconer wants to follow in her father’s footsteps and become a paranormal investigator, but her father feels the job isn’t right for a teenage girl. These light-hearted stories combine monsters, suspense, and humor with a sense of adventure. Grades 4+
Science Fiction and Fantasy
Fantastic worlds and outer space adventures are central to this genre. Readers of fairy tales will like the familiar faces that appear in Castle Waiting, while fantasy fans will enjoy Elfquest and A Distant Soil. Science fiction readers will thrill to the outer space adventures found in Akiko and Martha Washington Saves the World.
Creeley, Mark. Akiko. Dover, N.J.: Sirius Entertainment, 2001.
A quest story that will entertain readers of all ages, Akiko is a delightful outer space fantasy about a young girl and her adventures on the Planet Smoo. Grades 3+
Doran, Colleen. A Distant Soil. Orange, Calif.: Image Comics, 1997.
Liana and her brother Jason are ordinary teenagers, except that their emerging psionic powers have caught the attention of a group of behavioral scientists and a few aliens. Grades 7+
Medley, Linda. Castle Waiting: The Lucky Road. Columbus, Ohio: Cartoon Books, 2000.
Like the film Shrek, this story combines new, original characters along with familiar faces from the world of fairy tales and fables. Grades 4+
Miller, Frank. Martha Washington Saves the World. Milwaukie, Ore.: Dark Horse Comics, 1999. 
African-American heroine Martha Washington leads a band of soldiers to the stars to try and prevent Venus, a powerful computer, from taking over the world. Grades 6+
Pini, Wendy, and Richard Pini. Elfquest Reader’s Collection #1: Fire and Flight. Poughkeepsie, N.Y.: Warp Graphics, 1999.
Cutter and his tribe of elves, the Wolfriders, seek sanctuary amid evil trolls and vengeful humans. Considered to be an important work of American fantasy. Grades 5+
Superheroes
Superhero stories focus on the adventures of costumed superheroes, with an emphasis on action. Excellent choices for girls in this genre include Birds of Prey, Legion of Superheroes, Spider-Girl, Wonder Woman, and Uncanny X-Men. Promethea, a series that combines fantasy and the occult with superhero action, is suitable for older teens.
Clairemont, Chris. Uncanny X-Men: The Dark Phoenix Saga. New York, Marvel Books, 1990.
Conflicts between the X-Men and the Hellfire Club are explored, as mild-natured Jean Grey transforms into the powerful and deadly Dark Phoenix. Grades 5+
David, Peter. Young Justice: A League of Their Own. New York: DC Comics, 2000.
Teenage crushes, rivalry, and angst permeate these light-hearted, humorous stories about a group of teenage superheroes that includes Robin, Impulse, Wonder Girl, and Superboy. Grades 5+
Dini, Paul. Wonder Woman: The Spirit of Truth. New York: DC Comics, 2001. 
This oversized, richly painted graphic novel is visually beautiful. To understand the true meaning of heroism, Wonder Woman sheds her costume and travels the world incognito in a powerful story about self-discovery, heroism, and truth. Grades 4+
DeFalco, Tom. Spider-Girl. New York: Marvel Books, 2001.
May Parker, the daughter of the original Spider-Man, has inherited her father’s amazing, arachnid-like powers, but parties, parents, and villains make being a superheroine difficult. Grades 5+
Dixon, Chuck. Birds of Prey. New York: DC Comics, 1999.
Black Canary, a martial arts expert, and a computer expert (the former Batgirl who now has physical disabilities) fight crime on an international level. Grades 6+
McCraw, Tom. Legion of Super-Heroes: The Beginning of Tomorrow. New York: DC Comics, 1999.
Romance, humor, and adventure intermingle in these stories about teenage superheroes set in the thirty-first century. Grades 5+
*Moore, Alan. Promethea, Collected. New York: DC Comics, 2000.
When Sophie Banks begins her research paper on the mythical being Promethea, she has no idea that she will actually meet her hero and embark on a journey into the realm of the Immateria. Grades 10+
Young Adult Fiction
Like the young adult problem novel, these graphic novels explore a range of topics that include drug abuse, gang violence, teen pregnancy, sexual situations, and AIDS. Readers of young adult fiction will appreciate the realism and emotional complexity of Ghost World, Love and Rockets, Pedro and Me, and The Tale of One Bad Rat, as well as the teen humor in Oh My Goddess!, Ranma 1/2, and Strangers in Paradise.
Arnoldi, Katherine. Amazing "True" Story of a Teenage Single Mom. New York: Hyperion, 1998.
At seventeen, Katherine is raped and left with a baby. Her boyfriend beats her and her dysfunctional family are no help. By persistently pursuing her dreams, she is able to overcome her past. Grades 9+
*Clowes, Daniel. Ghost World. Seattle: Fantagraphics Books, 1998.
This coming-of-age story concerns two high school graduates, Enid and Rebecca, during the last summer of their adolescence. Grades 10+
*Fujishima, Kosuke. Oh My Goddess!, The Fourth Goddess. Milwaukie, Ore.: Dark Horse Comics, 2001.
Keiichi Morisata’s friendship with three real-life goddesses changes when the Fourth Goddess shows up and causes mayhem. Grades 9+
*Hernandez, Jamie. Love and Rockets Volume 7: The Death of Speedy. Seattle: Fantagraphics, 1989.
Depicts the triumphs and tragedies faced by a group of Latino teenagers living in the barrio of East Los Angeles. Grades 10+
*Moore, Terry. Stranger in Paradise: High School! Houston, Tex.: Abstract Studio, 1998.
A poignant examination of the lives of two women, Francine and Kachoo, as they reflect on their days in high school. Grades 10+
*Takahashi, Rumiko. Ranma 1/2, Volume 1. San Francisco: Viz Communications, 1993.
Whenever Ranma comes into contact with water, he changes into a girl - a humorous exploration of the ups and downs of adolescence from both a male and female perspective. Grades 9+
*Talbot, Bryan. The Tale of One Bad Rat. Milwaukie, Ore.: Dark Horse Comics, 1995.
Haunted by memories of sexual abuse, young Helen, a runaway, travels the English countryside in search of healing and transformation in a story that pays homage to the works of Beatrix Potter. Grades 9+
Winick, Judd. Pedro and Me: Friendship, Loss, and What I Learned. New York: Henry Holt, 2000.
A loving tribute to late AIDS activist and MTV Real World star Pedro Zamara by his friend and costar, Judd Winick. Grades 9+
References
1 Trina Robbins, From Girls to Grrlz: A History of Women’s Comics from Teens to Zines (San Francisco: Chronicle Books, 1999), 7.
2 Ibid.
3 Liz Schiller, Friends of Lulu Homepage, 2002, <www.friends-lulu.org>. Accessed 1 Apr. 2002.
© 2002 Philip Crawford
|
