YALSA names 2015 Great Graphic Novels for Teens

For Immediate Release
Mon, 02/09/2015

Contact:

Anna Lam

Communications Specialist

Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA)

alam@ala.org

CHICAGO - The Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), announced its 2015 Great Graphic Novels for Teens list.

The list of 79 titles, drawn from 108 official nominations, is presented annually at the ALA Midwinter Meeting. The books, recommended for those ages 12-18, meet the criteria of both good quality literature and appealing reading for teens. The full list can be viewed at http://www.ala.org/yalsa/great-graphic-novels.

In addition to the full list, the committee chose the following recordings as its top ten:

  • "Afterlife with Archie: Escape from Riverdale." By Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa. Illus. by Francesco Francavilla. Archie Comics.
  • "Bad Machinery V.3: The Case of the Simple Soul." By John Allison. Illus. by the author. Oni Press.
  • "47 Ronin." By Mike Richardson.  Illus. by Stan Sakai. Dark Horse.
  • "In Real Life." By Cory Doctorow. Illus.by Jen Wang.  First Second.
  • "Ms. Marvel: V.1. No Normal."  By G. Willow Wison. Illus. by Adrian Alphona. Marvel.
  • "Seconds: a Graphic Novel." By Bryan Lee O’Malley. illus. by the author. Ballantine Books.
  • "The Shadow Hero." By Gene Luen Yang. Illus. by Sonny Liew. First Second.
  • "Through The Woods." By Emily Carroll.  Illus. by the author. Margaret K. McElderry Books.
  • "Trillium." By Jeff Lemire.  Illus. by the author. Vertigo.
  • "Wolf Children: Ame & Yuki." By Mamoru Hosoda. Illus. by Yu. Yen Press.

“The 2015 Great Graphic Novels for Teens list celebrates the enormous variety of the graphic format, including tales about forgotten heroes and heroines, online rebellions, new takes on beloved characters, and so much more.” said Chair Marcus Lowry. “The richness of these titles will engage and delight teen readers for years to come.”

Members of the Great Graphic Novels for Teens Committee are Marcus Lowry, chair, Ramsey County Library, Roseville, Minnesota; Emily Farmer, Nashville Public Library, Nashville, Tennessee; Traci Glass, Eugene Public Library, Eugene, Oregon; Thomas Maluck, Richland Library, Columbia, South Carolina; Elizabeth Moss, Timberland Regional Library, Tumwater, Washington; Jayla Parks, Houston Public Library, Houston; Karen Perry, High Point, North Carolina; Jason Poole, Webster Public Library, Webster, New York; Kristina Reynolds, Portland District Library, Portland, Maine; Andrea Sowers, Joliet Public Library, Joliet, Illinois; Bonnie Svitavsky, Puyallup Public Library, Puyallup, Washington.

YALSA’s portfolio of book and media awards helps strengthen library services for and with teens by identifying quality, age appropriate resources for librarians and library workers to share with the teens in their communities.

For more than 50 years, YALSA has worked to build the capacity of libraries and library staff to engage, serve and empower teens.  For more information about YALSA or to access national guidelines and other resources go to www.ala.org/yalsa, or contact the YALSA office by phone, (800) 545-2433, ext. 4390; or e-mail: yalsa@ala.org.