Best of 2020: Graphic Novels

A nuanced memoir of a Somali boy coming of age in a Kenyan refugee camp. Through the perspective of his younger self, in a slice-of-life manner, Omar presents his loving foster mother, the regular starvation, the joy of Eid celebrations, the helplessness of being one among millions in dire need of aid, and the friends who set him on the right path.

It's 1995 and Aiden Navarro is spending the summer at scout camp before he starts high school. Camp is an escape from the bullying he faces at school and a break from his family problems. Even at camp though, Aiden still has to learn to stand up for himself and come to terms with his body image, religion and sexuality.

A moving graphic memoir of a young woman trying to find herself after her mother dies from cancer. Both heartbreaking and hopeful, this is a love letter to the author's mother, and a reminder that when you feel alone in loss, someone in the world understands you.

A collection of short works by Junji Ito, the Eisner award-winning master of horror, who wrote the nightmare Uzumaki. Each title is a delicacy of horror with topics ranging from a Venus dealing with the pernicious effects of the male gaze to human-shaped fissures in the earth of mysterious origin. “Billions Alone" is the perfect representation of the isolation, desire for companionship, and the need to keep apart that we have all been affected by, due to the pandemic.

A great middle grade graphic novel about best friends coming together to fight the stigma surrounding menstruation, normalize it, and take action to make tampons and pads accessible in the school restrooms. This is an informative as well as an uplifting story regarding the power of friendship. A section at the end, "How to be a Period Activist", gives tangible examples of how to become a period activist.

Suspenseful and moving is Yang's true story of one high school team's quest for the title of California State Champions. He seamlessly blends the history of basketball, his own life story, and the personalities of the players to make a book for the ages.

This manga was a smash hit in Japan and is now available in English. In a pet shop, there is one forlorn kitten that keeps getting passed over by more attractive, charming ones. Just as his expiration date approaches, an older gentleman decides to take the kitten home.

Striking art work brings Reynold’s stunningly beautiful novel to life. Set in 60 seconds, a teen must decide if he’s going to get revenge on the one he believes killed his brother.

Grades 5 - 9: Snapdragon befriends her town's crotchety old witch, Jacks, after Jacks rescues Snap's dog from a car accident. Snap thinks that witchcraft isn't real and Jacks is just an eccentric old lady, but she soon learns that there's more magic and mystery in the woods—and her own past—than she ever suspected.