Graphic novels for teens
Graphic novels for teens use art and dialogue to tell layered stories, whether it’s fantasy, sci-fi, romance, memoir, or everyday drama. They often tackle themes that hit close to home for teenagers – identity, friendships, social struggles, or figuring out who you are. The blend of visuals and text makes them approachable for all kinds of readers while still offering depth. They also build visual and cultural literacy, spark critical thinking, and give teens fresh perspectives in a format that feels current and engaging. This list features books by Alice Oseman, Mariko Tamaki, Jillian Tamaki, Lois Lowry, Molly Knox Ostertag, James Tynion IV, Brian K. Vaughan, George Takei, Dan Santat, and Gareth Hinds.
Graphic novels for teens – our recommendations
Brooms by Jasmine Walls and Teo DuVall. 
The Misfits: A Royal Conundrum by Lisa Yee and Dan Santat. 
Groot: Uprooted by Dan Abnett, Couceiro and Damian
Heartstopper by Alice Oseman. 
Scout Is Not a Band Kid by Jade Armstrong. 
The Faint of Heart by Kerilynn Wilson. 
Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me by Mariko Tamaki. 
Tegan and Sara: Junior High by Tegan Quin, Sara Quin, illustrated by Tillie Walden. 
The Odyssey by Gareth Hinds. 
Borders by Thomas King, illustrated by Natasha Donovan. 
Wynd by James Tynion IV, illustrated by Michael Dialynas. 
All Summer Long by Hope Larson. 
The Silver Eyes (Five Nights at Freddy’s Graphic Novel #1) by Scott Cawthon and Kira Breed-Wrisley, illustrated by Claudia Schröder. 
Are You Listening? by Tillie Walden. 
Cosmoknights by Hannah Templer. 
Call Me Iggy by Jorge Aguirre, illustrated by Rafael Rosado. 
Poison Ivy: Thorns by Kody Keplinger, illustrated by Sara Kipin 
unOrdinary by uru-chan. 
Sugar Falls by David A. Robertson, illustrated by Scott B. Henderson. 
Paper Girls by Brian K. Vaughan, Cliff Chiang, Jared K. Fletcher and Matthew Wilson. 
Max in the House of Spies by Adam Gidwitz. 
Alice in Borderland by Haro Aso. 
Obey Me! The Comic by Subaru Nitou and NTT Solmare. 
The Love Report by Beka and Maya. 
The Girl from the Sea by Molly Knox Ostertag. 
Hey, Kiddo by Jarrett J. Krosoczka. 
The Times I Knew I Was Gay by Eleanor Crewes. 
Lucy in the Sky by Kiara Brinkman, illustrated by Sean Chiki. 
The Giver Graphic Novel by Lois Lowry, illustrated by P Craig Russell. 
Belonging by Nora Krug. 
Button Pusher by Tyler Page. 
Homebody by Theo Parish. 
Thunderous by M. L. Smoker and Natalie Peeterse. 
Himawari House by Harmony Becker. 
Galaxy: The Prettiest Star by Jadzia Axelrod and Jess Taylor. 
Realm of the Blue Mist by Amy Kim Kibuishi. 
Pillow Talk by Stephanie Cooke and Mel Valentine Vargas. 
We Hereby Refuse by Frank Abe and Tamiko F. Nimura. 
ORCS! The Curse by Christine Larsen. 
¡Ay, Mija! by Christine Suggs. 
Season of the Bruja by Aaron Durán, illustrated by Sara Soler. 
They Called Us Enemy by George Takei, Justin Eisinger and Steven Scott. 
Captain America: The Ghost Army (Original Graphic Novel) by Scholastic. 
Mall Goth by Kate Leth. 
The Curie Society by Heather Einhorn, Adam Staffaroni and Janet Harvey. 
I Was Their American Dream by Malaka Gharib. 
The Runaway’s Diary by James Patterson and Emily Raymond. 
Roaming by Jillian Tamaki and Mariko Tamaki. 
All the Lovely Bad Ones Graphic Novel by Mary Downing Hahn. 
Knee Deep by Joe Flood. 
French Milk by Lucy Knisley. 
Woman World by Aminder Dhaliwal. 
Liberated by Kaz Rowe. 
Other Ever Afters by Melanie Gillman. Click the buttons below to purchase all of the books in this graphic novel book list, as well as classroom sets of any of these books and many more, from Bookshop.org. Or buy the 20 most popular titles from this list from Amazon – ideal for gifts or stocking your school library. If you are ordering from outside the US, have a look at our ‘worldwide orders’ page which makes this process easy.
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Graphic novels for teens – resources for teachers
- Library of Congress – Political Cartoons & Public Debates (Primary Source Set) Ready-to-teach primary sources, guides, and analysis tools that transfer directly to graphic-novel panels, visual rhetoric, and argument.
- Library of Congress – Comic Art: Events & Resources Teacher materials anchored to LC’s comics holdings, including “Pictures Worth Reading: A Teacher’s Guide to Comics,” for close reading, sequencing, and visual-literacy work.
- Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum (OSU) – For Educators Lesson ideas, collection access, and museum-developed activities that illuminate craft, satire, and historical context—excellent for extending YA graphic narratives.
- The Opper Project (OSU History Teaching Institute) Standards-aligned lessons using editorial cartoons (immigration, civil rights, media literacy) that map cleanly to teen graphic novels’ themes and visual analysis.
- Smithsonian Learning Lab – Comic Book Collections (Educator-curated) Hundreds of digitized comics and educator collections for inquiry tasks on layout, symbolism, and historical framing in sequential art.
- San Diego State University – Comics for K-12 Educators University-run guidance, classroom applications, and sample activities connecting comics to critical literacy, civics, and social justice for secondary ELA.
- NCTE – What Can Comics Do? Empathy & Critical Literacy Practice-focused strategies from a national ELA organization for integrating graphic novels to build interpretation, perspective-taking, and discussion protocols.
- Smithsonian Libraries – For Educators Information-literacy and source-evaluation modules that pair well with teen graphic journalism, memoir, and documentary comics units.
BISAC JUV008000 Graphic novel, comic book, manga | Thema XQ
