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Y Graphic Novels

Each year, Austin Public Library youth services librarians read hundreds of books and we gather together lists of our favorites. Some of these win awards and are placed on official reading lists. . . and some aren't. If you're looking for great books that you might have missed last year, here are a few to try.

Picture Books| Early Readers | J Fiction | J Graphic Novels | Y Fiction | Y Graphic Novels | Nonfiction


Cover of the book Alice in the country of hearts. by created by QuinRose X Soumei Hoshino ; [translation, Beni Axia Conrad ; English adaptation, Lianne Sentar.] Alice in the country of hearts.
created by QuinRose X Soumei Hoshino ; [translation, Beni Axia Conrad ; English adaptation, Lianne Sentar.]

"Wonderland is officially at war! And Alice is trapped in the middle of it all. Will she make it out alive? A little arrogant, stubborn, and determined to get back home, Alice isn't fazed by these challenges...until she discovers that every man is gun crazy and weirdly in love with her. What's going on in Wonderland?"--P. [4] of cover.

Cover of the book Beasts of burden. by written by  Evan Dorkin ; art by Jill Thompson ; lettering by Jason Arthur and Jill Thompson. Beasts of burden.
written by Evan Dorkin ; art by Jill Thompson ; lettering by Jason Arthur and Jill Thompson.

"Welcome to Burden Hill-a picturesque little town adorned with white picket fences and green, green grass, home to a unique team of paranormal investigators. Beneath this shiny exterior, Burden Hill harbors dark and sinister secrets, and it's up to a heroic gang of dogs-and one cat-to protect the town from the evil forces at work."--Amazon.com.

Cover of the book Black butler. by Yana Toboso ; [translation: Tomo Kimura ; Lettering: Tania Biswas]. Black butler.
Yana Toboso ; [translation: Tomo Kimura ; Lettering: Tania Biswas].

"Just a stone's throw from London lies the manor house of the illustrious Phantomhive earldom and its master, one Ciel Phantomhive. Earl Phantomhive is a giant in the world of commerce, Queen Victoria's faithful servant ... and a slip of a twelve-year-old boy. Fortunately, his loyal butler, Sebastian, is ever at his side, ready to carry out the young master's wishes. And whether Sebastian is called to save a dinner party gone awry or probe the dark secrets of London's underbelly, there apparently is nothing Sebastian cannot do. In fact, one might even say Sebastian is too good to be true .. or at least, too good to be human ..."--p. [4] of cover.

Cover of the book Foiled / by written by Jane Yolen ; artwork by Mike Cavallaro. Foiled
written by Jane Yolen ; artwork by Mike Cavallaro.

Aliera is a star at fencing, but at school no one notices her--until her new lab partner Avery begins flirting with her. Aliera's mother just bought her a foil from a garage sale, and it has a strange jewel attached to the hilt. Will Aliera's first date be ruined when magical creatures try to steal her foil?

Cover of the book Fractured fables / by edited by Jim Valentino and Kristen K. Simon ; book design by Jim Valentino ; cover illustration by Michael and Laura Allred from a sketch by Jim Valentino ; cover design and graphics by Tim Daniel. Fractured fables
edited by Jim Valentino and Kristen K. Simon ; book design by Jim Valentino ; cover illustration by Michael and Laura Allred from a sketch by Jim Valentino ; cover design and graphics by Tim Daniel.

Presents, in comic book format, thirty familiar fairy tales, songs, fables, and stories as retold by such acclaimed authors and illustrators as Ben Templesmith, Jim Di Bartolo, Scott Morse, and May Ann Licudine.

Cover of the book How I made it to eighteen : by Tracy White. How I made it to eighteen : a mostly true story
Tracy White.

"How do you know if you're on the verge of a nervous breakdown? For seventeen-year-old Stacy Black, it all begins with the smashing of a window. After putting her fist through the glass, she checks into a mental hospital. Stacy hates it there but despite herself slowly realizes she has to face the reasons for her depression to stop from self-destructing. Based on the author's experiences, How I Made it to Eighteen is a frank portrait of what it's like to struggle with self-esteem, body image issues, drug addiction, and anxiety." -- publisher's website.

Cover of the book Mercury / by Hope Larson. Mercury
Hope Larson.

Tara is forced to move in with her cousins after her house burns down. She faces a difficult adjustment while her mother is away trying to earn money. Interwoven with this story is that of Tara's ancestors, who in 1859 were convinced by a mysterious stranger to put all their money into searching their property for gold.

Cover of the book Mr. Mendoza's paintbrush / by Luis Alberto Urrea ; artwork by Christopher Cardinale ; color masking and compositing, Anthony Cardinale ; design, Anne M. Giangiulio. Mr. Mendoza's paintbrush
Luis Alberto Urrea ; artwork by Christopher Cardinale ; color masking and compositing, Anthony Cardinale ; design, Anne M. Giangiulio.

Tells a story of a graffiti artist, Mr. Mendoza, who goes about the Mexican village of Rosario creating masterpieces that reflect the social ills of the city. One day his paintbrush creates a miraculous event that no one in Rosario ever forgets.

Cover of the book Saturn Apartments. by Hisae Iwaoka ; [translation, Matt Thorn]. Saturn Apartments.
Hisae Iwaoka ; [translation, Matt Thorn].

"Far in the future, humankind has evacuated the earth in order to preserve it. Humans now reside in a gigantic structure that forms a ring around the earth, 35 kilometers up in the sky. The society of the ring is highly stratified: the higher the floor, the greater the status. Mitsu, the lowly son of a window washer, has just graduated junior high. When his father disappears and is assumed dead, Mitsu must take on his father's occupation. As he struggles with the transition to working life, Mitsu's job treats him to an outsider's view into the living-room dioramas of the Saturn Apartments"--Cover, P. [4].

Cover of the book Twin spica. by Kou Yaginuma ; [translation, Maya Rosewood]. Twin spica.
Kou Yaginuma ; [translation, Maya Rosewood].

"In a Tokyo of the not-too-distant future a young girl looks up to the stars with melancholy in her heart and hope in her eyes. Thirteen-year-old Asumi Kamogawa's whole life has been tied to those stars; her future may very well be among them. And she is not alone... Asumi is just one of many young people with ambitions to become a member of the first class admitted to the Tokyo Space School. In this first volume Asumi is put to the test to determine if she has what it takes to get into this elite space academy. Her struggles do not begin in the classroom or at the test site, though. First Asumi has to convince herself and her father that she ultimately belongs amongst the stars."--P. [4] of cover.

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