Teen Reads

Blankets by Rob Thomas

"My all-time favorite graphic novel."

American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang

"The arc of this story is both powerful and brilliantly conceived."

The Color of Earth by Kim Tong-hwa

"The first part of a trilogy about a girl growing up with her single mother in Korea."

Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood by Marjane Satrapi

"A young girl's life in Tehran from ages six to fourteen, during which she witnessed the overthrow of the Shah's regime, the triumph of the Islamic Revolution, and the devastating effects of war with Iraq."

Darkroom: A Memoir in Black and White by Lila Weaver

"An arresting and moving personal story about childhood, race and identity in the American South"

Cuba: My Revolution by Inverna Lockpez

"When 17-year-old Sonia is caught up in an idealistic view of Fidel Castro’s revolution, she postpones her dream of becoming an artist, enrolls in medical school, and joins the militia."

The Accidental Genius of Weasel High

"A "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" for tweens... but with excellent character development"

My Mommy: is in America and she met Buffalo Bill

"5 year-old Jean's mother is away on a long trip, but he never feels comfortable asking his taciturn father exactly what happened to her."

The Plane Story

"Biographical tale of how a young artist discovered who his real mother was..."

The Wall: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain (Caldecott Honor Book)

"An artist's childhood, growing up behind the Iron Curtain."

Marzi: A memoir

"A series of vignettes reveal the experience of a young girl coming-of-age behind the Iron Curtain in Poland."

We Are On Our Own: A Memoir

"True story of a girl and her mother's escape on foot from the Nazi invasion of Budapest"

The Impostor's Daughter: A True Memoir

"After growing up in awe of her amazing father, Laurie discovered that he had been living a life of deception for years."

Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic

"As a young girl come-of-age, she begins to see hints of her father's double-life."

Anya's Ghost

"When teenage girl who is embarassed about her Russian family roots falls down a well, she has a life-changing encounter."

Asterios Polyp

"My favorite part is how the artist visually illustrates the couple when they draw together and pull apart."

Why I Killed Peter

"Recounts Olivier Ka's real-life struggle to come to terms with his childhood encounter with a bohemian priest."

The Big Kahn: A Sequential Drama

"David Kahn was never Jewish, yet he lived for 40 years as a well-respected rabbi. On the day of his funeral, Roy Dobbs, his grifter brother, reveals himself and the truth to the surviving members of the Kahn family. Suddenly ostracized from their community, they are forced to come to terms with their father's lies."

 How to Understand Israel in 60 Days or Less

"When Sarah Glidden took a “Birthright Israel” tour, she thought she knew what she was getting herself into. But once she arrived in Israel, she found that things weren’t quite so simple."

Stitches: A Memoir

"In response to their son's illness, a mother postponed treatment due to cost, and his radiologist father subjected him to repeated X-rays, believing it would cure his problems."

Blood Song: A Silent Ballad

"Silent characters come to life in this evocative wordless story."

A Drunken Dream and Other Stories

"Four decades of modern shojo stories reveal universal struggles, including body image, sibling rivalry, parental estrangement, and loss."

Lips Touch: Three Times

"Three tales of supernatural love, each pivoting on a kiss that is no mere kiss, but an action with profound consequences for the kissers' souls."

Page by Paige

"A teenage artist moves to a new city, makes new friends and discovers how to come out of her shell in order to share her creative ideas with the world."

A Distant Neighborhood, Vol. 1

"A forty-something businessman returning to Tokyo from an intense business trip is transported back into his 14 year-old body and life. Will he change his past or be forever condemned to relive each painful moment, such as the fateful day his father disappeared without explanation? Will he ever see his wife and daughters again?"

Foiled

"Aliera is a star at fencing, but at school no one notices her--until her new lab partner Avery begins flirting with her."

Hereville: How Mirka Got Her Sword

""Yet another troll-fighting 11-year-old Orthodox Jewish Girl""

Level Up

"How much do we owe our family of origin in terms of our future choices?"

Heart Transplant

"After his neglectful mother dies at the hands of her abusive boyfriend, Sean is adopted by Pop, a gruff Irishman who changes his life for the better."

Zahra's Paradise (Top Ten Great Graphic Novels for Teens)

"A fictional story of the search for a young protestor who has vanished after the 2009 elections in Iran."

A Game for Swallows: To Die, to Leave, to Return (Single Titles)