With engrossing, innovative artwork that drives home the sophisticated themes within, graphic novels have emerged as a formidable and exciting genre. This assortment of study guides includes both fiction and nonfiction selections, including Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi, a memoir about the author’s experiences growing up in Iran before and after the revolution in 1979, and Maus by Art Spiegelman, the first graphic novel to win the Pulitzer Prize.
Publication year 2018
Genre Graphic Novel/Book, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Relationships: Siblings, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance
Tags Fantasy, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Action / Adventure, Historical Fiction
Publication year 2007
Genre Graphic Novel/Book, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Relationships: Siblings, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Realistic Fiction, Humor, Relationships, Bullying, Children's Literature
Diary of a Wimpy Kid is the first graphic novel in the titular series by Jeff Kinney. Since its initial publication in 2007, Diary of a Wimpy Kid has become a New York Times bestseller and 16 sequels have followed in the series. Diary of a Wimpy Kid is written in a diary format and documents the misadventures of middle school student Greg Heffley, who longs for popularity and hatches dozens of schemes to achieve... Read Diary of a Wimpy Kid Summary
Publication year 2020
Genre Graphic Novel/Book, Fiction
Themes Identity: Race, Society: Community, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Emotions/Behavior: Memory
Tags Historical Fiction, LGBTQ, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy, WWII / World War II, Children's Literature, History: World
Publication year 2016
Genre Graphic Novel/Book, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Relationships: Friendship, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth
Tags Humor, Fantasy, Animals, Children's Literature
Publication year 2020
Genre Graphic Novel/Book, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Relationships: Fathers
Tags Fantasy, Humor, Action / Adventure, Animals, Children's Literature
Publication year 2018
Genre Graphic Novel/Book, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Disability, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Nurture v. Nature, Relationships: Family
Tags Humor, Animals, Fantasy, Action / Adventure, Children's Literature
Publication year 2021
Genre Graphic Novel/Book, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Family
Tags Humor, Fantasy, Action / Adventure, Children's Literature, Animals
Publication year 2016
Genre Graphic Novel/Book, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Fame, Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Family
Tags Humor, Children's Literature, Realistic Fiction
Publication year 2020
Genre Graphic Memoir , Nonfiction
Themes Relationships: Teams, Identity: Race
Tags Sports, Children's Literature, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2012
Genre Graphic Novel/Book, Fiction
Tags Humor, Children's Literature, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Drama / Tragedy, Romance, LGBTQ
Drama is a young adult graphic novel by Raina Telgemeier published in 2012. It is Telgemeier’s third book and her first fiction graphic novel—her first two were autobiographical. Drama is critically acclaimed and spent 240 weeks on The New York Times bestseller list. This guide refers to the 2012 edition by Scholastic/Graphix.Plot SummaryCallie Marin is a seventh-grader at Eucalyptus Middle School. She has long, purple-dyed hair and likes to wear the color green. She also... Read Drama Summary
Publication year 2022
Genre Graphic Memoir , Nonfiction
Themes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Society: Class, Identity: Gender, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Society: Economics, Natural World: Environment, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Masculinity, Relationships: Friendship, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags Biography
Publication year 2014
Genre Graphic Novel/Book, Fiction
Themes Identity: Gender, Relationships: Friendship, Identity: Disability
Tags Humor, Disability, Children's Literature, Realistic Fiction, Biography
El Deafo is a 2014 semi-autobiographical, graphic novel by American author and illustrator Cece Bell. Bell, who was born deaf, recounts her childhood in the format of a guide starring an anthropomorphic rabbit, “Cece.” The book endeavors to undermine negative representations of deafness by representing Cece’s difference as valid, even empowering, with the assistance of modern technology. Throughout the book, Cece occasionally assumes a superhero persona, “El Deafo.” El Deafo challenges common misconceptions about disabilities... Read El Deafo Summary
Publication year 1995
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Tags Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Education, Education, Sociology, Social Justice, Politics / Government, Biography
Fist, Stick, Knife, Gun: A Personal History of Violence is the 1995 memoir by Geoffrey Canada that details his coming-of-age in the South Bronx. It follows Canada from the age of four to young manhood and describes the different and increasingly lethal forms that violence takes in his life.The memoir begins with Canada living with his three older brothers and his newly-single mother. His father has recently left the family, and his mother is trying... Read Fist Stick Knife Gun Summary
Publication year 2020
Genre Graphic Novel/Book, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Identity: Sexuality
Tags LGBTQ, Realistic Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Relationships
Publication year 2006
Genre Graphic Memoir , Nonfiction
Themes Identity: Sexuality, Identity: Gender, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Masculinity
Tags LGBTQ, Auto/Biographical Fiction, Relationships, Love / Sexuality, Parenting, Depression / Suicide, Mental Illness, Grief / Death, Gender / Feminism, Biography
Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic (2006) is a graphic novel memoir written and illustrated by underground cartoonist Alison Bechdel. The book centers on Bechdel’s relationship with her late father Bruce Allen Bechdel, who died in what she believes was a death by suicide. Fun Home is a non-linear narrative that rehashes events from Alison Bechdel’s youth and adolescence. Her memories are presented in the comic panels, overlayed with her prosaic, retrospective musings in text boxes... Read Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic Summary
Publication year 2019
Genre Graphic Memoir , Nonfiction
Themes Identity: Gender, Self Discovery, Identity: Sexuality, Relationships: Family
Tags LGBTQ, Gender / Feminism, Biography
Publication year 2016
Genre Graphic Novel/Book, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Relationships: Siblings, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth
Tags Fantasy, Grief / Death, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Children's Literature, Religion / Spirituality
Publication year 2019
Genre Graphic Memoir , Nonfiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Identity: Race, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: Marriage, Relationships: Fathers, Society: Community, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: The Future, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness
Tags Race / Racism, Politics / Government, September 11 Attacks, Relationships, LGBTQ, Grief / Death, Parenting, Social Justice, Immigration / Refugee, Biography
Publication year 2019
Genre Graphic Memoir , Nonfiction
Themes Identity: Mental Health, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Values/Ideas: Art
Tags Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Children's Literature, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Mental Illness
Guts is the third mid-grade graphic memoir in a trilogy by author/illustrator Raina Telgemeier through which she relates the true story of her childhood. Guts specifically records Raina’s fourth- and fifth-grade years, when she transitioned from nine to 10 years old. During this period, she first experiences gastrointestinal issues, eventually diagnosed as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Panic attacks accompany the IBS, and the two conditions exacerbate each other, intensifying her distress. Her narrative chronicles how... Read Guts Summary
Publication year 2018
Genre Graphic Novel/Book, Fiction
Themes Identity: Mental Health, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Friendship, Identity: Sexuality, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Gender, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth
Tags Romance, LGBTQ, Bullying, Love / Sexuality, Relationships, Modern Classic Fiction