Graphic novels for teens

On the school netball team, Elliot is bullied for not being girly enough. When they start going to their local skate park, they finally feel like they have finally found somewhere they can fit in. However, all the other skaters assume they’re a boy – something Elliot is sure doesn’t feel quite right. Exploring sports, friendships and identity, this joyful graphic novel is a brilliant read for anyone who has felt like they don’t belong.

Cece Bell's memoir chronicles her experience of navigating school, friendships and growing up as a deaf child. A fun and insightful depiction of growing up with a difference, El Deafo is ideal for promoting empathy and understanding.

12-year-old Tuva is starting a new school. She can’t wait to spend time with her friends, including her dream to build the best fort ever in the local woods. However, her group of friends is split in half when one friend wants to start dating, and the other wants to keep playing like they always have. Using a wide range of illustration styles, from doodles to comic strips, this graphic novel perfectly captures navigating feeling like you’ve been left behind.

This powerful memoir skilfully uses the graphic novel medium to make a difficult subject accessible and understandable to a young audience. Heart-breaking, funny and full of hope, the story of Omar and Hassan's life in a refugee camp is essential reading.

Welcome to the secret society for those who don’t feel like they quite belong. Sad Ghost is overwhelmed about being invited to a party, but despite their nerves, they meet Socks, a kindred spirit who experiences the same feelings as them. Exploring mental health, Sad Ghost Club is a series that reminds all of us that we are not alone.

Jordan doesn't quite know where he fits in when he starts at his new prestigious private school. As one of the few kids of colour he feels caught between two worlds. Yet all he really wants is to go to art school. New Kid is a nuanced exploration of race, class and fitting in.

Step into a sci-fi fantasy world of supervillains, jousting matches and poisonous apples. When disgraced knight Ballister Blackheart joins up with shapeshifter Nimona, Blackheart sees this as an opportunity for redemption from his dark past with the Institution and his rival Ambrosius Goldenloin. Balancing a fun and fast-paced setting with themes of identity and morality, Nimona is a rich text that will both entertain and challenge its readers.

Tiến Phong is a second-generation American Vietnamese teenager. When his mother wants to improve her English, they decide to read fairytales together. However, there’s still one thing that Tiến struggles to find the words to talk about: his sexuality. Weaving together European and Vietnamese fairytales, this graphic novel is a beautiful story about belonging, family and acceptance.

Bree can’t wait to move her new school ‒ especially because of its promise of extra maths activities. Instead, she discovers the only class with room is swim team, and Bree can’t even swim! Connecting with her neighbour, Miss Etta, Bree starts to discover the joy, and complicated history, of swimming. Told with real heart, this graphic novel tackles topics from belonging in sport and friendship, to racism, discrimination and bullying.

This memoir follows Theo’s journey to feel at home in their own skin. Taking the reader through their different rites-of-passage, we get to learn about their own gender journey: from trying different clothes to choosing a new name. Using an extended metaphor of a journey, this gentle graphic novel celebrates feeling home with who you are.

Fifteen-year-old Morgan is desperate to leave her life behind. Even though she has a great group of friends, no one knows Morgan’s secret: that she wants nothing more than to kiss another girl. Then, the mysterious Keltie comes into Morgan’s life, and she’s forced to decide if her secrets will stay secret. Combining folklore with a coming-of-age story about first love, this is a romance story to fall in love with!

Anda escapes her everyday life with Coarsegold, a massive multiplayer online video game. However, when she meets a gold-farmer within the game, she realises that her entertainment is someone else’s poorly paid labour. Filled with empathy, this graphic novel offers a nuanced perspective on the different experiences we can have with online technology.