Each year, the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) arm of the American Library Association picks a list of graphic novels suited for readers ages 12–18. Since it first premiered in 2007, the list has been inspiring young readers and helping parents, teachers, and librarians make age-appropriate selections for the young adults in their lives. Presented here are the Top 10 GGNFT lists for each year. For the entire lists for each year, visit the GGNFT homepage.
Great Graphic Novels for Teens 2011 (Top 10)
The Zabime Sisters by Aristophane; translated by Matt Madden (First Second; 9781596436381)
Green Monk by Brandon Dayton (self-published; 9780615382838)
Saturn Apartments Vol. 1 by Hisae Iwaoka (VIZ Media; 9781421533643)
Brain Camp by Susan Kim, et. al. (First Second; 9781596433663)
Chew, Vol. 1: Taster’s Choice by John Layman and Rob Guillory (Image Comics; 9781607061595)
Yummy: The Last Days of a Southside Shorty by G. Neri and Randy Duburke (Lee & Low Books; 9781584302674)
Meanwhile: Pick Any Path. 3,856 Story Possibilities by Jason Shiga (Amulet Books; 9780810984233)
Smile by Raina Telgemeier (Graphix; 9780545132060)
Ghostopolis by Doug TenNapel (Graphix; 9780545210287)
Set to Sea by Drew Weing (Fantagraphics; 9781606993682)
Great Graphic Novels for Teens 2010 (Top 10)
The Helm by Jim Hardison and Bart Sears (Dark Horse; 978-1595822611)
Children of the Sea, Vol. 1 by Daisuke Igarashi (VIZ Media; 978-1421529141)
Pinocchio: Vampire Slayer by Van Jenson and Dusty Higgins (SLG; 978-1593621766)
I Kill Giants by Joe Kelly and J.M. Ken Nimura (Image Comics; 978-1607060925)
Omega the Unknown by Jonathan Lethem and Farel Dalrymple (Marvel; 978-0785130529)
Bayou by Jeremy Love (Zuda; 978-1401223823)
A.D.: New Orleans after the Deluge by Josh Neufeld (Pantheon; 978-0375714887)
Gunnerkrigg Court, Vol. 1: Orientation by Tom Siddell (Archaia; 978-1932386349)
Pluto by Naoki Urasawa and Takashi Nagasaki (VIZ Media; 978-1421519180)
Ooku: The Inner Chambers, Vol. 1 by Fumi Yoshinaga (VIZ Media; 978-1421527475)
Great Graphic Novels for Teens 2009 (Top 10)
Life Sucks by Jessica Abel, Gabriel Soria, and Warren Pleece (First Second; 978-1-59643-107-2)
Sand Chronicles, Vol. 1–3 by Hinako Ashihara (VIZ Media; 978-1-4215-1477-2)
Atomic Robo: Atomic Robo and the Fightin' Scientists of Tesladyne by Brian Clevinger and Steve Wegener (Red Five Comics; 978-0-9809302-0-7)
Real, Vol. 1 and 2 by Takehiko Inoue (VIZ Media; 978-4215-1989-0)
Uzumaki, Vol.1 by Junki Ito (VIZ Media; 978-1-4215-1389-8)
Pitch Black by Youme Landowne and Anthony Horton (Cinco Puntos Press; 978-1-9336-9306-4)
Japan Ai: A Tall Girl’s Adventures in Japan by Aimee Major Steinberger (Go Comi; 978-1-933617-83-1)
Skim by Mariko Tamaki and Jilliam Tamaki (Groundwood Books; 978-0-8889-9753-1)
Umbrella Academy: Apocalypse Suite by Gerard Way and Gabriel Ba (Dark Horse; 978-1-59307-978-9)
Cairo by G. Willow Wilson and M. K. Perker (Vertigo; 978-1-4012-1140-0)
Great Graphic Novels for Teens 2008 (Top 10)
Laika by Nick Abadzis (First Second; 978-1596431010)
Re-Gifters by Mike Carey (DC/Minx; 978-1-4012-0371-9)
The Magical Life of Long Tack Sam by Ann Marie Fleming (Penguin; 978-1594482649)
Blue Beetle: Shell-Shocked and Blue Beetle: Road Trip by Keith Giffen (DC Comics; 978-1401209650 and 978-1401213619)
King of Thorn, Vol. 1 by Yuji Iwahara (Tokyopop; 978-1-59816-235-6)
Sidescrollers by Matthew Loux (Oni Press; 978-1-932664-50-8)
After School Nightmare, Vol. 1–5 by Setona Mizushiro (Go Comi!; 978-1933617169)
Emma, Vol. 1–5 by Kaoru Mori (CMX; 978-1-4012-1132-5)
The Wall: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain by Peter Sis (Farrar, Strauss, Giroux; 978-0-374-34701-7)
The Arrival by Shaun Tan (Arthur A. Levine; 978-0439895293)
Great Graphic Novels for Teens 2007 (Top 10)
Nextwave: Agents of H.A.T.E., Vol. 1 by Warren Ellis and Stuart Immonen (Marvel; 978-0-7851-2278-4)
Sloth by Gilbert Hernandez and Jared K. Fletcher (Vertigo; 978-1-4012-0366-5)
Castle Waiting by Linda Medley (Fantagraphics Books; 978-1-56097-747-6)
Identity Crisis by Brad Meltzer and Rags Morales (DC Comics; 978-1-4012-688-8)
Death Note, Vol. 1–3 by Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata (VIZ Media; 978-1-4215-0168-0)
True Believers: Runaways (Vol. 4–6) by Brian K. Vaughan and Adrian Alphona (Marvel; 978-0-7851-1705-6)
Pride of Baghdad by Brian K. Vaughan and Niko Henrichon (Vertigo; 978-1-4012-0314-6)
Death, Jr. by Gary Whitta and Ted Naifeh (Image Comics; 978-1-58240-526-1)
Demo: The Collection by Brian Wood and Becky Cloonan (AiT/Planet Lar; 978-1-932051-42-1)
American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang and Lark Pien (Roaring Brook Press/First Second; 978-1-59643-152-2)
