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American Library Association Announces Great Graphic Novels for Teens 2012 Nominations

Published Mon, 02 May 2011 17:04:08 -0500

Last updated Mon, 02 May 2011 18:51:21 -0500

The American Library Association has announced their nomination list for the Great Graphic Novels For Teens 2012 award, which will be awarded at the ALA Midwinter Meeting.

First Second, Tokyo Pop and Marvel get three nominations each, including Roger Langridge and Chris Samnee's lauded-but-cancelled Thor series.

Other familiar industry comics names include Tony Lee and Sam Hart's King Arthur, Takio, How To Understand Israel In 60 Days, The Guild, Morning Glories and Return Of The Dapper Men, but mostly the list is filled with less high profile, though non less deserving work.

Nonfiction

Glidden, Sarah. How to Understand Israel in 60 Days or Less. DC Comics, 2010. $24.99. 9781401222338.
While traveling through Israel on a birthright tour, a young Jewish woman begins to reevaluate everything she thought she knew about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and learns a little about herself.

Holser, Jay, Kevin Cannon, and Zander Cannon. Evolution: The Story of Life on Earth. Hill and Wang, 2011. $18.95. 9780809094769.
A space alien scientist from Glargalia explains evolution to alien royalty as he tours them through the last 4.5 billion years of life on Earth.

Fiction

Bendis, Brian Michael and Michael Avon Oeming. Takio. Marvel, 2011. $9.95. 9780785153269.
When thirteen-year-old Taki and her little sister wind up with kung fu telekenesis, Taki's head is spinning, but little Olivia knows just what they need to do: become super-heroes!

Brosgol, Vera. Anya's Ghost. First Second, 2011. $15.99. 9781596435520.
Anya isn't exactly the most popular girl at her ritzy private school, but when she makes friends with a ghost, her life starts to turn around—at least for a while.

Bunn, Cullen and Brian Hurtt. The Sixth Gun: Book 1: Cold Dead Fingers. Oni Press, 2011. $19.99. 9781934964606.
Young Becky Moncrieff discovers dark, evil forces in the Old West after inheriting her stepfather's enchanted six -shooter.

Day, Felicia and Jim Rugg. The Guild V. 1. Dark Horse, 2010. $12.99. 9781595825490.
Cyd Sherman is a 20-something with a dead-end orchestra job and a boyfriend who ignores her.

Fujimoto, Yuuki. The Stellar Six of Gingacho V. 1. Tokyopop, 2010. $10.99. 9781427806789.
Growing up doesn't have to mean growing apart.

Furuya, Usamaru. Genkaku Picasso V. 1. Viz, 2010. $9.99. 9781421536750.
After loner Hikaru survives a deadly accident, he is cursed with the ability to either use his amazing artistic powers to help his classmates with their problems . . . or die.

Gulledge, Laura Lee. Page by Paige. Amulet Books, 2011. $18.95. 9780810997219.
When everything is new and strange, a sketchbook can be your best friend.

Langridge, Roger and Chris Samnee.
Thor: The Mighty Avenger V. 1. Marvel, 2010. $14.99. 9780785141211.
Thor: The Mighty Avenger V. 2. Marvel, 2011. $14.99. 9780785141228.
Jane Foster finds a mysterious man hiding in her museum, who claims to be the God of Thunder . . . maybe.

Lee, Tony and Sam Hart. Excalibur: The Legend of King Arthur. Candlewick, 2011. 9780763646448. $21.99.
Dark magic, a vengeful sorceress, shadowy prophesies and malicious fairies—this is the story of King Arthur like you've never seen.

McCann, Jim and Janet Lee. Return of the Dapper Men. Archaia Studios, 2010. $24.95. 9781932386905.
In a surreal world where time has stopped, robots and children live in separate societies. When the strange "dapper men" fall from the sky, a special boy and robot are the keys to figuring out the future.

Natsume, Yoshinori. Kurozakuro V. 1. Viz Media, 2010. $9.99. 978-1421536590.
After spending his life the target of every bully in his school, Mikito gets the power to fight back from a magical demon ogre. But Mikito's power comes with a steep price.

Nicolle, Ethan and Malachai Nicolle. Axe Cop. Dark Horse, 2011. $14.99. 9781595826817.
A professional comic book artist takes dictation from his five-year-old brother.�� The result: a cop with an axe, and it just gets weirder from there.

Oleksyk, Sarah. Ivy. Oni Press, 2011. $19.99. 9781934964590.
For Ivy, who dreams of becoming a painter, a long-distance romance offers an escape from troubles closer to home.

Randolph, Grace and Craig Rousseau. Marvel Her-Oes. Marvel, 2010. $14.99. 9780785148425.
High school drama gets super-powered with teen version of popular female characters from Marvel Comics.

Roman, Dave. Astronaut Academy: Zero Gravity. First Second, 2011. $9.99. 9781596436206.
Former superhero Hakata Soy is trying to survive his latest adventure: school! But the combination of middle school angst, loneliness, catty girls, young romance, and killer robots may be more than he can handle.

Spencer, Nick and Joe Eisma. Morning Glories V. 1. Image Comics/Shadowline, 2011. $9.99. 9781607063193.
Six talented but troubled teens start their first days at the prestigious Morning Glory Academy, only to find the school hides a purpose much more terrifying than your normal high school.

Tan, Shaun. Lost and Found: Three. Scholastic, 2011. $21.99. 9780545229241.
With imagination and restraint, three deceptively simple stories capture the quiet joy of finding things once lost and the universal mourning of losing that which matters most.

Tsang, Evonne and Janina Gorrissen. My Boyfriend Is a Monster V. 1: I Love Him to Pieces. Lerner, 2011. 9780761370796.
Jock girl Dicey and nerd Jack never expected to fall for each other, but is their clique-crossing romance the cause of the zombie apocalypse?

Tsuda, Masami. Eensy Weensy Monster V. 1. Tokyopop, 2010. $10.99. 9781427816511.
The ordinary girl vs. the arrogant prince

Tsujita, Ririko. The Secret Notes of Lady Kanoko V. 1. Tokyopop, 2010. $10.99. 9781427820112.
You'll never look at high school social dramas the same after seeing them through Kanoko's eyes.

Yang, Gene and Thien Pham. Level Up. First Second, 2011. $15.99. 9781596432352.
With the help of four angels Dennis Ouyang struggles with whether to fulfill his med school destiny or to give in to his video game addiction while also coming to terms with his father's death.