Transgender cartoonist Newlevant (No Ivy League) blends memoir with snippets of queer history in this entertaining and educational graphic novel. An adult Newlevant acts as an omniscient narrator, guiding readers as the creator reflects on their teenage and early adulthood experiences exploring their gender and sexual identity. Sporadic cartooning sans panel borders depicts an opening scene of teenage Newlevant coming out as bisexual to their parents; subsequent personal milestones include recollections of fledgling romantic endeavors and beginning hormone therapy. Each pivotal shift in their self-perception, conveyed with vulnerable sensitivity, is interspersed with corresponding revelatory historical moments, including the founding of Daughters of Bilitis, the first United States lesbian rights organization, and the fight to legalize birth control. Stories of prominent figures whom Newlevant believes paved the way for them—and others—to obtain access to information and affirming care are additionally peppered throughout, highlighting individuals like birth control advocate Margaret Sanger, German sexologist Magnus Hirschfeld, and Gay American Indians founders Randy Burns and Barbara May Cameron. Simple, stylized illustrations in blue and orange hues accompanied by direct dialogue impart urgency, culminating in a sprawling yet approachable introduction to the impact of prior generations’ advocacy on a contemporary landscape. Ages 14–up. (May)

Reviewed on 02/13/2026 | Details & Permalink

Keen details and immersive scene work turn a 150-year-old historical event into a suspenseful account of the notorious duo who, in an elaborate money-making scheme, pulled off the Great Diamond Hoax of 1872. Cinematic storytelling by Sheinkin (Impossible Escape) introduces cousins Philip Arnold and John Slack, both prospectors from Kentucky who, upon arriving in San Francisco in 1870, inform mining investor George Roberts that they found a diamond field. As Roberts recruits wealthy partners to fund excavations, the relatives hoodwink similarly affluent businessmen into believing this claim, including engineer Henry Janin and congressman Benjamin Butler, the latter of whom backs new mining legislation to the cousins’ benefit. In 1872, after receiving several payouts totaling $300,000, the pair leads Janin to southwest Wyoming, where the engineer confirms the validity of the diamond site. As news of the mine breaks, the race to file a claim is on. At the same time, geologist Clarence King, doubtful of the prospectors’ claims, sets out to see the site for himself. Wry narration expertly builds tension and proffers key details across a six-part structure that’s punctuated by b&w comics from Chad (The Divmulti Ray Dilemma) depicting the events with Wild West flair. References to well-known figures of the era help situate a rollicking caper that offers historical hijinks and freewheeling fun in spades. Ages 9–14. (May)

Reviewed on 02/13/2026 | Details & Permalink

A grieving teen teams up with an enigmatic entity to unravel her neighbor’s allegedly dark past in Iris’s paranormal graphic novel debut. Following her best friend’s death by suicide, 15-year-old Lyn and her Filipino immigrant parents move to Ashwood for a fresh start. While carrying boxes into her new apartment, Lyn bumps into grumpy neighbor Mr. Cho, sending hers and Mr. Cho’s own belongings tumbling. She later hears rumors that Mr. Cho killed his wife and that his son has been missing for two years. That night, Lyn discovers that she accidentally picked up some of Mr. Cho’s items, including an ancient-looking pendant and a comic featuring an inky-black bipedal ghoul. The next morning, Lyn is shocked to find that the ghoul, having somehow exited the comic, has taken up residence in her room. Though Lyn is unsure if the ghoul is real or a hallucination, she befriends the unexpectedly exuberant creature, with whom she begins investigating Mr. Cho’s family. Softly shaded red- and purple-hued illustrations often spill over rounded borderless paneling, amplifying emotional moments steeped in surreal, dreamlike ambiance. Dynamic page layouts and dramatic lettering energize frenetically-paced plotting, which aptly reflects Lyn’s difficulty navigating tumultuous life shifts and supernatural phenomena. Ages 13–17. (May)

Reviewed on 02/13/2026 | Details & Permalink

A tween reconciles puberty’s effects on her body with shifting feelings about her gender identity in an empathic graphic novel from Kobabe (Breathe: Journeys to Healthy Binding) and debut creator Srikumar. Navigating seventh grade proves challenging for Saachi, especially since her best friend, Lyla, seems more interested in talking about boys than the fictional worlds the pair used to bond over. Saachi’s confusion surrounding recent dreams in which she is a boy, pressure from her parents to take on a more active role in managing the household, and mental and bodily discomfort from her first period manifest in emotional outbursts, which she channels into physical altercations with a classmate. Concerned about Saachi’s changing demeanor, her mother gives Saachi a book about puberty, and sections about nonbinary and transgender kids prompt personal reflection (“How would I know if I’m not a girl?... I think I prefer things that fall in the middle”). Saachi’s internal monologue, journal entries, and poetry provide multiple avenues across which the creators reflect on themes of identity and adolescence. Character expressions and body language rendered in rich jewel tones take center stage in this tender and intimate portrait. The protagonists are depicted with various skin tones. Ages 10–12. Agent: (for Kobabe) Emily Mitchell, Wernick & Pratt. (May)

Reviewed on 02/13/2026 | Details & Permalink

Grover (Deeply Dave) contemplates the grounding power of friendship in this appealingly strange graphic novel about ghost Jake Spooky, who is inexplicably regurgitating live wolves. Unadorned, thinly lined comics introduce Jake—shown as a white sheet sporting a baseball cap and wearing a dot-eyed, deadpan expression—whose befuddling gastrointestinal issues have thrown a wrench in his otherwise chill existence. Though his laid-back roommates seem only marginally concerned, the arrival of a threatening letter from their landlord forces the friends to tackle Jake’s problem head-on. Along with humanoid Brand-o, whose head is a vintage TV, and underpants-wearing cat Quincy, Jake sets out to uncover the origin of his tummy troubles. Background details mirror the increasing urgency of Jake’s plight: wolves engage in chaotic shenanigans while denizens of Jake’s tropical community frantically prepare for an approaching hurricane. Elongated sequences of repeating identical panels give punch lines visual heft and vivacious pink accents punctuate the spare b&w artwork, imparting exclamatory verve to a simultaneously absurd and sincere plot about friends on the brink of transition. Ages 8–12. (Apr.)

Reviewed on 02/13/2026 | Details & Permalink

Three besties work together to help each other succeed in this energetic graphic novel series opener from Alexander (The Mighty Macy) and debut author Dyce. Nine-year-old Lex often feels like he’s “drowning in a sea of words,” particularly because his independent bookstore owner parents insist that he learn a new word every day. Lex finds reprieve from his parents’ academic expectations by hanging out with his friends, entrepreneurial Cass and artistic goofball DJ. After Lex requests a new phone for his upcoming 10th birthday, and his parents deem it too expensive, the friends endeavor to buy it themselves. Each money-making venture seems to create more problems than it solves: the trio accidentally substitute laxatives for chocolate in their bake sale brownies; they prove no match for the dogs they attempt to walk; and their magic performance is thwarted by an already existing magic club. And while making valentines proves lucrative, Lex’s worries about the family bookstore’s struggles—and their effect on his parents’ relationship—send his desire for a new phone into the background. Expressive, character-focused art by Doucet (Wish I Was a Baller) highlights movement, injecting dynamism into the straightforward plot. The cast is rendered with various skin tones. Ages 8–12. (May)

Reviewed on 02/13/2026 | Details & Permalink

Campbell (Dragging Mason County) adds laughs via acerbic wit and rambunctious crudity throughout this unconventional heist novel. Gay 16-year-old John O’Neil believes he found the story that will catapult him into journalistic stardom: he intends to write an exposé on the hazing rituals of the Mason Musketeers soccer team, captained by Lance McPhee, heir apparent to the Oakland Golf and Country Club. He even compiles enough additional information to ruin the reputations of the entire team. But his best friend and fellow reporter Rachel Miller—who describes herself as “dyke light”—objects to John’s methods; just as he’s arranging to set his plans into motion, Rachel deletes his evidence. His longing for revenge against the McPhees escalates as they prepare to develop a spa on the bird conservation area that John’s beloved grandparents protested to save decades before, compelling him to ally with the high school birding club to destroy the McPhees at any cost. John’s journalistic motivations are murky and the McPhees read like cardboard cut-out villains. His snarky first-person narration is occasionally broken up by instances of the teen exhibiting his softer side, particularly in tender scenes involving his grandparents. The cast is intersectionally diverse. Ages 14–up. (May)

Reviewed on 02/13/2026 | Details & Permalink

Opening in August 2021, this complex time-travel novel by Arnold (The Blood Years) plumbs an autistic teenager’s endeavors to reconstruct her identity following her zealous anti-vaxxer mother’s death from Covid. Art has always been a lifeline for 17-year-old Nora, who takes her mother Gillian’s remains to Paris to bury them on La Grande Jatte. Disappointed by the park’s current setting, Nora sets off to find the perfect spot. While camping solo through the Loire Valley, Nora relives memories of hers and Gillian’s years together and revisits her mother’s teachings for masking her autistic traits around others. Nora’s discovery of a holloway, an ancient sunken path that acts as a portal to 1946, transports her to an asylum at Saint-Alban, where Nora gains a new perspective on her and Gillian’s relationship. Arnold successfully renders Nora’s sensory and intellectual overload through the protagonist’s lyrical reflections on perception, the societal connections between post–Covid pandemic and post-WWII eras, and the making of art as essential and eternal. Posing thought-provoking questions about time, love, and relationships, it’s an ambitious and immersive portrait of one neurodivergent teen’s experience. Nora and Gillian are white. An author’s note concludes. Ages 14–up. Agent: Sara Crowe, Sara Crowe Literary. (May)

Reviewed on 02/13/2026 | Details & Permalink

Two teens in 18th-century Korea find themselves drawn together via secret correspondence and their commitment to a common cause in this simmering historical romance by Hur (A Crane Among Wolves). Eighteen-year-old Shin Haewon, the middle daughter of a financially struggling family, covertly works illegally as a book transcriber, an occupation that becomes increasingly dangerous as book-banning government mandates multiply. But Haewon enjoys the thrill of her job’s taboo nature, and especially loves transcribing books from anonymous popular fiction novelist Black Lotus, with whom Haewon has also been secretly exchanging letters. At home, Haewon chaperones her older sister, Jade, during Jade’s courtship with a wealthy gentleman who’s similarly accompanied by his uptight friend, Seojun. As the only son of a wealthy minister, Seojun feels pressured to uphold his family’s reputation—which he knows would fall into jeopardy if his moonlighting as Black Lotus was discovered. Stress brought about by filial duty and government censorship is buoyed by spirited correspondences with his transcriber, known only as Magpie. Warmly rendered characters navigate a unique and evocative setting, which echoes with sharp societal commentary as well as witty repartee that’s reminiscent of Pride and Prejudice. A glossary and author’s note conclude. Ages 13–up. Agent: Amy Bishop-Wycisk, Trellis Literary. (May)

Reviewed on 02/13/2026 | Details & Permalink

An anxious teen resolves to confront his fears in this uproarious novel from Hall (Kind of Sort of Fine). On the night before his eighth grade graduation, 14-year-old Jensen Chapman’s best friends Maleek and Cooper lure him out for what they call “a night of adventure”: several of their classmates, including Jensen’s crush Leslie, have challenged the trio to a series of dares that promise bragging rights for the victors. Throughout the evening, Jensen, Maleek, and Cooper attempt increasingly wild dares that test Jensen’s bravery and determination. But when he learns that his friends have been hiding potentially life-altering news from him, it may irrevocably alter their relationship. By turns sincere and humorous, this nocturnal romp is both a frenetic comedy and an ode to friendship as the protagonists reckon with rapidly approaching changes and panic-inducing transition into high school. As the teens careen from one challenge to the next, Hall inserts chaotic joviality and dynamic energy into a story about one teen’s attempt to do it scared—and his supporters’ promise to be there whether things go right or wrong. While Jensen takes center stage, Cooper and Maleek have their moments of glory as well, rounding out and adding texture to a magnetic, racially diverse ensemble cast. Ages 12–up. Agent: Claire Friedman, InkWell Management. (May)

Reviewed on 02/13/2026 | Details & Permalink