Intro to Graphic Novels: a reading list

 Interested in reading graphic novels but unsure where to start? The Graphic Novels Club have come up with this handy introductory reading list to help you get started!

All titles listed are either standalones or the first in their series. They are all available to borrow from the library. Please feel free to send us your own reviews and recommendations!

The Graphic Novels Club runs every week from 3:30-4:30 on Wednesday afternoons and always welcomes new members of any age.

Maximum Ride by James Patterson

Fourteen-year-old Maximum Ride, better known as Max, knows what it's like to soar above the world. She and all the members of the 'Flock' - Fang, Iggy, Nudge, Gasman and Angel - are just like ordinary kids - only they have wings and can fly. It may seem like a dream come true to some, but their lives can morph into a living nightmare at any time - like when Angel, the youngest member of the 'Flock', is kidnapped and taken back to the 'School' where she and the others were genetically engineered by sinister scientists. Her friends brave a journey to the blazing hot Death Valley, California, to save Angel, but soon enough, they find themselves in yet another nightmare - this one involving fighting off the half-human, half-wolf 'Erasers' in New York City. Whether in the treetops of Central Park or in the bowels of the Manhattan subway system, Max and her adopted family take the ride of their lives. Along the way Max discovers from her old friend and father-figure Jeb- now her betrayed and greatest enemy - that her purpose is to save the world - but can she?

Smile by Raina Telgemeir

From the artist of the Baby-sitters Club Graphix comes this humorous and charming true story! Eleven-year-old Raina just wants to be a normal sixth grader. But one night after a trip-and-fall mishap, she injures her two front teeth, and what follows is a long and frustrating journey with on-again, off-again braces, corrective surgery, embarrassing headgear and even a retainer with fake teeth attached. And on top of all that, there's still more to deal with: a major earthquake, buy confusion, and friends who turn out to be not so friendly. This coming-of-age true story is sure to resonate with anyone who has ever been in middle school, and especially those who have had their own dental drama.  

The Baby-sitters Club: Kristy's Great Idea by Ann M Martin

In this new graphic novel edition of the very first BABY-SITTERS CLUB book, Raina Telgemeir captures all the drama of the original in warm, spunky illustrations. Witness Kristy's eureka moment, when she gets the idea of a 'baby-sitters club' and enlists her best friends, shy Mary Anne and artistic Claudia, in an exciting new adventure. But the baby-sitting business isn't the only thing absorbing their attention: Kristy is having a hard time accepting her stepdad-to-be, and the newest member of the gang, Stacey, seems to be hiding a secret.    

Lumberjanes: Beware the Kitten Holy by Noelle Stevenson 

Five best friends spending the summer at Lumberjane scout camp... defeating yetis, three-eyed wolves, and giant falcons... what's not to love?! Friendship to the max! Jo, April, Mal, Molly and Ripley are five best pals determined to have an awesome summer together... and they're not gonna let any insane quest or an array of supernatural critters get in their way! 

Alex Rider: Stormbreaker by Anthony Horowitz

Forcibly recruited into MI6 after the mysterious death of his guardian, fourteen-year-old Alex is sent to infiltrate the organization of a sinister billionaire. Within days he's gone from schoolboy to superspy - and it looks like his first assignment may be his last...

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: High School is Hell by Jordie Bellaire

Go back to the beginning as the critically acclaimed pop culture phenomenon Buffy the Vampire Slayer is reimagined under the guidance of series creator Joss Whedon!

This is the Buffy Summers you know, who wants what every average teenager wants: friends at her new school, decent grades, and to escape her imposed destiny as the next in a long line of vampire slayers tasked with defeating the forces of evil... only this time around, her world looks a lot more like the one outside your window.

Ms. Marvel: No Normal by Willow Wilson 

Presenting the international sensation: the all-new Ms. Marvel! Kamala Khan is an ordinary girl from Jersey City - until she's suddenly empowered with extraordinary gifts. But who truly is the new Ms. Marvel? Teenager? Muslim? Inhuman? Find out as she takes the Marvel Universe by storm! When Kamala discovers the dangers behind her newfound powers, she also unlocks a secret behind them. Is Kamala ready to wield these immense gifts? Or will the weight of the legacy before her prove too much to bear?  

Nimona by Noelle Stevenson

Nimona is an impulsive young shapeshifter with a knack for villainy. Lord Ballister Blackheart is a villain with a vendetta. As a sidekick and supervillain, Nimona and Lord Blackheart are about to wreak some serious havoc. Their mission: prove to the kingdom that Sir Ambrosius Goldenloin and his buddied at the Institution of Law Enforcement and Heroics aren't the heroes everyone thinks they are.

But as small acts of mischief escalate into a vicious battle, Lord Blackheart realizes Nimona's powers are as murky and mysterious as her past. And her unpredictable wild side might be more dangerous than he is willing to admit. 

Honor Girl by Maggie Thrash

Maggie Thrash has spent basically every summer of her fifteen-year-old life at the one-hundred-year-old Camp Bellflower for Girls, set deep in the heart of Appalachia. She's from Atlanta, she's never kissed a guy, she's into Backstreet Boys in a really deep way, and her long summer days are full of pleasant, peaceful nothing... until one confounding moment. A split-second of innocent physical contact pulls Maggie into a gut-twisting love for an older, wiser and most surprising of all (at least to Maggie), female counsellor named Erin. But Camp Bellflower is an impossible place for a girl to fall in love with another girl and Maggie's savant-like proficiency at the camp's rifle range is the only thing keeping her heart from exploding. When it seems as if Erin feels the same way about Maggie, it's too much for both Maggie and Camp Bellflower to handle, let alone to understand. 

Black Butler by Yana Toboso (Manga)

Just a stone's throw from London lies the manor house of the illustrious Phantomhive earldom and its master, one Ciel Phantomhive. Earl Phantomhive is a giant in the world of commerce, Queen Victoria's faithful servant...and a slip of a twelve-year-old boy. Fortunately, his loyal butler, Sebastian, is ever at his side, ready to carry out the young master's wishes. And whether Sebastian is called to save a dinner party gone awry or probe the dark secrets of London's underbelly, there apparently is nothing Sebastian cannot do. In fact, one might even say Sebastian is too good to be true... or at least, too good to be human...