Stuff for the Teen Age

Graphic Picks from the Stuff for the Teen Age 2010 List

Some of the best graphic novel titles from the Stuff for the Teen Age 2010 List:

Color of Earth Trilogy

 

 

 

 

 

 

We had a lot of trouble trying to categorize these books.  Yes, they're manhwa (Korean manga).  Yes, they're realistic fiction, inspired by the true story of the author's family.  Yes, they're about romance and heartbreak.  Yes, they're about family problems, specifically about the fragile dynamic between a mother and a daughter.  And yes, these books are also quietly amazing.  But unfortunately, "quietly amazing" wasn't one of the categories on our list.

Stitches: A Memoir

I started reading this book because I had read some good reviews, and because I was curious about the controversy over whether this book was more appropriate for teens or adults.  After I finished this powerful and poignant story, I knew that this was one of the best graphic novels I'd ever read, and that every teen AND every adult should read this book.  It also made me curious about David Small's other work, since he was most well-known for picture books.  So whenever I worked in the Children's Room, I started looking for his books on the shelves and checking online to see what else I could discover.  And lo and behold, I soon learned that I felt close to David Small for another reason.  It turns out that I was looking at one of his pictures every day and didn't even realize it.  This poster hangs over my desk at work, and it helps me to relax and decompress every time I'm in my office.  It says "Practice Random Acts of Reading," and it features a picture from the book The Library which was written by Sarah Stewart and illustrated by her husband David Small.  So while I found David Small's memoir to be inspirational, it turns out that he'd been inspiring me all along.