Procedures

Collection Development Statement
The Maverick Reading List is not designed to support any particular curriculum. Librarians are not required or expected to purchase every book on the list. Due to the diversity in age range and topics, librarians should follow their local collection development policies and guidelines when considering which titles to purchase for their library.

Annual List

The Texas Maverick Graphic Novels Reading List (TMGNRL) is a recommended reading list developed by public and school librarians from the Young Adult Round Table (YART). The list’s purpose is to encourage students in grades 6-12 to explore a variety of current books. The TMGNRL list is intended for recreational reading, not to support a specific curriculum. Due to the diversity of this age range, Texas librarians should purchase titles on this list according to their individual collection policies. Young Adult Round Table

Committee Members

For the purpose of the committee, graphic novels are defined to include trade compilations and original works published in a sequential art format. Such titles should incorporate acceptable literary and artistic quality with the effectiveness of the presentation.

Nomination criteria

• The book’s content must be relevant to readers in grades 6-12.
• The book must be relevant in subject, language, and age.
• The book must have literary merit and wide appeal.
• The TMGNRL is intended for recreational reading and is not to be restricted to supporting a specific curriculum. The list as a whole seeks balance in genre, gender appeal, interest, subject, and difficulty.

Eligibility

• Books published in the 2 years before the publication of the list.
• Books with published scholarly reviews or peer reviews are preferred. Books for which no reviews are available may be considered at the committee’s discretion.
• A previous nomination may not be reconsidered.
• Though graphic novels need not be published in the United States, they must be widely available for purchase in the U.S. at the time of consideration.
• Reissues will be considered if there has been a significant change to the original content of the work since the first issue. Whether or not the changes are significant enough is ultimately determined by the Chair.
• Collections of comic strips will be considered only if they contain an overarching storyline.

2026 Nominations

To learn more about nomination criteria, please click here.

Maverick List Nomination Form

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