Maverick Current List
Recommended graphic novels for grades 6 - 12.
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.
2024 Nominations
Click the button below to submit a nomination for the 2024 Texas Maverick Graphic Novels Reading List.
To see the titles currently nominated for the 2024 TMGNRL, click the button below:
2024 MAVERICK CURRENT NOMINATIONS LIST
To learn more about nomination criteria, please click here.
2023 Maverick Graphic Novel Reading List STARRED TITLES
2023 Maverick Graphic Novel Reading List
2023 Texas Maverick Graphic Novel Reading List – Printable Version
| 2023 Texas Maverick Graphic Novel Reading List | |
| Creator(s) | Title |
| Grades 6-8 | |
| Hale, Shannon, Dean Hale, Asiah Fulmore | Amethyst: Princess of Gemworld |
| May, Cait, Trevor Bream | Another Kind |
| Santat, Dan | The Aquanaut |
| Murray, Duane, Shawn Daley | Better Place |
| Blasco, Serena | Enola Holmes: The Graphic Novels |
| ***Ortega, Claribel A., Rose Bousamra | Frizzy |
| ***Smith, Niki | The Golden Hour |
| Deneen, Brendan, Bell Hosalla | Green Arrow: Stranded |
| Fung, Rosena | Living With Viola |
| Fernandez, Kelly | Manu: A Graphic Novel |
| ***Chau, Alina | Marshmallow & Jordan |
| ***Fajardo, Kat | Miss Quinces |
| Lai, Remy | Pawcasso |
| Hicks, Faith Erin | Ride On |
| Regina, Michael | The Sleepover |
| Douye, Sylvia, Paola Antista | Sorceline |
| Terciero, Rey, Megan Kearney | Swan Lake: Quest for the Kingdoms |
| Grades 6-12 | |
| ***Delliquanti, Blue | Across A Field of Starlight |
| Bernardin, Marc, Ariela Kristantina, Bryan Valenza, Bernardo Brice, Damon Lindelof | Adora and the Distance |
| King, Thomas, Natasha Donovan | Borders |
| Page, Tyler | Button Pusher |
| Nadatani, Wataru | Cat + Gamer |
| Rioux, Jo | Cat’s Cradle: The Golden Twine |
| Einhorn, Heather, Adam Staffaroni, Janet Harvey, Sonia Liao | The Curie Society |
| Valentino, Serena, Arielle Jovellanos | Evil Thing: A Villains Graphic Novel |
| Fahmy, Huda | Huda F Are You? |
| McCormack, Will, Michael Govier, Youngran Nho, Laura Dern | If Anything Happens I Love You |
| ***Gonzalez, Christina Diaz, Gabriela Epstein | Invisible: A Graphic Novel |
| Brinkman, Kiara, Sean Chiki | Lucy in the Sky |
| ***The Kao | Magical Boy, Volume 1 & 2 |
| Komoto, Hajime | Mashle Magic and Muscles, Volume 1-6 |
| Neely, Kindra | Numb To This: Memoir of a Mass Shooting |
| Sugitani, Shogo | Pompo: The Cinephile |
| Walsh, Liam Francis | Red Scare: A Graphic Novel |
| Seeley, Tim, Baldemar Rivas, Romulo Fajardo Jr. | Robins: Being Robin, Volume 1 |
| ***Midori, Wataru | Run On Your New Legs, Volume 1 and 2 |
| ***Alfageeh, Sara, Nadia Shammas | Squire |
| ***Christmas, Johnnie | Swim Team |
| Siegel, Siena Cherson, Mark Siegel | Tiny Dancer |
| ***Smith, Tommie, Derrick Barnes, Dawud Anyabwile | Victory. Stand! |
| Wyatt, Jake, Choo | The Well |
| Liu, Marjorie, Teny Issakhanian | Wingbearer |
| ***Sandlin, Jay, Patrick Mulholland, Rebecca Nalty, Justin Birch | World Class |
| ***Tynion, James IV, Michael Dialynas | Wynd, Book One: Flight of the Prince and Wynd: Book Two: The Secret of the Wings |
| ***Elliott, Victoria Grace | Yummy: A History of Desserts |
| Grades 9-12 | |
| Adams, Leisl | Batter Royale |
| ***Walker, David F, Marcus Kwame Anderson | The Black Panther Party: A Graphic Novel History |
| Arroyo, Jeannette, Ren Graham | Blackwater |
| Peyo | Boy Meets Maria |
| Walden, Tillie | Clementine: Book One |
| ***Stirling, Danie | Crumbs |
| Kasama, Sanshiro, Hikaru Uesugi | Deadpool Samurai, Volume 1 |
| ***Lorinczi, Balazs | Doughnuts and Doom |
| Aozaki, Ritsu, Asagi Orikawa, Akito Ito | The Dragon Knight’s Beloved, Volume 1 |
| ***Axelrod, Jadzia, Jess Taylor | Galaxy: The Prettiest Star |
| Keys, Alicia, Andrew Weiner, Brittney Williams | Girl on Fire |
| ***Searle, Sarah Winifred | The Greatest Thing |
| Manga Classics | Hamlet |
| Becker, Harmony | Himawari House |
| Anta, Julio, Anna Wieszczyk, Bryan Valenza, Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou | HOME, Volume 1 |
| Graudins, Alex | Improve: How I Discovered Improv and Conquered Social Anxiety |
| Gharib, Malaka | It Won’t Always Be Like This: A Graphic Memoir |
| ***Matsumoto, Naoya | Kaiju No. 8, Volume 1 |
| Yukimori, Nene | Kubo Won’t Let Me Be Invisible, Volume 1 |
| ***Eastman, Kevin, Peter Laird, Tom Waltz, Esau & Isaac Escorza, Ben Bishop, Luis Antonio Delgado | The Last Ronin |
| ***Gao, Laura | Messy Roots: A Graphic Memoir of a Wuhanese American |
| Mackay, Jed, Alessandro Cappuccio | Moon Knight, Vol. 1: The Midnight Mission |
| Niimura, Ken | Never Open It: The Taboo Trilogy |
| ***Boo, Sweeney | Over My Dead Body |
| Chad, Jon | Pinball: A Graphic History of the Silver Ball |
| Roo, Jean J., Jane Margolis, Charis JB | Power On! |
| ***Suzuki, Yuto | Sakamoto Days, Volume 1 |
| Ollerton, Bex | Sensory: Life on the Spectrum: An Autistic Comics Anthology |
| McCoola, Marika, Aatmaja Pandya | Slip |
| Chugong | Solo Leveling, Volume 1 |
| Tahir, Sabaa, Nicole Andlefinger, Sonia Liao | A Spark Within the Forge: An Ember in the Ashes Graphic Novel |
| Tokudo-Hall, Maggie, Lisa Sterle | Squad |
| Taylor, Tom, Jon Timms | Superman: Son of Kal-El volume 1: The Truth |
| Sourya | Talli, Daughter of the Moon |
| Roca, Paco, Guillermo Corral, Andrea Rosenberg | The Treasure of the Black Swan |
| ***Cantwell, Christopher, Josh Trujillo, Dale Eaglesham, Jan Balaldua | The United States of Captain America |
| Szamosi, Sofia | Unretouchable |
| Hancox, Lewis | Welcome to St. Hell |
| Feathers, Bea, Ally Shwed, Kasia Babis, Ian Rosenberg, Mike Cavallaro | World Citizen Comic series: Free Speech Handbook: A Practical Framework for Understanding Our Free Speech Protections, Re: Constitutions: Connecting Citizens with the Rules of the Game, Why the People |
| Adult for YA | |
| Melendez, Jarrett, Danica Brine, Hank Jones, Hasan Otsmane-Elhaou | Chef’s Kiss |
| Tung, Debbie | Everything is Ok |
| Ewing, Rhea | Fine: A Comic about Gender |
| ***Spooner, James | The High Desert: Black. Punk. Nowhere. |
| Smythe, Rachel | Lore Olympus |
| Aimoto, Mizuho | My Wonderful World, Volume 1 |
| Warren, Sofia | Radical: My Year with a Socialist Senator |
| Bendis, Brian Michael, Alex Maleev | Scarlet |
| Ahmed, Saif A., Fabiana Mascolo | Yasmeen |
** Titles mean a unanimous vote from the reading list committee members
Resources
YART Volunteers
Ready to take your love of reading young adult books to the next level? Volunteering for one of YART’s reading committee lists allows you to help curate a diverse list of books that meet the needs of all young adults in Texas. You can also volunteer for one of YART’s executive board positions to help advocate for YA reading, publicize reading lists, work with publishers, and plan conferences.
While we will keep this form active year-round, please complete the form by October 1, 2023, to be considered for 2024 positions.
Nominate a library worker for the YARI Award.
YARI Award Nomination Google Form
To learn more about the YARI Award, email yart@members.txla.org.
Young Adult Reading Incentive Award
Join or Renew Your TLA Membership!
Latest News
View all NewsLet Freedom Read! Two special podcast episodes for #BannedBooksWeek
This week, in honor of Banned Books Week 2023, TLA is delighted to present two special podcast episodes. Jeannette Davies of the San Antonio Public Library interviews Leila Green Little […]
Read MoreTLA staff member recognized with Rising Lone Star Award at TSAE Annual Conference
Christy Reynolds, the Membership Engagement Manager at the Texas Library Association, was recognized with a Rising Lone Star Award at the Texas Society of Association Executives’ 2023 “New Ideas” Annual […]
Read More