2020 is going to be an excellent year for graphic novel readers.
I am excited about my growing preorder list, and I haven’t even dug into Random House Graphics or Scholastic list of new titles yet. From the much anticipated Dragon Hoops to several additions to DC’s growing catalog aimed at Middle Grade and YA audiences, I will be book talking many graphic novels this coming semester. Always drawn to nonfiction titles, I am thrilled to see so many new memoirs and biographies due to be published in 2020. Comics is a powerful storytelling medium for creating empathy and understanding and is a natural complement for nonfiction.
Although I was unable to attend ALA, NCTE, or Book Expo to learn about all the great new books, one of the benefits of my previous job as Director of Education Outreach, there are plenty of ways to discover new titles for 2020 thanks to the growing conversation of librarians and educators interested in comics. With the new ALA Graphic Novel Round Table, we will have even more ways to spread the word about new titles. When in doubt, reach out to your local comic book retailer or bookstore. I never leave my local comic book store disappointed.
Note: This list is focused on selections for my classroom library and does not include graphic novels created with strictly an adult audience in mind.
- Green Lantern: Legacy by Minh Le, Andie Tong. Releases January 21
- Fights: One Boy’s Triumph Over Violence by Joel Christian Gill. Releases January 21
- Almost American Girl: An Illustrated Memoir by Robin Ha. Releases January 28
- Northwest Resistance (Volume 3) (A Girl Called Echo) by Katherena Vermette, Scott B. Henderson. Releases February 25
- Dragon Hoops by Gene Luen Yang. Releases March 17
- Wink by Rob Harrell. Released March 31
- Canto, Vol. 1: If I Only Had a Heart by David Booher, Drew Zucker. Releases March 31
- Kent State: Four Dead in Ohio by Derf Backderf. Releases April 7
- When Stars Are Scattered by Victoria Jamieson, Omar Mohamed, et al. Releases April 14
- Churchill: A Graphic Biography by Vincent Delmas, Christophe Regnault. et al. Releases April 15
- Stepping Stones (Peapod Farm) by Lucy Knisley. Releases May 5
- Wonder Woman: Tempest Tossed by Laurie Halse Anderson, Leila Del Duca. Releases June 2
- The Montague Twins: The Witch’s Hand by Nathan Page, Drew Shannon. Releases July 14
- Teen Titans: Beast Boy by Kami Garcia and Gabriel Picolo. Releases September 8