Try out some of these graphic novels from the Teen collection, for a different way to read about history.
March. Book One by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin and illustrated by Nate Powell
YA GRAPH 323.1196 LEW
A graphic novel trilogy co-authored by Congressman John Lewis and Andrew Aydin, with art by Nate Powell. March is a vivid first-hand account of John Lewis’ lifelong struggle for civil and human rights (including his key roles in the historic 1963 March on Washington and the 1965 Selma-Montgomery March), meditating in the modern age on the distance traveled since the days of Jim Crow and segregation.
The Silence of Our Friends by Mark Long & Jim Demonakos and art by Nate Powell
YA GRAPH 323.1196 LON
This semi-autobiographical tale is set in 1968 Texas, against the backdrop of the fight for civil rights. A white family from a notoriously racist neighborhood in the suburbs and a black family from its poorest ward cross Houston’s color line, overcoming humiliation, degradation, and violence to win the freedom of five black college students unjustly charged with the murder of a policeman.
Lewis & Clark by Nick Bertozzi
YA GRAPH 917.8042 BER
Presents, in graphic novel format, the adventures of explorers Lewis and Clark during their journey from St. Louis to the Pacific Ocean.
Shackleton: Antarctic Odyssey by Nick Bertozzi
YA GRAPH 919.8904 BER
Presents, in graphic novel format, the adventures of explorer Ernest Shackleton in the Antarctic.
Above the Dreamless Dead: World War I in Poetry and Comics edited by Chris Duffy
YA GRAPH 940.3 ABO
A collection of World War I poetry interpreted by cartoonists.
World War One: 1914-1918: the War to End All Wars written by Alan Cowsill; illustrated by Lalit Kumar Sharma; inking by Jagdish Kumar; colorists, Pradeep Sherawat, Vijay Sharma
YA GRAPH 940.3 COW
It was the first major conflict of the 20th century, a war that devastated the whole of Europe and expanded across the entire globe, decimating a generation. From the assassination of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo to the armistice of 1918, World War One: 1914-1918 provides a complete overview of the war that shaped the modern world from the viewpoint of the servicemen who fought in it, creating a unique graphic novel history of one of the most destructive conflicts of all time.
The Boxer by Reinhard Kleist
YA GRAPH 796.8309 HAFT, H.
Poland, 1941. Sixteen-year-old Harry Haft is sent to Auschwitz. When he is forced to fight against other inmates for the amusement of the SS officers, Haft shows extraordinary strength and courage, and a determination to survive. As the Soviet Army advances in April 1945, he makes a daring escape from the Nazis. After negotiating the turmoil of postwar Poland, Haft emigrates to the United States and establishes himself as a professional prizefighter, remaining undefeated until he faces heavyweight champion Rocky Marciano in 1949. In The Boxer, Reinhard Kleist reveals another side to the steely Harry Haft: a man struggling to escape the memories of the fiancée he left behind in Poland. This is a powerful and moving graphic novel about love and the will to survive.
Auschwitz by Pascal Croci
YA GRAPH 940.5318 CRO
Using the fictional story of a couple named Kazik and Cessia who lose a daughter at the Auschwitz-Birkenau Concentration camp and barely survive themselves, Pascal Croci depicts the horror and brutality of the Holocaust in grim, searing, black-and-white illustrations.
Maus I and Maus II by Art Spielgelman
YA GRAPH 940.5318 SPI
A son struggles to come to terms with the horrific story of his parents and their experiences during the Holocaust and in postwar America.
by Max Brooks; illustrated by Caanan White
YA GRAPH 940.5403 BRO
This is a graphic novel about the first African-American regiment to fight in World War One.
Bombing Nazi Germany: the Graphic History of the Allied Air Campaign that Defeated Hitler in World War II by Wayne Vansant
YA GRAPH 940.544 VAN
Bombing Nazi Germany tells the story of the first and second generations of airmen, soldiers, and politicians from both sides who sought to bomb the enemy into submission.
Big Jim: Jim Larkin and the 1913 Lockout by Rory McConville & Paddy Lynch
YA GRAPH 941.835 MCC
On August 26th 1913, the trams of Dublin stopped. Over the next four months, James Larkin would lead the workers of Dublin against William Martin Murphy and the Employers Federation in a conflict that would change the face of Irish society.
The 47 Ronin by Sean Michael Wilson; illustrated by Akiko Shimojima, with lettering by Ben Dickson
YA GRAPH 952.025 WIL
In the eighteenth century, forty-seven samurai avenged the death of their master in a plot that would take over two years to complete. After succeeding in their mission, the masterless samurai–known as ronin –all committed ritual suicide. The story, which is a national legend, remains the most potent example of Japan’s deeply rooted cultural imperative of honor, persistence, loyalty, and sacrifice.
Showa: a History of Japan, 1926-1939 and Showa: a History of Japan, 1939-1944 by Shigeru Mizuki
YA GRAPH 952.033 MIZ
A look at the Showa period in Japanese history with events leading towards World War II. On a personal level, these years mark a dramatic transformation in Mizuki’s life, too.
Grant vs. Lee by Wayne Vansant
YA GRAPH 973.73 VAN
Grant vs. Lee tells the dramatic story of the final year of the Civil War in Virginia – a bloody and unyielding fight for both sides – through the eyes of the two greatest Civil War generals: the North’s Ulysses S. Grant and the South’s Robert E. Lee.
The Warren Commission Report by Dan Mishkin, Ernie Colón, and Jerzy Drozd ; foreword by Richard Reeves
YA GRAPH 973.922 MIS
Within days of the murder of President John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson appointed a seven-member commission to investigate the assassination. In its report, the Warren Commission determined that there was “no credible evidence” conflicting with its conclusion of a lone gunman. Artist Ernie Colón, bestselling illustrator of The 9/11 Report: A Graphic Adaptation , teams up with author Dan Mishkin to provide a unique means of testing the commission’s findings, unraveling conflicting narratives side by side through graphic-novel techniques.
The Great American Dust Bowl by Don Brown
YA GRAPH 978.032 BRO
A speck of dust is a tiny thing. In fact, five of them could fit into the period at the end of this sentence. On a clear, warm Sunday, April 14, 1935, a wild wind whipped up millions upon millions of these specks of dust to form a duster–a savage storm–on America’s high southern plains. The sky turned black, sand-filled winds scoured the paint off houses and cars, trains derailed, and electricity coursed through the air. Sand and dirt fell like snow–people got lost in the gloom and suffocated. . . and that was just the beginning. Don Brown brings the Dirty Thirties to life with kinetic, highly saturated, and lively artwork in this graphic novel of one of America’s most catastrophic natural events: the Dust Bowl.
Gandhi: My Life is My Message by Jason Quinn; illustrated by Sachin Nagar
YA GRAPH B GANDHI
In graphic novel format, introduces the life and accomplishments of the Indian political and spiritual leader who led his country to freedom from British rule through his policy of nonviolent resistance.
Best Shot in the West: the Adventures of Nat Love by Patricia C. McKissack and Fredrick L. McKissack, Jr.; illustrated by Randy DuBurke
YA GRAPH B LOVE, N.
Describes, in graphic novel format, the life of Nat Love, also known as Deadwood Dick, who grew up to become the most famous African-American cowboy in the Old West.
Gaia Warriors: Urgent, the Fight is On! by Nicola Davies
47 Things You Can Do for the Environment by Lexi Petronis
Green Career$: You Can Make Money and Save the Planet by Jennifer Power Scott
Wild Ones: A Sometimes Dismaying, Weirdly Reassuring Story About Looking at People Looking at Animals in America by Jon Mooallem
Going Blue: A Teen Guide to Saving Our Oceans, Lakes, Rivers, & Wetlands by Cathryn Kaye
The Next Eco-Warriors: 22 Young Women and Men Who are Saving the Planet by Emily Hunter
Girls Gone Green by Lynn Hirshfield
Heroes of the Environment: True Stories of People Who are Helping to Protect Our Planet by Harriet Rohmer
