Social Justice Graphic Novels

 

Social Justice Graphic Novels

Do you love graphic novels, but are looking for ones that dive a bit deeper into social justice issues? We are holding a teen book discussion for the Heartstopper series by Alice Oseman in September and while it is a sweet romance, it also touches on some LGBTQ+ issues.  It also started us thinking about graphic novels that challenged us to think about the issues happening around us. Here are a few that come to mind, we’d love to hear about ones that impressed you!:

Girl on Fire by Alicia Keyes

When Lolo’s brother is stopped by a cop in
a case of mistaken identities, she discovers powers she didn’t know she had.

Messy Roots by Laura Gao

A Chinese girl who has immigrated to Texas encounters racial prejudice while discovering her queer identity.

Borders by Thomas King

A mother and son, members of the Blackfoot tribe, are detained at the Canadian-U.S. border as they refuse to claim citizenship to either, loyal to their indigenous roots. An exploration of identity, belonging and holding steadfastly to one’s beliefs, despite persecution.

Hey Kiddo by Jarrett J. Krosoczka

Raised by his grandparents as his mother is an addict, this is the true story of how Jarrett survived a bad situation and how he followed his passion for art.

Displacement by Kiku Hughes

Kiku becomes unstuck in time, falling back into the 1940s to meet her grandmother and learns what she had endured in the Japanese-American concentration camps.

Monster by Walter Dean Myers

A young teen who is awaiting trial for murder, imagines it as a screenplay.

I Am Alfonso Jones  by Tony Media, John Jennings, & Stacey Robinson

Alfonso is looking forward to playing Hamlet in a school play, when he is shot by mistake by a cop. Waking up as a ghost, he finds others who have had a similar journey and watches his family go through stages of grief. 

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

Melinda has a clever sense of humor, though nobody can hear her witty takes on teachers and fellow students.  After an incident at a party, Melinda finds that others have misinterpreted what happened and she is so scarred by the event she is unable to talk, even to clear her name.