YA GRAPHIC NOVELS IN LIBRARY COLLECTIONS- A LIST OF SUGGESTED TITLES FOR YOUNG, MID-RANGE, AND OLDER YAs.

Compiled by Sean Gagnier I am a librarian at the Chili Public Library just outside of Rochester, New York and I've had a library collection of graphic novels for about 4 years. They circulate daily and although many of them are written for mature readers, I've never had a complaint.

At present, I have more than 100 graphic novels in the collection and I'm not stopping there. Why shouldn't a library have as many graphic novels as it has romance novels or easy readers?

Here are some suggested titles and series:

Two series that have been popular for years are the TINTIN and ASTERIX series. Some of the Tintin books are a little dated. When people of other countries and cultures appear, it's not always in the most flattering light. There are, however, plenty of Tintin books without gross ethnic stereotypes.

Some suggested ASTERIX titles:

Asterix and the Soothsayer $8.95 0-917201-63-9
Asterix and the Goths $8.95 0-917201-54-X

Some "safe" TINTIN titles:

Tintin in Tibet $7.95 0-316-35839-8
Tintin and the secret of the Unicorn $7.95 0-316-35832-0

One great series is the ELFQUEST series. The only problem with the Elfquest books is that they are not bound well and will start falling apart after 20 circs or so. Still, to my way of thinking, that's a lot better than a book with a great binding that never goes out. You can start with any volume in this series. Elfquest is a work of fantasy that will appeal to fans of Tolkien. Here's a title to start with:

Elfquest- King of the Broken wheel $19.95 0-936861-36-3

You should also have some superhero titles on hand. Anything featuring Spider-man, Batman, or the X-Men will be popular. A lot of superhero comics are like R.L. Stine books-- not too thought provoking but very popular. I would recommend these recent titles (Each is well-done):

Concrete: Fragile Creature $15.95 1-56971-022-8
The Crow $15.95 0-878-1622-16
(This is the comic that the movie was based on)

Marvels $19.95 0-785-1004-90
The art in this one is painted and not inked. There are pictures in here that will blow you away.

The Mask Returns $14.95 1-569-7102-1X
The movie THE MASK was also a comic before it was a movie.

Star Wars: Dark Empire II $14.95 1-569-7111-94

If you haven't read any comics written for a mature audience, you really haven't seen them at their best. There is no writer currently writing adult fiction that I know of that is any better than these writers:

A) Alan Moore. Alan writes "superhero" comics for readers that have outgrown the Marvel and DC comics universes. He has movie deals in the works for at least one of these titles:

The Watchmen $16.95 0-930289-23-4
V for Vendetta $17.50 0-930289-52-8

B) Neil Gaimen. Neil writes the Sandman series of graphic novels. The Sandman series would appeal to literate readers of Stephen King and Clive Barker. The stories could be described as dark fantasy. Two titles are:

Sandman: Fables and Reflctions $19.95 1-56389-105-0
Sandman: Season of Mists $19.95 1-56389-041-0

C) Harvey Pekar. In his autobiographical comics, Harvey muses about lfe, marriage, aging, and his appearances on the David Letterma Show.

The New American Splendor Anthology $18.95 0-941423-64-6