July is Graphic Novels in Libraries Month, and while popular favorites like Batman, Superman, and other Marvel and DC comics come to mind, the library offers even more to explore. Search thousands of titles in our catalog or in our Hoopla collection. Whether you’re a visual person, want to broaden your reading horizons, or just need a break from pages and pages of type, we recommend giving a graphic novel a try. Many reluctant readers have found their love of books through graphic novels. You may be surprised by what you discover!
Graphic illustrators have a long history of enhancing book pages and covers. Notable artists include Jack Kirby, Will Eisner, Neal Adams, and Carl Barks, just to name a few. Their work helps bring stories to life, and encourages readers to interpret stories through visual language (like a movie with subtitles!) It’s no wonder, then, that many graphic novels have been adapted into movies and vice versa. And while often thought to be humorous, graphic novels can also address topical issues like feminism, civil rights, health, history, religion, and more, and can even serve as great discussion starters for books groups! Below are just a handful of the popular graphic novels available in our collection:
- Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi
- The story of the author, Marjane Satrapi, and her childhood experience growing up in Iran.
- Preacher series by Garth Ennis
- A small-town pastor in Texas becomes possessed, resulting in the death of his entire congregation. The reader is brought along on the pastor’s journey as he discovers his newfound gifts.
- Saga series by Brian Vaughan
- A fantasy series that explores themes surrounding family and race.
- Wash Day Diaries by Jamila Rowser
- This debut graphic novel depicts the lives of four Black women, their hair routines, and tackling everyday life in the Bronx.
- Watchmen by Alan Moore
- This story follows the fall of superheroes after too many failed attempts at saving the world.
GRAPHIC NOVEL ADAPTATIONS
- Animal Farm by George Orwell, adapted by Odyr
- A group of farm animals rebel against their owner and search for a place where animals can be free in this classic allegory turned graphic novel.
- Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, adapted and illustrated by Fred Fordham
- An adaptation of the classic novel exploring what can happen when control of technology is placed in the wrong hands.
- The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, illustrated by Aya Morton, adapted by Fred Fordham
- Considered the greatest American novel by many, the story of a self-made millionaire and his quest for love has been adapted into graphic novel form.
- The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood, adapted by Renée Nault
- Male leaders find terrifying solutions to infertility among the elite in a dystopian society.
- Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler, adapted by Damian Duffy
- Social chaos arises in this novel set in a post-apocalyptic Earth.