This graphic novel adaptation of a short story by King explores how strict border controls affect and limit the movements of native populations, whose reservations are sovereign entities in their own right, and, in the case of the Blackfoot reservation, span the borders established by the group that colonized them. In this story, a boy and his mother, both part of the Blackfoot tribe, tried to cross the Canadian border into the US to visit the boy's older sister in Salt Lake City. When his mother refuses to give a citizenship other than Blackfoot, they are turned away at both the US and Canadian borders and are forced to stay in their car in a duty-free shop parking lot for several nights. It takes word of their situation, finding its way to new outlets, for the US Border Patrol to finally let them into the US for their visit. This work explores how an already complex system is further complicated by native tribal members in an in-between status regarding citizenship and sovereignty.

Fans of a deeply down-to-earth story of kids who are part of two worlds, like American Born Chinese or Family Style, will enjoy this story of a group that is often overlooked during over conversations about border control.

Racism, tense dealings with border control agents

Tayla Cardillo

Who can come to the United States? Who gets to be a U.S. citizen? Including forays into policies such as the Chinese Exclusion Act and the Japanese concentration camps, Born in the USA explores how politics and beliefs have impacted immigration and citizenship law throughout American history.

Readers who want to learn about the history of birthright citizenship and immigration law will want to pick this up.

Discusses racist beliefs and the aftermath of policies enacted--but very little actual violence is shown.

Megan Rupe

Ellis Island was one of the main immigrant processing centers in the 1800s and early 1900s, and it figures prominently in many Americans’ family histories. In this installment of First Second’s History Comics series, readers will learn about Ellis Island’s origins and place in America's immigration history from Amie, an Ellis Island Museum employee

Filled with fun facts and good contextualization, this is a solid introduction to Ellis Island and America's immigration history that will entertain both young readers and those who are a bit more familiar with the topic.

Megan Rupe

The comic opens with Thien's first memory, a vivid series of images separated by black pages, relaying a moment from his family's journey from Vietnam to Thailand, mostly via rowboat. We then follow Thien's family life in the refugee camp in Thailand before resettlement in the United States, and the various ways food was part of his experience of all of this. At the end are some bonus comics from his time writing the comic originally, moments between his family members.

Though some of Thien's experiences are pretty tough, he covers them with a light hand while still conveying emotional depth, making it a potential read for any teen curious about what the immigration experience can look like. It's also a coming-of-age story in its own way, with Thien grappling with his identity and how he fits in at the various homes he inhabits throughout the comic.

Some mild depictions of physical violence

Shannan Prukop

Fabien Toulme learned about the Syrian refugee crisis almost by accident, but once he knew, he couldn't let it go and found a Syrian living in France with whom he could talk and make sure this story was being shared as widely as it should be. The comic is framed as interviews between Fabien and Hakim, with the two talking and cutting to flashbacks of moments in Hakim's life that led him to live in France. This first book shows Hakim's young life from being a successful young adult when the war started, then the start of his travels: Syria to Lebanon, Lebanon to Jordan, and then Jordan to Turkey.

Though there is a fair amount of text in the panels, it doesn't feel crowded, and the simpler art, with some comedic moments, makes the story more approachable than it might seem at first. And the frame of having Fabien interview Hakim invites the reader into the conversation, making them part of it. This all makes the story a solid suggestion for readers who want to know more about Syria and some of its people but aren't sure where to start or are daunted by drier texts.

Because it's discussing war, there is a depiction of being physically tortured, as well as gun violence and death.

Shannan Prukop

Tired of constantly working yet unable to fully support her son, Carlos’ mother decides to leave El Salvador for the United States; Carlos joins her out of a desire to protect her. However, Carlos finds the journey much more grueling than expected. Ten years later, cartoonist Ernesto Saade visits his cousin Carlos and aunt in the United States, and Carlos tells Saade the full story of his and his mother’s harrowing journey.

As Carlos points out, his story is “just another story”, yet his story captures the complexity of reasons for emigrating and the bittersweet experience of living here in the States when you didn’t do things legally. Readers curious about those complexities would do well to pick up Just Another Story.

Violence; kidnapping

Megan Rupe

In this graphic memoir, Gao describes her childhood in Wuhan, China, and her immigration to the US at age 11. In a color palette like a sunset, Gao writes a love letter to her homeland and details the ups and downs of transitioning to life in America. She also explores what is felt like to have her birthplace go from being virtual unknown in the West to in every headline as the epicenter of a pandemic, and the anti-Asian sentiment that arose out of. This is a heartfelt story about finding your place in the world in every sense of the word.

Fans of The Magic Fish and Almost American Girl will enjoy another fabulous story with Asian immigrants at the center.

Discussions of the pandemic, Racism and anti-Asian sentiment, minor homophobia

Tayla Cardillo

This graphic non-fiction work explores the question, "What would happen if we let everyone who wanted to move to another country move there with no restrictions?" Open Border explains what we would gain from open immigration globally and addresses some of the common criticisms that have led to current immigration restrictions in the US and other first-world countries. This work equips readers with the essential data they need, in an accessible format, to have informed conversations about immigration.

Anyone looking to better understand the data behind immigration should check out this book.

discussions of racism and zenophobia, depictions of ICE agents

Tayla Cardillo

A vacation to America turns into a permanent stay for Feng-Li and her siblings. The siblings must adapt to a new country without their parents’ guidance. As the stress and conflict mount, can Li Feng pull her family together and get a true shot at achieving the American dream?

Inspired by Tang’s own experiences, Parachute Kids’ strong sibling dynamics and compelling story make this a great read for those looking for a nuanced, tender family immigration story.

Anti-Asian racism

Megan Rupeta

In this historical fiction comic set in the DC Comics universe, Superman confronts an evil older than Lex Luthor or Zod: racism and xenophobia. This story follows the first-generation Chinese Americans Tommy and Roberta and how their paths cross with the Caped Crusader himself when their family is visited by the Klan of the Fiery Kross. This comic uses beloved DC characters to explore the rise in anti-Asian sentiment after World War II, a topic rarely discussed in historical accounts of that period.

Superhero fans and history buffs will find something to love here.

racism and xenophobia, depictions of non-violent hate crimes

Tayla Cardillo

When he was still very young, Francisco's family decided it was time to move to the United States to seek opportunities there. They spend the next several years traveling around California, going where the work is, living wherever they can. Over the years, Francisco attends several schools, learns English, gains three younger siblings, and survives several harrowing incidents. The comic is episodic, jumping forward in time with each chapter that tells a moment in his life, then moves a little forward again, and is an adaptation of a series of memoirs by the author.

A great way to jump readers into the memoirs, the art does an excellent job of conveying emotion and experience, such as the sound effects when people are speaking English while Francisco is learning, or the terrifying image of their home catching fire. The episodic nature of the book might throw off some readers expecting a narrative without jumps, but each story is compelling and easy to pick up where the last one left off.

Depictions of racism

Shannan Prukop

Starting with a brief introduction from current Sabba, we follow her from childhood into adulthood, navigating life as a Pakistani woman living in London and as the child of immigrants. This includes figuring out where she fits between what her parents expect from her as a Muslim woman, what British society expects of her, and what she actually wants, and what happiness can look like for her and her family.

A visually stunning exploration of the many facets of a person's identity, how they intersect and bounce off of one another, and how introducing other people creates new threads and complications. Pick this one up to be drawn in and fascinated by the way Khan breaks down these concepts in beautiful ways.

Depictions of racism, domestic abuse

Shannan Prukop

In a collection of beautifully illustrated vignettes, Maria Sweeney explores her life with Bruck syndrome, a rare, progressive condition that, among other symptoms, makes her bones brittle.

With its range of experiences—including joyous, peaceful moments and the challenges of living and receiving care as a disabled person in America — Brittle Joints will likely be a validating read for chronically and seriously ill folks. Readers interested in graphic medicine or medical memoirs will also find a powerful read in Brittle Joints.

Medical trauma; scenes with needles that might make some readers squeamish

Megan Rupe

Toshiro is a resident of Tokyo in the far future, a place struggling, like the rest of the world, due to the sun being hidden behind a thick layer of clouds, hindering plant growth and oxygen production. He's in a tough spot, trying to help afford his mother's medication, and decides to undergo transfloration - the process by which a special seed is implanted in him, and over the next several years, he will become more plant than human. In the meantime, he seems to now be able to understand the other human plants and finds himself tangled in more plots and mysteries than he ever wanted.

The contemplative mood and cinematic paneling are a perfect fit for giftees who love moody sci-fi films, even if they aren't already manga readers. Fool Night is also an excellent pick for those who love dystopian or eco-horror settings, as seen in series like Fire Punch or Wild Strawberry.

Discussions of death, depictions of bodies in states of plant-based decay

Shannan Prukop

Do you have a person in your life for whom the midterm elections are their March Madness? Or maybe you have a new adult in your life who wishes they knew a little more about how the government works, amid headlines about the latest SCOTUS ruling. The Free Speech Handbook is an approachable and digestible guide to the significant cases that shaped how we view the First Amendment today.

A must-read for anyone who wants to exercise their First Amendment right (so everyone)!

Tayla Cardillo

Told not from the perspective of the titular Helen but instead one of the adults in her life, hired after the death of her father to bring her back to the family home. This home turns out to be a lonely castle, staffed by only a few and inhabited only by Helen's taciturn and capricious grandfather. The story takes a turn toward the fantastic while still exploring grief, the complications of family relationships, and legacy.

Helen of Wyndhorn is an excellent gift for fans of classic fantasy and pulp art and stories, because it's very much working within those realms. The art is, in general, just really lovely, so for giftees who enjoy high detail, delicate art, this is a great pick. And because it mixes time and space, fiction and reality, this could be a good gift for readers who enjoyed series like Once & Future.

Depictions of drinking alcohol and alcoholism, discussions and depictions of suicide/suicidal thoughts

Shannan Prukop

Tara is faced with a gift she considers a curse: she's been added to a special program for exceptional young people to push them up a grade, so instead of starting 8th grade, she is starting high school. She spends all summer dreading this and making it worse with her imagination, not helped by her older sister's casual attitude and horror stories. When school actually starts, it seems like all her nightmares were true. That is, until she meets Libby.

How It All Ends is at times hilarious, sweet, and painful to read for those of us who have already been through this time in life. This makes it an excellent gift for people in the age range who might be comforted by this tale, and those past the range who enjoy looking back on that time of life. Make it a gift for a family with tweens and young teens, for everyone to read together.

Shannan Prukop

Shopping for a superhero fan looking for stories about new characters that haven't been touched on in movies or shows? Nubia: Real One is a great one-and-done superhero graphic novel that requires little prior knowledge of deep DC lore to understand.
Nubia has the power of an Amazon, but America is not ready for someone like her to have that much power. Nubia spent her life living under the radar with her moms, but as she sees more and more injustice in the world, she's finding it harder to hold back from using her powers to protect people and right wrongs.

Superhero lovers and social justice fighters alike will find something to love in Nubia.

Racism, Police Violence

Tayla Cardillo

Debbie prefers reading and creating art to attending parties and gets overwhelmed by group projects, but feels pressured to fit in. Told in short, contained comics, Debbie explores her journey toward accepting her identity in a society where extroverted traits are often preferred.

Quiet Girl in a Noisy World is perfect for readers looking for a gentle, occasionally humorous read about an introvert's life. Tung’s lovely black-and-white artwork contributes to the gentle tone throughout the book, and the short, contained pieces make this a book readers can easily pick up and set down (useful during busy times!).

Megan Rupe

Ever since Mariana and her dad moved to Ohio to be closer to family, she's struggled to find her place. A chance encounter with hair dye and a haircut introduces her to Zoe and Everly. Soon, Mariana and her new friends are starting a hair salon to help their community show their "true colors". When a clash threatens their salon, can Mariana overcome her uncertainty and save the place where she's thriving?

Readers who enjoy the creative adventures and friendships in stories like Kayla Miller's Click will likely appreciate the Do-Over.

Discussion of parental death

Megan Rupe

Aya is a bright, friendly teen who keeps up with fashion and gets along with her classmates, except for her interest in American music. She comes across a cool music shop that sells the bands she likes and, importantly, has a cute guy working there. The only problem is that the guy in question is actually her quiet and unassuming classmate, Mitsuki. Cue a love story wrapped in music and supportive friends with clueless main characters!

This series is a fun choice as a gift both for people new to yuri/GL and veterans of the genre, because it's incredibly sweet and entertaining in a way that teen-focused yuri often is not, and while it engages with some tropes, it is, in general, very heartwarming rather than tortured. The unusual choice of a vibrant green to accent the black-and-white art is striking as well; it's easy to theme this gift for a fun visual effect.

Shannan Prukop

Twelve-year-old Lia is dealing with a lot of change. Her family moved from Romania to Canada, where she now has to learn a new language and make new friends. She also just got her period! Can Lia settle in and build her new life?

With its charming art, vibrant cast, and moving story about growing up and adjusting to life in a new country, The New Girl is perfect for tween and young teen readers looking for stories about growing up and finding your people. Immigrant readers looking for more stories like Parachute Kids will find a kindred soul in Lia. Adults will also get a kick out of the humor and expressive art that is Calin’s trademark online, making The New Girl a read that adults (especially Calin fans!) can enjoy alongside their kids (or alone!).

Megan Rupe

Do you have someone in your life who always shares Sarah Scribbles or other webcomics with you from their social media? Woman World is an excellent gift for them. Starting as a webcomic, Woman World is filled with vignettes of a post-apocalyptic world with no men as a way to look at how silly and absurd the patriarchy is. From an unused pile of disposable ladies' razors to children whose only frame of reference for a man is Paul Blart: Mall Cop, the apocalypse has never been so funny!

Fans of a snappy humor comic will love this title.

Brief description of population decline and natural disasters.

Tayla Cardillo

Looking for a classic recommendation for the comic curious in your life? Look no further than Y: The Last Man. In this dark and gritty graphic novel series, the world is turned upside down by a plague that kills everyone with a y chromosome, expect one man, Yorick Brown. Yorick teams up with a secret agent and a scientist to try to save humanity, but not everyone wants the world to be saved.

Fans of The Last of Us will enjoy this unique take on the end of the world.

Strong Language, Violence, Sexual context, Sexism, Racism, Transphobia, Character death

Tayla Cardillo

In 1926, Agatha Christie disappeared, only to eventually reappear (but not before making her cheating husband sweat). The creators use Agatha Christie’s disappearance to start exploring the mystery writer’s life story. Snippets of her family, travel adventures, and works piece together the full story of the acclaimed writer's life.

This is an engaging read that effectively captures the whole life of Agatha Christie beyond her many accomplishments. The lack of formal contextualization makes it seem like you’re reading an unfolding mystery adventure of Christie’s life. It goes without saying that Agatha Christie fans will want to check out Agatha: The Real Life of Agatha Christie. Additionally, readers who want a nonfiction read but not a traditional biography may enjoy the mystery-adventure style of this biography.

Megan Rupe

The complicated and fascinating story of Patricia Highsmith, the woman who penned more stories than many people realize. Woven between her writing career is her personal life, where things are truly complicated, as Highsmith struggled with her attraction towards women. The art is lovely, with an orange-forward palette that highlights the greys and blacks that otherwise dominate the landscape, and panels that really shape the narrative and its pacing. There's also a great section in the back with a biography, notes on the characters, art direction, and even a classroom teaching guide.

Pick this one up to learn more about the author behind many comics in the 1950s and novels that continue to inspire films, or if a 1950s setting in a comic is intriguing enough to learn more, because the art is absolutely worth flipping through at least. And because Highsmith is an essential figure in lesbian history, this is a good read to learn more about a somewhat enigmatic figure.

Discussions of conversion therapy, mild anti-semitism, depictions of smoking and drinking alcohol

Shannan Prukop

In this early reader biography, we learn about the life of Mae Jemison, the first African-American woman to go to space. We start with her childhood, gazing up at the stars and watching Lieutenant Uhura on Star Trek, to her using her passion for science to help people on Earth apply the breakthroughs in science we make in space. This series also includes biographies of influential women, such as tennis star Billie Jean King, Native American explorer Sacagawea, and civil rights leader Rosa Parks.

Beginning readers interested in learning more about famous women's lives but are not ready for longer graphic novels will love these digestible portraits of both historical and modern icons.

Tayla Cardillo

Liberated follows the life of Claude Cahun, the French Jewish artist born in the late 1800s. The comic chooses to voice the story in first person, as if Claude is telling us the tale themself, which helps make it feel more conversational and less didactic. It also makes the depictions of Claude's life during World War II more personal and highlights aspects of the experience that are not often covered. Interspersed among the art, in soft greys and purples, are actual archival photos of Claude's work, which is a very thoughtful detail.

While this story is historical and, of course, can appeal to those interested in more perspectives on the World Wars or in more facets of queer history, it feels like an even better pick for readers looking to learn more about art and artists from different eras. It often feels like art from this era gets glossed over; it was, frankly, startling to see some of the creations of the time.

Depictions of Nazis and fascism, antisemitism

Shannan Prukop

This graphic novel highlights the life of university professor and civil rights activist Angela Davis. Davis was an active member of the Black Communist Party and worked with other groups fighting for racial equality, including the Black Panther Party, during her time as a professor at UCLA. Her name became nationally known when she was wrongly implicated in a shooting at a Marin County Courthouse. Davis was imprisoned for this crime, and people around the country rallied for her release. Davis was ultimately found not guilty and continued her work both in academia until 2008. She continues her work fighting for the rights of marginalized groups and prison reform.

Those interested in social justice and the civil rights movement will enjoy this biography of another pivotal figure, one other than MLK or Malcom X.

Racism, gun violence, and deceptions of the prison system

Tayla Cardillo

In this collective biography, we learn how three of the leading researchers in the study of primates went from dreaming about them to getting up close and personal with them to getting out in the field. While all three came from different backgrounds and had varying levels of research experience, they had one thing in common: they crossed paths with anthropologist Louis Leakey. With the blessing of a respected name in the scientific community, each of these women was given funding and the resources they needed to study primates in the wild. Their research also frequently benefited Leakey, allowing him to extrapolate conclusions about humans past and present. While Leakey had eccentric (and possibly a little sexist) ideas about what made a good researcher, his belief in these three women's ability to do the work needed to learn more about our closet living primate relatives cultivated 3 of the most outstanding animal researchers of the 20th century.

Animal lovers of all ages will love this story of how three people made their dreams amongst the animals come true.

mild sexism and allusion to infidelity.

Tayla Cardillo

In this collection, Shelby Criswell tells the stories of queer historical figures who have provided them comfort and perspective. While some readers will recognize names like Magnus Hirschfeld and Pauli Murray, the collection also includes non-Western figures and folks who barely exist in the historical record. As a result, Queer as All Get Out is a fascinating introduction to queer figures from outside the Western dominant cultures and usual names.

Readers looking for some inspirational queer figures will want to pick this up.

Discussion of queerphobia, transphobia, and violence

Megan Rupe

If you are familiar with Dungeons and Dragons and wonder how one of the most popular role-playing games in the world got started, look no further. Rise of the Dungeon Master takes you from Gary Gygax's humble beginnings in Lake Geneva, WI, playing chess and war games, through Gygax passing the torch to the next generation of tabletop gamers.

Tabletop gamers who want to understand the origins of their favorite pastime.

Tayla Cardillo

What is faith without action? German priest and theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a horrified witness to the rise of Adolf Hitler and the Nazis. Conflicted over using violence to resist Nazism, Bonhoeffer initially ran a secret church and then joined a conspiracy to assassinate Hitler.

While a knowledgeable reader will know that the conspiracy did not succeed, Hendrix tells a compelling story of a man who lived true to his deep religious convictions and tried to make a difference. The Faithful Spy is perfect for readers interested in resistance stories; it will particularly interest readers who are interested in how faith and religion play a role.

While the book does discuss violence, death, and imprisonment, the illustrations tend to be symbolic, and no violence or gore is explicitly shown.

Megan Rupe

A thorough accounting of the life of Baron Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben, who is best known for being the first Inspector General in the American military and slightly less well-known for being a force behind the American Revolution in many ways, and definitely least famous for being a man who was attracted to other men. The graphic novel also does not flinch away from the realities of life in the 1700s for all people. The bright blue and red color palette keeps the story vibrant and highlights scenes of high emotion and action well.

This comic is worth picking up to learn about less-talked-about aspects of the American Revolution and queer history in both the US and Europe, for readers interested in either topic. It is engaging enough to keep readers who are less interested in American history reading. It offers a hopeful look at the progress of queer rights that can be great for teen readers wanting some perspective.

Depictions of slavery, partial nudity, some physical violence

Shannan Prukop