The Great Outdoors Update

French artist Jean-Marc Rochette explores his intense relationship with mountain climbing and art in this beautifully illustrated coming-of-age memoir.

Mountaineering enthusiasts; readers who like gritty, contemplative memoirs

Language; gruesome injuries

Megan Rupe

Lana loves the sea thanks to her mother. When they visit their family’s coastal village to help with the post-storm cleanup, she finds a mysterious creature and immediately starts to care for it. Lana learns that the village and the nearby reef’s creatures have been out of balance for some time. Can Lana help?

Fans of O’Neill’s other works; readers who love gentle fantasy, and conservation

Parent death

Megan Rupe

Charlie joins a Christian backpacking retreat, hoping for answers on her feelings about religion. On the way, she ends up confronting racism and her own quiet feelings of attraction towards other girls. As the discomfort from all of this rises she asks God why she's even here, doing this. The answer comes in looking at the amazing nature around her. It's a beautiful story of questioning and finding set in the natural world.

Teens questioning sexuality, questioning religion, and wanting a connection to nature.

Discussion of racism, sexism, and derogatory words for girls who like other girls.

Shannan Prukop

Vera hopes that going to summer camp will help her finally fit in with her wealthier, all-American classmates. Except that she's going to Russian summer camp, and it won't be anything like what she expected.

Fans of lively childhood memoirs like those written by Raina Telgemeier, Cece Bell, and Victoria Jamieson

Bullying

Nic Willcox

An autobiographical tale about a teenager's first love and crisis of faith. The winter background is part of the story.

Young adult/Adult readers

Olive is excited for sleepaway camp, but her homesick friend Willow is making it hard. Can Olive and Willow find a way to enjoy camp and keep their friendship?

Readers who love relatable slice of life stories; kids excited and/or nervous about going to camp

Megan Rupe

In addition to being a heartbreakingly accurate portrayal of a queer teen coming to terms with his identity amongst his homophobic peers, Flamer takes place at summer camp. The book teaches outdoors skills like different types of knots, how to find good firewood, and orienteering basics.

Queer teens, readers of tough topics

Homophobic, racist, and fatphobic content, as well as suicidal ideation.

Shira Pilarski

Former Japanese soldier Sugimoto Saichi (aka Immortal Sugimoto) teams up with Asirpa, an Ainu girl, to find a secret stash of Ainu gold. They will have to battle the harsh wilderness as well as other seekers--including members of the Japanese army!

Fans of gritty realistic action stories; historical fiction readers who enjoy stories such as Vinland Saga

Megan Rupe

Rin and Nadeshiko absolutely love to camp. They have adventures hiking, making friends, and eating delicious food.

Fans of the great outdoors and those who enjoy cute, slice of life stories.

Martha Boksenbaum

Jo, April, Mal, Molly, and Ripley attend a summer camp where supernatural adventures find them at every turn. Luckily, these friends are more than up to the challenge!

Readers who like a bit of the supernatural in their outdoor adventures

Megan Rupe

In this thoughtful and occasionally humorous graphic memoir, cartoonist Jason chronicles his journey on the Camino de Santiago, a five hundred mile pilgrimage route through Spain.

Fans of travelogues; readers looking for a thoughtful slice-of-life tale

Megan Rupe

Willow, a nature-loving young girl, is struggling with her emotions, school, and her family. After a fight with her older sister, Willow flees into the woods, where she meets Pilu, a lost tree spirit. Can Willow and Pilu find their way home?

Readers who love the true-to-life human dynamics and fantastical elements of K. O’Neill and Molly Ostertag’s work

Megan Rupe

It’s Josiah and Deja’s last night at the Pumpkin Patch, a fall-themed fair where they’ve worked all through high school. Josiah and Deja explore the fair in a last ditch quest to help Josiah confess his feelings for a girl he’s admired from afar.

Fans of fall activities and food; fans of slow, meandering romance

Megan Rupe

Willow is not enthusiastic about Camp Whatever--a camp on a deserted island with a mysterious and dangerous past! When she gets there, she finds herself in a place with strange, wonderful creatures and throws herself into exploring only to clash with the camp director. Can Willow help the island’s inhabitants protect themselves from an individual who wishes to harm them?

Fans of the supernatural shenanigans of Lumberjanes and Gravity Falls

A scary injury, but otherwise not much to be concerned about

Megan Rupe

Sophia and Alonso go on a fishing trip with their grandfather only to have it turn into a camping trip! Kids will learn wilderness survival crafts and skills in this installment of the Maker Comics series.

Kids curious about camping and wilderness survival

The scenes where a fish gets gutted and the grandfather gets hurt may upset some readers who easily become squeamish

Megan Rupe

Morgan has a plan to escape her home on a tiny island and live as her true self, but a mysterious girl named Keltie barges into her life and puts those plans in jeopardy. As Morgan falls for Keltie, Keltie’s plans to save her family of seals test their budding relationship.

Readers who liked the fantastical elements and realistic feels of Snapdragon and Ostertag’s Witch Boy series; people in the mood for a sweet queer romance; fans of fairy tale/folklore retellings

Megan Rupe

Eleanor Davis attempts to bike from Tucson, Arizona to Georgia in this diary comic. Join Eleanor in her adventures across the South as she experiences the varied scenery, knee issues, and numerous interesting, kind people.

Cycling enthusiasts; fans of autobiographies; readers who have enjoyed Davis' other work

Some language; discussion of immigration detainment

Megan Rupe