Staff Recommendations: Building a Graphic Novel Reading List

Kacy Helwick

Kacy Helwick is the youth collection development librarian for the New Orleans Public Library

The New Orleans Public Library has an extensive graphic novel collection, more than 45,000 print volumes for kids, teens, and adults spread across all our branches. We also provide access to eBook editions of comics and graphic novels on our digital platforms: Libby and Hoopla. But, with so much to choose from, it can be overwhelming to decide what to read next.

And that’s why I’m here to help!

An easy way to find great titles is to check out the current Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards nominees. The nominees in 32 categories are chosen by a panel of judges, often made up of comics creators, journalists, academics, retail comics shop owners or employees, and comics librarians. After the ballot is created by the judges, comics professionals vote to select the winners. The 2025 winners will be announced at an award ceremony at San Diego Comic Con on July 25th.

This year, I was asked to serve as the comics librarian judge. For the nomination process I read approximately 450 titles and spent a long weekend discussing and debating their merits with my fellow judges at the Comic Con International offices in San Diego. I truly think the nominees represent the best titles of 2024, and since the categories are so varied, there are titles for every reader.

Many of these books are available in our print & Libby collections, and Hoopla also put together a collection of the nominees here.

There are also graphic novels reading lists from the American Library Association. These lists are selected by committees of librarians from all across the country.

The Young Adult Literature & Services Association creates an annual list of Great Graphic Novels for Teens. New Orleans Public Library outreach librarian M’issa Fleming was a member of the committee that put together the outstanding 2025 list. The Graphic Novels & Comics Round Table of ALA makes lists of Best Graphic Novels for Adults and Best Graphic Novels for Kids.

Another place for graphic novel recommendations, and book recommendations in all genres, is NoveList Plus. NoveList is one of the Library’s databases and is an online resource where you can access reading recommendations. It includes information on books with read-alike lists as well as searching by grade and/or reading level, appeal, genre and theme.

Kacy’s Graphic Novel Reading List Recommendations

There may still be some comic book skeptics out there, so it’s important to note that reading comics is reading! Graphic literature engages your brain in a different way than prose. You have to use visual literacy skills to read the pictures as well as the words, and can build complex vocabulary since you have context clues to learn unfamiliar words. Titles can be quick and fun reads, or dense and intense, or emotional and moving.

Public libraries strive to provide titles for your recreational, informational, and educational reading needs, and graphic novels can fulfill all aspects!