Diverse Characters
The cardboard kingdom
Chad Sell
jGRAPHIC NOVEL Sell
Read Woke, Diverse Characters, Graphic Novels
Follows the adventures of a group of neighborhood children who create costumes from cardboard and use their imagination in adventures with knights, robots, and monsters.
New kid
Jerry Craft
jGRAPHIC NOVEL Craft
Read Woke, Diverse Characters, Graphic Novels
Seventh grader Jordan Banks loves nothing more than drawing cartoons about his life. But instead of sending him to the art school of his dreams, his parents enroll him in a prestigious private school known for its academics, where Jordan is one of the few kids of color in his entire grade. As he makes the daily trip from his Washington Heights apartment to the upscale Riverdale Academy Day School, Jordan soon finds himself torn between two worlds--and not really fitting into either one. Can Jordan learn to navigate his new school culture while keeping his neighborhood friends and staying true to himself?
Added by Casey
Sea Sirens : a Trot & Cap'n Bill adventure
Amy Chu
jGRAPHIC NOVEL Chu
Read Woke, Diverse Characters, Graphic Novels, Fantasy
Trot, a Vietnamese American surfer girl, and Cap'n Bill, her cranky one-eyed cat, catch too big a wave and wipe out, sucked down into a magical underwater kingdom where an ancient deep-sea battle rages. The beautiful Sea Siren mermaids are under attack from the Serpent King and his slithery minions--and Trot and her feline become dangerously entangled in this war of tails and fins. This beautiful graphic novel was inspired by The Sea Fairies, L. Frank Baum's "underwater Wizard of Oz." It weaves Vietnamese mythology, fantastical ocean creatures, a deep-sea setting, quirky but sympathetic main characters, and fast-paced adventure into an imaginative, world-building story.--
A retelling of Frank Baum's The Sea Fairies with Vietnamese mythological elements, lovely storytelling, and fabulous art! This one has something for everyone. -Casey
American born Chinese
Gene Luen Yang
GRAPHIC NOVEL Yang
Read Woke, Diverse Characters, Graphic Novels
Alternates three interrelated stories about the problems of young Chinese Americans trying to participate in the popular culture. Presented in comic book format.
American Born Chinese is unmissable reading. -Casey
Lowriders
Cathy Camper
jGRAPHIC NOVEL Camper Lowriders
Read Woke, Diverse Characters, Graphic Novels
Lupe, Flapjack, Elirio customize their car into a low rider for the Universal Car Competition to win the cash prize that will enable them to buy their own garage.
This series is fantastic! If you're looking for an out of this world read, this one comes highly recommended. -Casey
Aquicorn cove
Katie (Cartoonist) O'Neill
jGRAPHIC NOVEL O'Neill
Read Woke, Diverse Characters, LGBTQ+
Unable to rely on the adults in her storm-ravaged seaside town, a young girl must protect a colony of magical seahorse-like creatures she discovers in the coral reef... A heartfelt story about learning to be a guardian to yourself and those you love. When Lana and her father return to their seaside hometown to help clear the debris of a big storm, Lana remembers how much she's missed the ocean--and the strong, reassuring presence of her aunt. As Lana explores the familiar beach, she discovers something incredible: a colony of Aquicorns, small magical seahorse-like creatures that live in the coral reef. Lana rescues an injured Aquicorn and cares for it with the help of her aunt, who may know more about these strange creatures than she's willing to admit. But when a second storm threatens to reach the town, choices made many years ago about how to coexist with the sea start to rise to the surface. Lana realizes she will need to find the strength to stand on her own, even when it means standing up to the people who she has always relied on to protect her.
Katie O'Neill's graphic novels are always beautiful and touching. I love the magical realism in this one and her Tea Dragon series. -Casey
Cassandra, animal psychic
Isabelle Bottier
jGRAPHIC NOVEL Bottier Cassandra
Read Woke, Diverse Characters, Graphic Novels
While struggling to cope with major changes in her life, fourteen-year-old Cassandra decides to help others by using her ability to see what animals are thinking, beginning with finding a lost cat.
This series is great! If you're looking for something fun to brighten your rainy week, give Cassandra's unique voice a try. -Casey
Akissi : tales of mischief
Marguerite Abouet
jGRAPHIC NOVEL Abouet
Read Woke, Diverse Characters, Graphic Novels
Collects the adventures of Akissi, a young West African girl who is always getting into trouble.
Added by Casey
Pashmina
Nidhi Chanani
jGRAPHIC NOVEL Chanani
Read Woke, Diverse Characters, Graphic Novels
Priyanka Das has so many unanswered questions: Why did her mother abandon her home in India years ago? What was it like there? And most importantly, who is her father, and why did her mom leave him behind? But Pri's mom avoids these questions and the topic of India is permanently closed. For Pri, her mother's homeland can only exist in her imagination. That is, until she find a mysterious pashmina tucked away in a forgotten suitcase. When she wraps herself in it, she is transported to a place more vivid and colorful than any guidebook or Bollywood film.
Added by Casey
Stargazing
Jen Wang
jGRAPHIC NOVEL Wang
Read Woke, Diverse Characters, Graphic Novels
Growing up in the same Chinese-American suburb, perfectionist Christine and artistic, confident, impulsive Moon become unlikely best friends, whose friendship is tested by jealousy, social expectations, and illness.
Jen Wang's latest is stunning, be sure to read the author's note! -Casey
Added by Casey