ALA announces first-ever Outstanding Comics for Young Adults Awards

‘The Boy Wonder,’ ‘Raised by Ghosts’ and more were recognized by the ALA’s Graphic Novels & Comics Round Table.

Adult comics aren’t the only ones getting a new awards program from the American Library Association. The ALA also announced this week the first winners of the Outstanding Comics for Young Adults Awards.

Like the adult awards, the YA-centered awards have three categories — fiction, non-fiction and series — with a winner and one or two honor books, or runners up.

“In this inaugural year for the award, the selection process was extremely competitive. The committee felt it was essential to choose titles that were truly outstanding to set a high precedent for the future. The entire Young Adult selection committee is honored to be a part of this milestone year. As comics librarians, our primary goal is to connect deserving creators and their amazing stories with readers from any age or background,” said committee chair Micki Waldrop.

Check out the inaugural winners below.

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ALA’s Graphic Novels & Comics Round Table announces the first Outstanding Comics for Adults Awards

‘The Night Eaters,’ ‘Insectopolis,’ ‘Tongues’ and more were recognized by the ALA.

The American Library Association’s Graphic Novels & Comics Round Table announced plans to launch an awards program in 2026, and this week they revealed the winners of the first-ever Outstanding Comics for Adults Awards.

“In libraries, we see how comics bring people together, new readers, lifelong fans, and everyone in between,” said the round table’s president, Shauntee Burns-Simpson. “The Outstanding Comics Award honors works that expand our understanding of what stories can look like and ensure that there is something on the shelf for everyone.”

The awards launch with three categories — fiction, non-fiction and series, and for each category they chose one winner and one or two “honor books,” or runners up. Check out the winners below.

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ALA reveals the lists of best graphic novels for kids + adults

The American Library Association reveals their second annual list aimed at adults, and their first-ever list aimed at kids 5-12.

The Graphic Novels & Comics Round Table, a subcommittee of the American Library Association, announced earlier this week their annual “Best Graphic Novels” lists — one aimed at children aged 5-12, and the other aimed at adults.

The ALA has released a list aimed at teens for years, and last year they added one for adults. This is the first year they’ve created a list aimed specifically at kids under 12. Both lists aim “to increase awareness of the graphic novel medium, raise voices of diverse comics creators and aid library staff in the development of graphic novel collections.”

“Launching a new, carefully curated list of the best comics for children would have been a daunting task even during the best of times – and we have certainly not been in those over the last two years,” said Matthew Noe, president of The Graphic Novels & Comics Round Table. “But thanks to the expertise, attention and passion of this year’s committee, we can now present to you GNCRT’s addition to the recognition of children’s comics: our inaugural Best Graphic Novels for Children Reading List! There’s a comic here for every reader, from PreK to Grade 6, and in the Top 10 alone we’ve got witchcraft, friendly animals and a story of finding the courage to be one’s true self that will leave even adult readers teary-eyed.”

The selection committees for both lists include GNCRT members with a background in graphic novel selection and their use in adult programming and services.

Here’s the top 10 list for kids:

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