Usually girls in comics and graphic novels play the damsel in distress or the love interest. This is a collection of books that feature girls who are complete characters and draw you into their stories and take you to other worlds, other times or other dimensions. All in all, some wonderful books for preteens and teens and a collection of titles girls will love.
1. Deluge; The People That Melt in The Rain #1 by Mike Dubisch, and Carolyn Watson Dubisch
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/202409014-deluge
Laura and her mother move to a new town from the north west. A very small, strangely isolated town where frogs rain from the sky, tiny people lurk in drawers and in cabinets, and a woman is trapped in a painting in the school library.
The story is full of mysteries and strange paranormal events and the art is excellent and really adds to the atmosphere. Truly a page turner and a great read.
2. The Girl From the Sea: A Graphic Novel by Molly Knox Ostertag
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54776523-the-girl-from-the-sea
Fifteen year old Morgan feels trapped on the Island that is her home. She struggles with her sexual identity, dislikes high school and her group of friends that don’t seem to understand her. She has a little brother who’s a handful and a very sad, divorced Mom.
The night she is saved from drowning changes everything. Rescued by a “girl” named Keltie, who is more than she seems, and is in fact a magical selkie. A heartbreaking and emotional book, but really quite beautiful.
3.Paper Girls by Brian K. Vaughan
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28204534-paper-girls-volume-1
On the morning after Halloween a group of 12 year old girls set out on their paper routes and find themselves traveling through space and time into a future that hasn’ yet happened and chased by aliens. A story of friendship and adventure, this book is riveting! The art is phenomenal using neon colors that create the perfect atmosphere.
4. Anya’s Ghost by Vera Brosgol
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9615347-anya-s-ghost
Anya is a Russian immigrant in the United States. She has all the normal struggles of a young girl, from bullying to homework. One day she decided to skip school and fell into a hole in the ground. Here she meets a ghost named Emily who’s been dead for 90 years. The creepy ghost and the struggles with Anya’s self image make for a great comic for preteens! The book is in black and white but the art is fantastic.
5. Zita the Space Girl #1 by Ben Hatke
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8879121-zita-the-spacegirl
Zita is a young girl who is whisked away through a portal into another world while trying to save her friend. The cast of characters are incredible, from humanoid chickens to a large rodent creature and robots with anxiety.
The story is so much fun, really cute and engaging, and the art is wonderful. Joining Zita while she fulfills her mission to rescue her friend and becomes an intergalactic hero is well worth it!
6. Nimona by N.D. Stevenson
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19351043-nimona
Nimona is a young shapeshifter with a mysterious past and maybe some impulse control issues. In this wild book she teams up with Ballister Blackheart. Together they are going to fight the institution, get revenge and just generally cause some mayhem. It’s such a well done book. Strong and unique characters, a great plot and wonderful art.
7. Baba Yaga’s Assistant by Marika McCoola and Emily Carroll
https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/24727085
Masha is a young girl who’s suffered a lot of loss. Her mother died when she was younger and her grandmother just passed away. When her father gets remarried and she finds herself saddled with an aggressive little brat of a stepsister she decides it’s just too much. She discovers Babba Yaga’s ad for an assistant and heads off into the woods to take the many tests to win the job.
A fantastic premise and gorgeous illustrations make for a great graphic novel.
8. Nightlights by Lorena Alvarez Gomez
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29633708-nightlights
Sandy is a bit of an outsider in her school, but each night tiny lights visit her in her bedroom. She captures them and creates fantastical creatures that she plays with. Then in the daylight she draws them and cherishes her drawings. She’s happy when she makes a new friend at school, but her interest in Sandy’s drawings takes a sinister turn.
The art is simply spectacular. The story leaves you wanting more.
9. Tidesong by Wendy Xu
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57094282-tidesong
A young witch named Sophie is sent to her relatives’ house to study for the entrance exams at the Royal Magic Academy. She’s unfortunately not that great at magic and her cousin and aunt seem more interested in giving her chores instead of training her. While practicing on her own she entwines a spell with the magic of a water dragon named Lir.
Just a beautifully done book with an incredible palette. The story is sweet and engaging.
