The ALA has selected the best in graphic fiction and nonfiction for teens for 2008, and the list is here!

Each year the American Library Association’s young adult division, (YALSA) chooses the 43 best graphic novels for teens. From those 43, a top 10 list is published each year to celebrate the best of the best in young adult graphic fiction for that year. To receive an honor from any division o the ALA is a great compliment for any author and publisher, so the people listed below should be very proud. The graphic arts genre is one which has exploded in popularity among young adults in the last ten years, and continues to pick up momentum as more great works are published.

How Books are Chosen

Each year a panel of eleven librarians from across the country get together and view the submissions and nominations. From that list they try to narrow it down to the best by considering how appropriate the content is for teen readers, and how appealing the subject matter is. A graphic novel is defined by YALSA as “trade compilations and original works published in a sequential art format” (YALSA). It is important to note that the nominees do not have to be originally published in the United States, but must be in free circulation in the U.S. during the calendar year.

2007 Winners

Nextwave: Agents of H.A.T.E (V.1) – Warren Elliss and Stuart Immonen

Sloth – Gilbert Hernandez and Jared K. Fletcher

Castle Waiting – Linda Medley

Identity Crisis – Brad Meltzer and Rags Morales

Death Note (V.1, V.2, V.3) – Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata

True Believers: Runaways (V.4), Escape to New York: Runaways (V.5), Parental

Guidance: Runaways (V.6) – Brian K. Vaughan and Adrian Alphona

Pride of Baghdad – Brian K. Vaughan and Niko Henrichon

Death, Jr. – Gary Whitta and Ted Naifeh

Demo: The Collection – Brian Wood and Becky Cloonan

American Born Chinese – Gene Luen Yang and Lark Pien

2008 Winners

This year’s honorees in the graphic novel genre are as follows:

Abadzis, Nick. Laika (First Second, 2007) (ISBN 978-1596431010).

Carey, Mike Re-Gifters (DC/Minx, 2007) (ISBN 978-1-4012-0371-9).

Fleming, Ann Marie.The Magical Life of Long Tack Sam (Penguin Group, 2007) (ISBN 978- 1594482649).

Giffen, Keith. Blue Beetle: Shell-shocked (DC Comics, 2006) (ISBN 978-1401209650); Blue Beetle: Road Trip(DC Comics, 2007) (ISBN 978-1401213619).

Iwahara, Yuji. King of Thorn, vol. 1. (Tokyopop, 2007) (ISBN 978-1-59816-2356);

King of Thorn, vol. 2. (Tokyopop, 2007) (ISBN 978-1-59816-236-3).

Loux, Matthew. Sidescrollers. (Oni Press, 2007) (ISBN 978-1-932664-50-8).

Mizushiro, Setona. After School Nightmare, vol. 1. (Go Comi!, 2006) (ISBN 978-33617169);.

After School Nightmare, vol. 2. (Go Comi!, 2006) (ISBN 978-1933617176); After School

Nightmare, vol. 3. (Go Comi!, 2007) (ISBN 978-1933617244); After School Nightmare, vol.4

(Go Comi!, 2007) (ISBN 978-1933617336); After School Nightmare, vol. 5. (Go Comi!, 2007)

(ISBN 978-1933617480)

Mori, Kaoru. Emma, vol. 1. (CMX, 2006) (ISBN 978-1-4012-1132-5); Emma, vol. 2. (CMX, 2006)

(ISBN 978-1-4012-1133-2); Emma, vol. 3. (CMX, 2007) (ISBN 978-1-4012-1134-9); Emma,

vol. 4. (CMX, 2007) (ISBN 978-1-4012-1135-6); Emma, vol. 5. (CMX, 2007)

(ISBN 978-1-4012-1136-3).

Sis, Peter. The Wall: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain. (Farrar, Strauss, Giroux, 2007)

(ISBN: 978-0-374-34701-7).

Tan, Shaun. The Arrival. (Arthur A. Levine, 2007) (ISBN 978-0439895293).

Resource: YALSA