Draft:Graphic Novels & Comics Round Table
The Graphic Novels & Comics Round Table is a division of the American Library Association, focusing on comics and graphic novels.[1] It was officially recognized by the ALA in 2018.[2]
Collaboration within ALA
[edit]The Graphic Novels & Comics Round Table has collaborated with other division of the American Library Association to list collections of graphic novels relating to specific topics. Specifically, it has worked with the Black Caucus of the American Library Association,
REFORMA
Rainbow Round Table for the LGBTQ-related[4]
Best Graphic Novels Lists
[edit]Since 2021, it runs two annual lists, the Best Graphic Novels for Adults and the Best Graphic Novels for Children.[5][6] It is not involved in the Great Graphic Novels for Teens list, which is handled by the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), another division of the ALA.
Best Graphic Novels for Adults Top Ten
[edit]| Year | Writer(s) | Artist(s) | Title | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Filipe Melo | Juan Cavia | Ballad for Sophie | [7] |
| James Tynion IV | Martin Simmonds | Department of Truth, Vol. 1: The End of the World | ||
| Adapted by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson | Raúl Allén and Patricia Martín | Dune: The Graphic Novel, Book 1 | ||
| N. K. Jemisin | Jamal Campbell | Far Sector | ||
| Pornsak Pichetshote | Alexandre Tefenkgi | The Good Asian, Vol. 1 | ||
| Julie Dachez | Mademoiselle Caroline | Invisible Differences | ||
| Nagata Kabi | My Alcoholic Escape from Reality | |||
| Neil Gaiman | P. Craig Russell, Mike Mignola, Jerry Ordway, Piotr Kowalski, David Rubín, Jill Thompson, and Lovern Kindzierksi | Norse Mythology, Vol. 1 | ||
| John Lewis and Andrew Aydin | Nate Powell and L. Fury | Run: Book One | ||
| Lee Lai | Stone Fruit | |||
| 2022 | Aimee de Jongh, translated by Christopher Bradley | Days of Sand | [8] | |
| Catherine Piolo | Down to the Bone: A Leukemia Story | |||
| Kate Beaton | Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands | |||
| Kanehito Yamada | Tsukasa Abe | Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End, Vol. 1 | ||
| Fabien Toulmé (Books 1-2), Eric Orner (Book 3), translated by Hannah Chute | Fabien Toulmé | Hakim's Odyssey, Books 1-3 | ||
| James Spooner | The High Desert: Black. Punk. Nowhere | |||
| Rachel Smythe | Lore Olympus, Vol. 1-2 | |||
| Ram V | Filipe Andrade | The Many Deaths of Laila Starr | ||
| Marjorie Liu | Sana Takeda | The Night Eaters: She Eats the Night | ||
| Sabba Khan | What is Home, Mum? | |||
| 2023 | Léonie Bischoff | Anaïs Nin: A Sea of Lies | [9] | |
| Stephen Graham Jones | Davide Gianfelice | Earthdivers Vol. 1: Kill Columbus | ||
| Tom King | Greg Smallwood | The Human Target Vol. 1-2 | ||
| Adrian Matejka | Youssef Daoudi | Last On His Feet: Jack Johnson and the Battle of the Century | ||
| Yann Damezon, translated by Thomas Harrison and Aqsa Ijaz | Majnun and Layla: Songs from Beyond the Grave | |||
| James Tynion IV | Álvaro Martinez Bueno | The Nice House on the Lake (Deluxe Edition) | ||
| Susumu Higa | Okinawa | |||
| Mariko Tamaki | Jillian Tamaki | Roaming | ||
| Deena Mohamed | Shubeik Lubeik | |||
| Darrin Bell | The Talk | |||
| 2024 | Scott Snyder | Tula Lotay | Barnstormers: A Ballad of Love & Murder | [10] |
| Patrick Horvath | Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees, Vol. 1 | |||
| Maria Sweeney | Brittle Joints | |||
| James Tynion IV | Joshua Hixson | The Deviant, Vol. 1 | ||
| Tessa Hulls | Feeding Ghosts | |||
| Keigo Shinzo | Hirayasumi, Vol. 1 | |||
| Boum, translated by Robin Lang and Helge Dascher | The Jellyfish | |||
| Denise Dorrance | Polar Vortex: A Family Memoir | |||
| Ram V | Filipe Andrade | Rare Flavours | ||
| Peter Wohlleben, translated by Fred Bernard | Benjamin Flao | The Hidden Life of Trees | ||
| 2025 | Joonas Sildre | Between Two Sounds: Arvo Pärt's Journey to his Musical Language | [12] | |
| Nobuyuki Fukumoto | Kaiji Kawaguchi | Confession | ||
| Kaori Ozaki | Dogs and Punching Bags | |||
| Craig Thompson | Ginseng Roots: A Memoir | |||
| Tom Scioli | Godzilla's Monsterpiece Theater | |||
| Tom King | Bilquis Evely | Helen of Wyndhorn | ||
| James Albon | Love Languages | |||
| Ben Wickey | More Weight: A Salem Story | |||
| Alex Krokus | Talking to My Father's Ghost: An Almost True Story | |||
| Alex L. Combs and Andrew Eakett | Trans History: From Ancient Times to the Present Day |
Best Graphic Novels for Children Top Ten
[edit]| Year | Writer(s) | Artist(s) | Title | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Elise Gravel | Arlo & Pips: King of the Birds, Vol. 1 and Arlo & Pips: Join the Crow Crowd, Vol. 2 | [13] | |
| Niki Smith | The Golden Hour | |||
| Lee Durfey-Lavoie | Veronica Agarwal | Just Roll with It | ||
| Trung Le Nguyen | The Magic Fish | |||
| Lily LaMotte | Ann Xu | Measuring Up | ||
| Remy Lai | Pawcasso | |||
| Hope Larson | Rebecca Mock | Salt Magic | ||
| Varian Johnson | Shannon Wright | Twins | ||
| Tom Sullivan | Unsolved Case Files Vols. 1-2 | |||
| Sophie Escabasse | The Witches of Brooklyn Vol. 1-2 | |||
| 2022 | Dan Santat | The Aquanaut | [14] | |
| Thomas King | Natasha Donovan | Borders | ||
| Guojing | The Flamingo | |||
| Claribel A. Ortega | Rose Bousamra | Frizzy | ||
| Christina Diaz Gonzalez | Gabriela Epstein | Invisible | ||
| Alexis Castellanos | Isla to Island | |||
| Jonathan Case | Little Monarchs | |||
| Trang Nguyễn | Jeet Zdũng | Saving Sorya: Chang and the Sun Bear | ||
| Johnnie Christmas | Swim Team | |||
| Victoria Grace Elliott | Yummy: A History of Desserts | |||
| 2023 | Samuel Sattin | Rye Hickman | Buzzing | [15] |
| Jessixa Bagley | Aaron Bagley | Duel | ||
| Dan Santat | A First Time for Everything | |||
| Lauren Stohler | Gnome and Rat | |||
| Zachary Sterling | Mabuhay! | |||
| Eric Gapstur | The Magma Cup (Sort of Super #2) | |||
| Pedro Martín | Mexikid | |||
| Mac Smith | Scurry | |||
| Victoria Grace Elliott | Tasty: A History of Yummy Experiments | |||
| Ben Hatke | Things in the Basement | |||
| 2024 | Francisco Jiménez, adapted by Andrew J. Rostan | Celia Jacobs | The Circuit Graphic Novel | [16] |
| Brian Freschi | Elena Triolo | Ellie in First Position | ||
| Estelle Nadel, Sammy Savos, and Bethany Strout | Sammy Savos | The Girl Who Sang: A Holocaust Memoir of Hope and Survival | ||
| Lee Gee Eun | The Legend of Tiger and Tail-Flower | |||
| Cai Tse | Lion Dancers | |||
| Vera Brosgol | Plain Jane and the Mermaid | |||
| Grant Snider | Poetry Comics | |||
| Trang Nguyễn | Jeet Zdũng, Phuong An, Hoang Long, and Ngoc Hoan | Saving H'Non: Chang and the Elephant | ||
| Lydia Corry | Wildflower Emily: A Story About Young Emily Dickinson | |||
| Kengo Kurimoto | Wildful | |||
| 2025 | Guy Kopsombut | Badge Quest: A Cheesy Brie-ginning! Book 1 | [17] | |
| Raina Telgemeier and Scott McCLoud | The Cartoonists Club | |||
| Michael Regina | Deepwater Creek | |||
| Gale Galligan | Fresh Start | |||
| Paige Walshe | Froggy: A Pond Full of Pals! | |||
| Jewell Parker Rhodes | Setor Fiadzigbey | Ghost Boys: The Graphic Novel | ||
| Michael Emberley | Isla to Island | |||
| Guojing | Oasis | |||
| Rita Williams-Garcia | Sharee Miller | One Crazy Summer: The Graphic Novel | ||
| Tina Cho | Deb JJ Lee | The Other Side of Tomorrow |
Outstanding Comics Awards
[edit]In 2024, the GN&CRT introduced the Outstanding Comics Awards, which honors the best graphic
It is split into three categories: Fiction, Non-fiction, and Series.
| Year | Author | Artist | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
References
[edit]- ↑ "Graphic Novels & Comics Round Table (GNCRT) | Graphic Novels and Comics Round Table". www.ala.org. Retrieved 2026-08-11.
- ↑ "How the ALA's Graphic Novel and Comics Round Table is turning libraries into comic stores". Popverse. 2022-06-25. Retrieved 2026-08-10.
- ↑ "BCALA and the ALA Graphic Novels and Comics Round Table: Supplemental Reading Lists". Black Caucus American Library Association. Retrieved 2026-08-11.
- ↑ "Rainbow Round Table and Graphic Novels & Comics Round Table and Announce Collaboration Core List Titles | ALA". www.ala.org. Retrieved 2026-08-11.
- ↑ "ALA Graphic Novel Roundtable To Debut Adult Reading List". PublishersWeekly.com. Retrieved 2026-08-10.
- ↑ MacDonald, Heidi (2022-01-28). "The GNCRT announces Best Graphic Novels lists for adults and kids". The Beat. Retrieved 2026-08-13.
- ↑ "2021 Best Graphic Novels for Adults Reading List | Graphic Novels and Comics Round Table". www.ala.org. Retrieved 2026-08-10.
- ↑ "2022 Best Graphic Novels for Adults Reading List | Graphic Novels and Comics Round Table". www.ala.org. Retrieved 2026-08-10.
- ↑ "2023 Best Graphic Novels for Adults Reading List | Graphic Novels and Comics Round Table". www.ala.org. Retrieved 2026-08-10.
- ↑ "2024 Best Graphic Novels for Adults Reading List | Graphic Novels and Comics Round Table". www.ala.org. Retrieved 2026-08-10.
- ↑ MacDonald, Heidi (2025-02-13). "GNCRT announces 2024 Best Graphic Novels for Adults list". The Beat. Retrieved 2026-08-10.
- ↑ "2025 Best Graphic Novels for Adults Reading List | Graphic Novels and Comics Round Table". www.ala.org. Retrieved 2026-08-10.
- ↑ "2021 Best Graphic Novels for Children Reading List | Graphic Novels and Comics Round Table". www.ala.org. Retrieved 2026-08-10.
- ↑ "2022 Best Graphic Novels for Children Reading List | Graphic Novels and Comics Round Table". www.ala.org. Retrieved 2026-08-10.
- ↑ "2023 Best Graphic Novels for Children Reading List | Graphic Novels and Comics Round Table". www.ala.org. Retrieved 2026-08-10.
- ↑ "2024 Best Graphic Novels for Children Reading List | Graphic Novels and Comics Round Table". www.ala.org. Retrieved 2026-08-10.
- ↑ "2025 Best Graphic Novels for Children Reading List | Graphic Novels and Comics Round Table". www.ala.org. Retrieved 2026-08-10.