Posted by The Gosh! Gang on 29th Nov 2024
Gosh! Comics Best of 2024 - Kids & Young Adult
It's the most wonderful time of the year! We of the good ship Gosh! have been wrestling through the releases of 2024 to find our absolute favourites for the year. As ever, apologies if the best graphic novel you've ever read comes out sometime in the next 5 weeks. We look ahead at release schedules and get advance reader copies where we can, but things do slip through.
We'll start with the usual disclaimer: doing any kind of Best Of list is a subjective affair, and we should emphasize that these are simply the titles we collectively liked best this year. We also try to offer a reasonable spread of subject matter to find something for as many tastes as possible. So I can guarantee you won't like everything in this list, but I can also guarantee you that you'll like something.
We loosely adhere to a few rules as we put these lists together:
- We will only do the first book of a series unless a deliberate attempt is made to create a jumping on point with it. You might have loved volume 4 of Doff Your Cap To The Master Cat for its nuanced depiction of flipped feline power dynamics, but we won't include it, sorry. We like to make these lists accessible.
- Books collecting stories for the first time that have been serialized prior to this year do qualify. We will also include reprints of translated editions that are being presented in English for the first time, whatever the age.
- We just stick to physical media, and only what we might describe as a book.
- We only include things that we anticipate will actually be available for a period of time. Inevitably when we announce these lists some books will be temporarily unavailable or reprinting, but they should generally be available. This also excludes a lot of amazing small and micro press material we've seen throughout the year that we're unlikely to ever see again.
- Sometimes we bend the rules. They are, after all, our rules.
The list below is for our Best of 2024 Kids & Young Adult list. For our Best of 2024 Adult list, click here.
Should you wish to purchase any of these from our webstore (please be our guest!), just click on the title, or check out the Best of 2024 - Kids & Young Adult page for the whole range.
A quick note about the age recommendations we have included below. These are intended as a general guideline for age appropriateness. Of course every parent's idea of appropriate is different, as is every child's reading level, so while we hope these give a general idea of what we believe a book's suitability is, be sure to read the description and make your own judgement about suitability for your child (or the child you're buying for). Do bear in mind that the Young Adult titles we label as 13+ often contain language or subject matter that might not be appropriate for younger kids.
So here they are, presented alphabetically (no way are we going to try and rank these), our Best of 2024 - Kids list!
By Jay Hosler
Publisher: Harper Alley
Age: 8-12
Biologist Jay Hosler has been making comics since the late 90s, garnering particular attention in the indie comics world with his honey bee tale Clan Apis, reworked and republished by HarperAlley in 2021 as Way of the Hive. He blends science and comics in a way which brings the subject to life, and this crawl down the tunnels of an ant colony is a perfect example of that in action. Rubi is our cartoon ant protagonist, living amongst the real ants, but unable to speak with them, until one day she finds one ant who can talk back. A funny, exciting graphic novel that’s about friendship, community and most of all, ants!
By Jen Wang
Publisher: First Second
Age: 8-12
Featured in the Best of 2018 and 2019 respectively, we couldn’t help but list Jen Wang on here for a third time with her latest graphic novel. The story follows Ash, someone who is not afraid to be themselves despite the current state of the world, something Ash feels strongly about. They have always felt alone, with nobody in their lives appearing to acknowledge the ongoing climate crisis, apart from their late grandpa Edwin. He once mentioned building a secret cabin and it becomes Ash’s mission to find out if it really exists. With beautifully illustrated pages throughout, Wang takes us on a journey about self-discovery and how much self-reliance one can have within a world where you don’t feel like you can belong.
By Paul Gilligan
Publisher: Tundra
Age: 8-12
What does it mean for a boy to “be a man”? That’s the question author Paul Gilligan explores in this memoir about the summer Jaws was released. For 10-year old Paul the film is a source of terror, as word spreads like wildfire amongst his contemporaries of the terrors it holds. Of course they all claim to have seen it, and if you haven’t then you’re some kind of wuss. But when he does see it, the movie leaves the young Paul traumatised, causing a growing distance between him and his daredevil best friend, and leaving him haunted by a super-macho spectre of Jaws goading him to be more of a man. A great one for young boys feeling that pressure to be tough guys.
CAT COMPANIONS MARURU AND HACHI SC VOL 1
By Yuri Sonoda
Publisher: Seven Seas
Age: 8-12
What happens when the docile house cat Maruru meets the tough stray Hachi? Despite their initial difference, the two soon find their common ground and decide to roam the streets together. Cat Companions Maruru and Hachi features two of the cutest and roundest cats you can find in manga, making both adults and kids swoon. And you can’t help but cheer for them while following their exciting adventures!
By Molly Knox Ostertag
Publisher: Graphix
Age: 13+
Molly Knox Ostertag returns with a superb YA graphic novel. It’s intense stuff, covering themes of responsibility, belonging, identity, secrets and sexuality, all wrapped in a supernatural horror story (with a little romance on the side) that is masterfully executed. Mags and Nessa are childhood friends, but Mags stayed in their desert town while Nessa left. Mags has a dark secret kept in the basement, one she must feed, and cannot allow to escape. When Nessa returns to town with secrets of her own haunting her, the two reconnect and perhaps will find in each other the strength they need to survive.
DETECTIVE SWEET PEA: THE CASE OF THE GOLDEN BONE SC
By Sara Varon
Publisher: First Second
Age: All Ages
The golden chew bone that keeps every dog’s teeth healthy and shiny has been stolen! Everyone in town is full of personalities and seemingly innocent, but what is the conspiracy behind? Detective Sweet Pea and his friends are determined to find out who the culprit is. Created by Sarah Varon, the author of the acclaimed graphic novel Robot Dreams, Detective Sweet Pea is definitely one of our favourite kids detective comics of the year (and it doesn’t hurt that most characters are based on real animals that Varon has met in real life!)
DNDOGGOS: GET THE PARTY STARTED SC
By Scout Underhill
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Age: All Ages
If you’ve got young kids intrigued by the world of role playing games, then have I got the book for you. A graphic novel featuring some youngsters playing Dungeons and Dragons, both as themselves at the table and as their characters in the game; sounds pretty sweet, right? Now make those youngsters into puppies, and you’ve got a recipe for some mind-melting cuteness. Luckily it’s not just all about the gimmick appeal, as Scout Underhill & Liana Sposto bring serious chops to the table, crafting a story filled with humour and adventure that’ll have your little ones asking you to shell out for a Player’s Handbook in no time. (Although maybe that’s not actually a selling point!)
By Edward Ross
Publisher: Harpercollins
Age: 8-12
Edward Ross is a bit of a hidden treasure in the British comics world. We’ve long been big fans right back to his self-published days, and then through the publication of Filmish and Gamish, his media histories. Now he turns his eye on the art of making comics, in this wonderful guide to the art. But wait...does an instruction book count as a graphic novel, I hear you say? Yes, yes it does, because Ross has made a comic to teach you how to make comics! Follow the Graphic Novel Builders, a group of kids (and their dog) who each embody a part of the comic making process: Ash the Publisher, Jay the Writer, Finn the Designer, Rayah the Artist and Sam the Colourist (and Peanut!) A brilliant book to inspire and instruct the next generation of creators.
By Alina Tysoe
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Age: All Ages
Self-proclaimed pup-tective Poppy is the latest addition to Sasha’s home. However, Sasha’s cat Truffles isn’t happy with this arrangement. So every day he is coming up with new ideas disguised as cases for Poppy to solve, in hopes of getting rid of her! Will Truffles find a way to kick his rival out, or maybe, they can find some common ground and co-exist? Suitable for all ages, the Great Puptective will steal any child’s heart with its adorable illustration.
By Adam DeSouza
Publisher: Tundra
Age: 13+
Four teens on the verge of graduation decide to reject their impending future and head for a commune on a Gulf island off the coast of Vancouver, somewhere they can find a sense of community. But the future is coming at them, whether they like it or not, and their journey across the island will help them begin to see what shape it will take. A real key to the success of this book is in its portrayal of teenagers on the verge of adulthood. DeSouza gives us characters that feel real and familiar in all their messy contradictions, neither judging nor lionising their beliefs and behaviours.
By Joe Latham
Publisher: Andrews McMeel
Age: All Ages
“Spring” is the first in a four-part-season-based-fantasy epic from Joe Latham! Haru the bird and Yama the pig have enough to worry about dealing with school bullies, home life frustrations and figuring out who they’re going to be. That’s when a powerful artefact attaches itself to Yama, sending them on an adventure into the wilderness and far away from home. Gorgeously drawn and painted, perfect for fans of great fantasy like Lord of the Rings with the beauty of a Studio Ghibli film. This coming of age series will span a full year of seasons with volume two, Summer, out now too!
By Jonathan Tune & Eleanor Doughty
Publisher: Penguin Workshop
Age: All Ages
As a fearless traveller and whimsical mechanic, frog K makes sure her car can fly high in the sky or swim across the ocean. So one weekend, frog K invited tadpole J to a relaxing weekend road trip, until J realised he almost died 3 times and that his sister is a daredevil! Reading K’s Car Can Go Anywhere is like going on an exciting adventure with your best friend, and you get to experience both the scenic route and the treacherous route.
By Cassandra Calin
Publisher: Scholastic
Age: 8-12
A beautifully illustrated coming-of-age debut from webcomic sensation Cassandra Calin. New Girl is for anyone who has experienced some form of change in their life, as protagonist Lia is about to find herself dealing with many different changes. From immigrating halfway across the world, to getting her first period, life suddenly feels a lot to juggle for the 13-year-old as she struggles to settle into her new school, new friends and even her new body. Calin draws inspiration from her own experiences immigrating from Romania to the US and gives us a refreshing story about change and acceptance.
PLAIN JANE AND THE MERMAIDS SC
By Vera Brosgol
Publisher: First Second
Age: 8-12
We’ve not seen a misstep yet by the amazing Vera Brosgol, and her newest is no exception. Jane is a young woman who has been bombarded with negative messages about her competence and weight all her life. But after the boy she has nuptial eyes on gets kidnapped by mermaids, she sets out on an adventure under the sea to save him. A modern folktale about gaining independence and self-acceptance which also also happens to be funny and scary all at the same time, with some really lovely art to boot, as you would expect from Brosgol!
RUNE: THE TALE OF A THOUSAND FACES
By Carlos Sánchez
Publisher: Flying Eye
Age: 8-12
The first volume of a wonderful new fantasy series by Spanish writer and artist Sánchez, who perfectly captures a Ghibli-esque sense of wonder and adventure as our two heroes are chased into a dark forest by bullies, and find themselves plunged into a fantasy world. Beautifully drawn, the book balances light, absurdist Adventure Time-style adventure with occasionally darker, threatening vibes (think Over the Garden Wall). It’s such a fun book, and a really lovely touch is that one of the main characters is deaf, using sign language throughout. Even better, in the magical land they find themselves in, sign language is akin to wizard-speak!
TOBY AND THE PIXIES SC WORST KING EVER
By James Turner & Andreas Schuster
Publisher: David Fickling Books
Age: All Ages
James Turner is the mad genius behind Space Cat, one of the highlights of weekly kid’s anthology The Phoenix, and he’s teamed up with Canadian cartoonist Andreas Schuster for this collection (a Phoenix stablemate). When Toby accidentally kills the tyrannical ruler of the pixies that (unbeknownst to him or his toast-obsessed dad) live in his overgrown back garden, he is crowned their new king. Cue absolute mayhem as the pixies do their best to improve life for their new king, whether he likes it or not! Filled with Turner’s trademark absurdist humour, complemented by Schuster’s light, playful linework, this is a wonderfully fun collection.
By Tony Weaver Jr, Jes Wibowo & Cin Wibowo
Publisher: First Second
Age: 8-12
A memoir by writer Tony Weaver Jr and artists Jes and Cin Wibowo that covers Weaver’s struggles with his mental health as a pre-teen. Sent to a school for gifted children, Tony struggles with being different as a black, nerdy kid. He’s bullied, and goes to some dark places before finding hope in embracing who he is and finding strength in his differences. While we’ve put this in the 8-12 age range, the book does cover some tough subjects. But it is ultimately an uplifting journey from despair to hope, expertly and sensitively executed, and potentially life-changing in the hands of a reader who needs it.
By Isabel Greenberg
Publisher: Jonathan Cape
Age: 13+
Isabel Greenberg returns with a YA take on Arthurian legend from a feminist perspective. Young Hag lives with her mother and grandmother, the last three witches in Britain after the gates to the magical realm were closed, cutting the land off from magic. After a tragedy and a chance meeting, Young Hag embarks on a quest to rescue a stolen child, which might also be the key to unlocking the return of real magic to the British Isles. Greenberg is an unsung treasure of British comics, with a style and voice that’s instantly recognisable, and an uncanny ability to balance literary weight with a sense of fun.
By Bowen McCurdy and Jordan Morris
Publisher: First Second
Age: 13+
Ever wondered what it would be like to join a youth group? Now you don’t have to! When Kay reluctantly joins a youth group at Stone Mission Church in Orange County, California, she soon discovers it’s not always about the big guy upstairs, but also exorcising your inner demons, literally! Suddenly, Kay has ventured into a whole new world of demon-hunting youths taking names and kicking asses and has to protect herself with her new slaying skills. Reminiscent of 90s tv shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Charmed, Youth Group is a fun take on the supernatural genre with Bowen McCurdy’s colourful panels that make 90s fashion look cool, and Jordan Morris’s storytelling hitting the right notes at the right time.
ZAWA + THE BELLY OF THE BEAST SC
By Michael Dialynas
Publisher: Boom
Age: 8-12
A timely fable of nature vs greed, as two young siblings free an imprisoned guardian spirit whose wellbeing and personality have been corrupted by the rubbish and industrial waste she is forced to eat in her prison. Through friendship and good food, Zawa begins to regain her true, happier nature. But the greedy town mayor has other ideas. An anti-capitalist adventure with a lot of heart and a positive message, with typically lovely art from Dialynas.
And there we are for another year! Happy reading, everyone!
The Gosh! Gang