Here are 45 books that Lumberjanes fans have personally recommended once you finish the Lumberjanes series.
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I'm a gay cartoonist and editor who lives and breathes graphic novels. As an editor at Graphix, Scholastic's graphic novel imprint, I've worked with Dav Pilkey, Jamar Nicholas, Angeli Rafer, Kane Lynch, and many others. As a cartoonist, I'm the author and illustrator of Out of Left Field, which is based on my experiences as a closeted kid on the high school baseball team. So many wonderful books have influenced my journey and career, but these are some of my favorites: groundbreaking graphic novels that helped make Out of Left Field possible.
To put this on a list of gay coming-of-age graphic novels feels potentially like a spoiler, but in the hopes that I’ll convince at least one other person to read this near-perfect book, I’ll take the risk!
A decade after its publication, few, if any, graphic novelists have managed to match the quality of this brilliantly written, elegantly drawn, subtly rendered, and wonderfully atmospheric book about two girls whose sexualities start to manifest during a summer vacation with their families.
Mariko and Jillian Tamaki are always brilliant, but this book remains, in my opinion, their best work.
Every summer, Rose goes with her mum and dad to a lake house in Awago Beach. It's their getaway, their refuge. Rosie's friend Windy is always there, too, like the little sister she never had. But this summer is different. Rose's mum and dad won't stop fighting, and when Rose and Windy seek a distraction from the drama, they find themselves with a whole new set of problems. It's a summer of secrets and sorrow and growing up, and it's a good thing Rose and Windy have each other.
Hi! I'm Joanne Starer, and I write comics based my own messy relationships, like in Total Suplex of the Heart. And sometimes, I write about messy and complicated friendships, like Fire & Ice: Welcome to Smallville. Sometimes, I make comics with my actual boyfriend, Khary Randolph, like Sirens of the City. So you could say relationships are kind of my thing.
This one has messy right in the title! Freddy keeps getting dumped by Laura Dean over and over. She gets so blinded by her “love” for Laura Dean that she takes her friends for granted. It’s a classic story with an LGBT+ twist. Part of what makes it stand out is the beautiful visual storytelling. I actually learned a lot from this one, as it’s quite different from the superhero comics I grew up with. There are moments in here where two hands will say a thousand words.
Laura Dean, the most popular girl in high school, was Frederica Riley's dream girl: charming, confident, and SO cute. There's just one problem: Laura Dean is maybe not the greatest girlfriend.
Reeling from her latest break up, Freddy's best friend, Doodle, introduces her to the Seek-Her, a mysterious medium who leaves Freddy some cryptic parting words: Break up with her. But Laura Dean keeps coming back, and as their relationship spirals further out of her control, Freddy has to wonder if it's really Laura Dean that's the problem. Maybe it's Freddy, who is rapidly losing her friends, including Doodle, who…
As a kid, I had a lot of experience having a close group of friends… and a lot of experience looking into other groups from the outside. I waded from circle to circle, trying on friendships like some people try on hats. The books I’m recommending represent the best of fictional friend groups—the groups that topped any clique I saw in real life. Reading these books made me feel like an in-kid in the best possible way. Many of the characters remain the absolute coolest people I know, and serve as inspiration for the friend group dynamics I get to explore in my own stories.
My Spice Girl-loving heart would have diedto be in an SG fan club at my school. Back in my day, we had to settle for quick half-memorized dance routines under the monkey bars during recess. But in Akemi Dawn Bowman’s sweet story of niche interests and building a community person by person, the characters’ shared love of a music group is only the tip of a huge and fulfilling friendship iceberg.
Eleven-year-old Millie Nakakura is starting sixth grade at a real school for the first time in her life. Previously homeschooled, Millie dreams of finally making friends and having a little bit of freedom-though this proves tricker than she expected.
Then she spots a flyer for an after-school club for fans of Japanese pop music, which she loves more than anything else in the world. Millie makes true friends with this crew of misfits, and when of their members starts to bend under the strain of a troubled home life, the friends band together to help her get through these tough…
As a kid, I had a lot of experience having a close group of friends… and a lot of experience looking into other groups from the outside. I waded from circle to circle, trying on friendships like some people try on hats. The books I’m recommending represent the best of fictional friend groups—the groups that topped any clique I saw in real life. Reading these books made me feel like an in-kid in the best possible way. Many of the characters remain the absolute coolest people I know, and serve as inspiration for the friend group dynamics I get to explore in my own stories.
Sometimes a friend group slowly forms over the course of a book. It’s a slow burn, a delicious reeling in of like souls. In Stroud’s Lockwood & Co series, readers are treated to the slow burn of the century, as the ultimate ghost-fighting crew forms over the course of five books. We get enemies to friends, friends to lovers, and a final showdown in the last installment that will have you throwing your fist up in triumph and scaring the unsuspecting bystanders around you in the dentist’s waiting room.
Want to hear a ghost story? That's good. I know a few . . .
After their recent adventures, the Lockwood & Co team deserve a well-earned break . . . so naturally they decide to risk their lives breaking into a heavily-guarded crypt. A building full of unsettled souls, it's also the final resting place of Marissa Fittes, the legendary and (supposedly) long-dead ghost hunter - though the team have their suspicions about just how dead she might be.
As a kid, I had a lot of experience having a close group of friends… and a lot of experience looking into other groups from the outside. I waded from circle to circle, trying on friendships like some people try on hats. The books I’m recommending represent the best of fictional friend groups—the groups that topped any clique I saw in real life. Reading these books made me feel like an in-kid in the best possible way. Many of the characters remain the absolute coolest people I know, and serve as inspiration for the friend group dynamics I get to explore in my own stories.
While I absolutely love the recent graphic novel series, I have to give some major props to the OG Baby-sitter’s Club. These books are the perfect length to devour on a lazy Sunday afternoon. With so many adventures to choose from as each member of the group gets to play narrator, it’s impossible to not feel like a fellow babysitter handing out club flyers or herding little kids into softball teams. You may even find yourself making your very own kid kit at home and filling up a box with puzzles and games to play with the neighbor’s cat. No? Just me, then?
NOW A MAJOR NETFLIX SERIES! When Kristy Thomas has a great idea to form a BABYSITTERS CLUB - a chance to earn money and spend time with her friends - she has no idea how much the club will change everything.
Crank calls, uncontrollable toddlers, wild pets, untruthful clients . . . running a business is hard work! Kristy and her co-founders, Mary Anne, Claudia, and Stacey, are sure they can handle anything. But only if they stick together . . .
As a kid, I had a lot of experience having a close group of friends… and a lot of experience looking into other groups from the outside. I waded from circle to circle, trying on friendships like some people try on hats. The books I’m recommending represent the best of fictional friend groups—the groups that topped any clique I saw in real life. Reading these books made me feel like an in-kid in the best possible way. Many of the characters remain the absolute coolest people I know, and serve as inspiration for the friend group dynamics I get to explore in my own stories.
I’ve often whined about epic friend groups being featured in tons of films and not enough in books—but Strange Birds is the delightful exception that gets every detail of the cinematic friend group perfectly right. There’s mysterious invitations hidden in a library, scary treks through the woods, artistic activism in the face of wrong, and a wickedly cool group initiation featuring some mighty powerful crystals. If nothing else, the group’s shenanigans will make you want to go out and spend all your money on hoards of plastic flamingos. (Just trust me on this.)
When three very different girls find a mysterious invitation to a lavish mansion, the promise of adventure and mischief is too intriguing to pass up. Ofelia Castillo (a budding journalist), Aster Douglas (a bookish foodie), and Cat Garcia (a rule-abiding birdwatcher) meet the kid behind the invite, Lane DiSanti, and it isn't love at first sight. But they soon bond over a shared mission to get the Floras, their local Scouts, to ditch an outdated tradition. In their quest for justice, independence, and an unforgettable summer, the girls form their own troop and find something they didn't know they needed:…
While The Hills of Estrella Roja is my YA debut, I’ve been a big fan of YA graphic novels for years. I think YA is such fertile ground for great storytelling, because of how intense things can feel at that age, you’re on the cusp of adulthood, figuring out what type of person you are/want to be and where you fit in the world. Then throw in queerness, which adds a whole other layer to the experience. As a queer cartoonist creating work for young people (and everyone, really!) during this distressing era of book bans, creating and supporting authentic and diverse queer stories feels more important than ever.
This graphic novel fits into one of my favorite categories, hopeful science fiction. It’s got fantastic world-building, gorgeous art, and very interesting things to say about power dynamics and perpetuating harmful cycles. It also has complex and interesting young trans characters as the two leads.
My favorite thing about it is how it defies the reader's expectations for a love story, and instead features two characters blossoming and growing through their friendship.
An epic sci-fi graphic novel romance between two non-binary characters as they find one another through time, distance, and war. An amazing story that explores the complexity of human nature and what brings us together.
When they were kids, Fassen’s fighter spaceship crash-landed on a planet that Lu’s survey force was exploring. It was a forbidden meeting between a kid from a war-focused resistance movement and a kid whose community and planet are dedicated to peace and secrecy.
Lu and Fassen are from different worlds and separate solar systems. But their friendship keeps them in each other’s orbit as they…
Hi! I'm Joanne Starer, and I write comics based my own messy relationships, like in Total Suplex of the Heart. And sometimes, I write about messy and complicated friendships, like Fire & Ice: Welcome to Smallville. Sometimes, I make comics with my actual boyfriend, Khary Randolph, like Sirens of the City. So you could say relationships are kind of my thing.
I love a slow-burn romance, and that is exactly what this is. Originally a webcomic, it runs at a more leisurely pace, allowing the characters to really have time to develop. A classic enemies-to-lovers, the story follows Cort and Ian, two teens at the same school who have to learn to let their guards down and be vulnerable to each other. If you loved Heartstopper but want something a bit more adult, this is the one for you.
Cortland Hunt has made some dangerous mistakes. Now he's waiting quietly for those mistakes to catch up with him. Ian Tanner coasts through life denying the spark of anger beneath his laid back exterior. When school politics and personal lives become a battleground, the pair find that what they share may just be their only safe haven. Bringing the world of LGBT young adult fiction into the realm of comic books, and collecting the first arc of the acclaimed weekly web series (2014-2016), Breaks is the story of two young men discovering who they were, who they are, and who…
Hi! I'm Joanne Starer, and I write comics based my own messy relationships, like in Total Suplex of the Heart. And sometimes, I write about messy and complicated friendships, like Fire & Ice: Welcome to Smallville. Sometimes, I make comics with my actual boyfriend, Khary Randolph, like Sirens of the City. So you could say relationships are kind of my thing.
Galaxy, also known as Taylor Barzelay, is an alien princess hiding on Earth. But to stay safe, she’s disguised as a human boy. As she struggles in a body that is not her own, she falls for a new girl in school. The relationship in this one is actually incredibly lovely.
Taylor and Kat’s romance feels like a warm blanket, and I love every minute of their teenage girl banter. What makes it messy is Taylor’s need to hide who she is for the safety of her alien family. Can she and Kat ever be together openly and honestly? Jess Taylor's vibrant colors and bold art make this a visual masterpiece.
It takes strength to live as your true self, and one alien princess disguised as a human boy is about to test her power. A vibrant story about gender identity, romance, and shining as bright as the stars. 'An effervescent and poignant tale about discovering and embracing your truest self against all odds; a must buy for teen collections.' - School Library Journal, Starred Review. Taylor Barzelay has the perfect life. Good looks, good grades, a starting position on the basketball team, a loving family, even an adorable corgi. Every day in Taylor s life is perfect. And every day…
Hi! I'm Joanne Starer, and I write comics based my own messy relationships, like in Total Suplex of the Heart. And sometimes, I write about messy and complicated friendships, like Fire & Ice: Welcome to Smallville. Sometimes, I make comics with my actual boyfriend, Khary Randolph, like Sirens of the City. So you could say relationships are kind of my thing.
Not for the kids, but a great laugh for the adults–this book is about two people who stop time when they orgasm. They decide to use this power to rob a bank so they can save the local library with the funds. But like all the books on this list, this is actually a story about relationships.
This one comes with a heavy dose of comedy…inappropriate, sexytime comedy. But there are also very relatable, heartbreaking moments where the characters grapple with their own sexuality and how it’s affected their lives and relationships. Just a great time and filled with visual gags from Zdarsky. And don’t skip the letters column!
All 31 award-winning, headline-grabbing, head-spinning, genre-defying issues of SEX CRIMINALS collected in one soft unthreatening volume celebrating its tenth-ish anniversary.
Bonnie & Clyde meets The 40-Year-Old Virgin by way of When Harry Met Sally—only none of these orgasms are fake!
When Suzie and Jon have sex, time stops. Literally. So they have lots of sex, fall in love, and eventually start robbing banks. Until they find out they’re not alone…
Collects Sex Criminals issues # 1- #30 & the one-shot special issue #69.
Select praise & accolades for the Sex Criminals series:
