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One great thing about the monthly roundup of new YA nonfiction and new YA comics coming at the tippy tail end of the month is that every single book will be available on shelves. You can pop into your retailer or library of choice to request a title and not have to wait a super long time to have that new read in your hands.
This month brings a nice mix of both comics and nonfiction for your TBR. Whether you’re looking for a moving memoir, a work of nonfiction that will explain why America is what it is right now thanks to its past, a murder mystery, a skateboarding vampire, or something else entirely, you’re in for plenty of treats with August’s releases.
While this month brings more nonfiction and comics than in the previous couple of months, it does not quite have the diversity that these two categories of YA books do more broadly. We’ll see this shift back to more inclusivity in the coming months.
New YA Nonfiction for August
Knocking on Windows by Jeannine Atkins
Only six weeks after beginning her freshman year in college,Jeannineis back at home. She’s suffered an unimaginable trauma at school and now, she’s working to heal. Much of the solace she finds is through reading the works of women writers, and it’s through them, she’s able to begin finding her own voice and path to sharing what exactly happened to her.
So when she enrolls in a local college after finding her footing again,Jeannineis once again pushed down by classmates and teachers who minimize what happened to her as no big deal. Rather than back down, though,Jeanninewill use her voice, her writing, and inspiration to keep pushing forward and to keep telling her truth.
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Take Up Space, Y’all by Tess Holliday and Kelly Coon
Teen readers looking for a work of nonfiction to feel empowered in their own bodies will find plenty to enjoy in this guide by plus-size model and body positive activist Tess Holiday. This book explores both physical and mental well-being through a variety of quizzes, stories from Tess’s own life and experiences, as well as fun and engaging sidebars. The goal isn’t necessarily body positivity–though that’s a possible outcome, of course–but rather, this guide seeks to reassure young people their experiences are common and there are ways to build one’s confidence that feel achievable…and, of course, feel good.
White Lies: How the South Lost the Civil War, Then Rewrote the History by Ann Bausum
After the Civil War ended, the South didn’t just give up their fight. They actively rewrote the history of the war and the reasons behind it. This allowed them to change the narrative into what’s known as The Lost Cause, and the echoes of The Lost Cause are seen today through things like the movement to end DEI, to ban books, and more. An example that might resonate is this–we know about Moms for Liberty and their book banning/anti-DEI agenda, but they were far from the first group of women with too much time on their hands to do this. They’re simply the latest iteration of the United Daughters of the Confederacy, a group that actively erased and redacted history textbooks throughout public schools in the South to change what young people learned about the Civil War and more.
Bausum’s book is an attempt to be as truthful about what happened before, during, and after the Civil War, including where and how the outcome of that war echoes today. The description compares her work to Howard Zinn’s A Young People’s History of the United States, which is no light comp! The book has already earned six starred reviews from the trade journals, too, indicative of how crucial and how well-done this book is.
New YA Comics for August
A Bite of Pepper by Balazs Lorinczi
Pepper is a vampire, sure, but she’s really more like an average teenager than anything else. She loves to skateboard, she loves her dog, and she’s really not super into her mother pushing her to find a vampire bride so she can become fully immortal.
Then Pepper meets Ana and sparks begin to fly. Ana finds so much inspiration in Pepper and it shows in her art. But as Pepper prepares to fulfill her mom’s wishes of settling down with a parter and becoming immortal, Pepper begins to wonder if Ana really cares for her or if she’s just around for artistic inspiration.
This looks super fun, and it’s compared to Squad by Maggie Tokuda-Hall and Lisa Sterle.
Do Not Disturb: How to Say No to Your Phone by Brad Marshall and Lindsay Hassock, illustrated by Lauriane Bohémier
This is a book that’s definitely targeting teenagers, but I suspect there’ll be plenty of adults who can find a passage or two that resonates. Brightly-colored and approachable, the book provides 10 steps to help young people better manage their relationships to their phones. But it’s not just a book of steps. It provides plenty of tips to make putting one’s phone down easier than it might seem (and that this book is written by a couple of psychologists doesn’t hurt!)
Tall Water by SJ Sindu, illustrated by Dion MBD
Nimmi’s got a loving father and a new relationship, but one thing missing in her life is seeing her mother. Her mom refused to leave Sri Lanka during the war, and even though Nimmi’s father is going there on assignment as a reporter, he refuses to take his daughter. It’s too unsafe.
So when Nimmi has a dream about her mother, where her mother says that Nimmi must come find her, she plans to go. At the airport, Nimmi’s father sees her and finally agrees to let her come with.
But when they arrive in Sri Lanka, disaster hits. It’s December 2004, and a tsunami has hit. Despite all of the work to get to the island, Nimmi may never make it to see her mom.
This graphic novel is inspired by the real Indian Ocean tsunami that devastated the region.
This Place Kills Me by Mariko Tamaki, illustrated by Nicole Goux
The Wilberton Theatrical Society is the most elite group at Wilberton Academy. It’s a group helmed by Elizabeth Woodward, who is not only beautiful and beloved by all, but she’s also starring in the school’s production of Romeo and Juliet.
She’s found dead, though, the morning after opening night. While authorities call it a suicide, transfer student Abby Kita–one of the last people to see Elizabeth alive–knows that there’s something else going on.
What unravels are a host of secrets about the Theatrical Society, about Elizabeth, and about the Academy itself. What was Elizabeth hiding and who would want her dead?
In addition to the comics above, the sequel to The Dire Days of Willowweep Manor hit shelves as well, The Nefarious Nights of Willowweep Manor by Shaenon K. Garrity, illustrated by Christopher Baldwin. Two other new comic releases this month include Tripping Over You by Suzana Harcum and Owena White, which has earned comparisons to Heartstopper, as well as Trumpets of Death by Simon Bournel-Bosson.