The book I recommend is Anya’s Ghost by Vera Brosgol, first published in 2014. The graphic novel sits at a Grade 7-9 reading level, but because of the emphasis that Brosgol places on the visual nature of the story students in the younger grades can also enjoy the book.

Anya’s Ghost tells the story of teenager Anya who, one day after school, encounters the ghost of a young girl in the forest. The ghost isn’t scary, however. Instead, Anya and the ghost develop a complicated friendship as Anya navigates the often-scary world of late adolescence, including familiar anxieties around body image, test taking, and just “fitting in.”

Anya’s story centres around her status as a Russian immigrant to the United States, and she frequently feels like an outsider and is embarrassed by her “Russianness.” At one point or another, everyone has felt like an outsider or felt unusual or excluded, and therefore everyone can relate to Anya’s emotions, if not her exact situation. Much of what makes Anya’s Ghost so exceptional is Brosgol’s use of the graphic novel genre; with mellow blues and black ink used throughout, Brosgol visually evokes the dark moodiness of late adolescence.

If you like Anya’s Ghost, I’d recommend looking at other popular graphic novels such as Ghost World and Maus.

Michael Donnelly