Illegal is a 2019 Great Graphic Novels for Teens Top Ten Pick

1/28/2019

We are thrilled to share that Illegal by Eoin Colfer and Andrew Donkin, illus. by Giovanni Rigano, is a 2019 Great Graphic Novels for Teens Top Ten Pick!

The 2019 Great Graphic Novels for Teens list is presented annually through the Young Adult Services Library Association (YALSA), a division of the American Library Association (ALA).

The final list is 138 titles, drawn from 205 official nominations, and Illegal has been chosen as one of the top ten! The books on the list are recommended for ages 12—18, and meet high literary and production quality standards. Some of their criteria include the clarity of visual flow, outstanding quality of artwork, and a narrative enhanced by the artwork.

Click "Read More" below to read more about the book and the author.

Click here to see the full list

About the book

A powerfully moving graphic novel by New York Times bestselling author Eoin Colfer and the team behind the Artemis Fowl graphic novels that explores the current plight of undocumented immigrants.

Ebo is alone. His brother, Kwame, has disappeared, and Ebo knows it can only be to attempt the hazardous journey to Europe, and a better life—the same journey their sister set out on months ago.
But Ebo refuses to be left behind in Ghana. He sets out after Kwame and joins him on the quest to reach Europe. Ebo's epic journey takes him across the Sahara Desert to the dangerous streets of Tripoli, and finally out to the merciless sea. But with every step he holds on to his hope for a new life, and a reunion with his family.

Honors for Illegal:

Nominated for the CILIP Carnegie Medal and CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal in the United Kingdom
A 2018 Junior Library Guild Selection
A 2019 Great Graphic Novels for Teens Top Ten Pick (The American Library Association and YALSA)

2019 Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People Book (The Children’s Book Council)
A New York Public Library and Chicago Public Library Best Book of 2018

About the authors and illustrator

Eoin Colfer (center) worked as a primary school teacher before becoming a full-time writer. He spent four years between 1992 and 1996 working in Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, and Italy. His first book, Benny and Omar, was based on his experiences in Tunisia. In 2001, the first book in the bestselling Artemis Fowl series was published. Over the years, his works have been named a Book Sense Book of the Year nominee, an L.A. Times Book Prize finalist, and a Virginia Readers’ Choice Award nominee. Eoin lives in Ireland with his family. Learn more at eoincolfer.com.

Andrew Donkin (left) is the author of more than sixty books and graphic novels for children and adults. His books have been translated into thirty languages around the world and have sold more than eight million copies in the last decade. He lives in London. Learn more at andrewdonkin.co.uk.

Giovanni Rigano (right) is an Italian artist and illustrator born in Cantù, Italy. He is best known for his role in the creation of the Artemis Fowl graphic novels, the first of which came out in 2007. Giovanni has also created graphic novels for Disney, including The Incredibles and Pirates of the Caribbean. Giovanni currently lives in Como, Italy.