Shortlist announced for Scholastic’s inaugural Graphic Novel Prize

Scholastic UK has today revealed the 12 books across three categories that have been shortlisted for the inaugural Graphic Novel Prize. 

The Graphic Novel Prize was established to celebrate “the role that graphic novels play in developing readers and building strong reading habits”. 

The shortlist judging panel was made up of five key voices within education, graphic novels and comics: Jon Biddle, English lead at Moorlands School; Jo Cummins, teacher, blogger and podcast host; Sha Nazir, event producer at ACME Comic Con; Richard Ruddick, teacher and Comics in Class blogger; and Michael Stirling, creative director at The Beano.

Children’s votes from schools across the UK and Ireland will determine the winners from the shortlist and Scholastic will use its school channels to run a comprehensive marketing campaign to promote the shortlisted titles, including class resources, voting packs and a virtual shortlist event showcase.

The 12 shortlisted titles in The Graphic Novel Prize 2024 are:

Graphic Novel for Younger Readers
• A Super Scary Narwhalloween by Ben Clanton (Farshore)
• Bumble and Snug and the Shy Ghost by Mark Bradley (Hachette Children’s Group)
• Batpig: Too Pig to Fail by Rob Harrell (Walker Books)
• Max & Chaffy: Welcome to Animal Island by Jamie Smart (David Fickling Books)

Graphic Novel for Older Readers
• Barb and the Shadow Army by Dan Abdo and Jason Patterson (Simon & Schuster Children’s
UK)
• Finding My Voice by Aoife Dooley (Scholastic)
• InvestiGators: All Tide Up by John Patrick Green (Macmillan Children’s Books)
• Mexikid by Pedro Martín (Guppy Books)

Graphic Novel for Teens
• Heartstopper Volume 5 by Alice Oseman (Hachette Children’s Group)
• If You’ll Have Me by Eunnie (Penguin)
• Skulduggery Pleasant: Bad Magic by Derek Landy and PJ Holden (HarperCollins Children’s
Books)
• Vern: Custodian of the Universe by Tyrell Waiters (Flying Eye Books/Nobrow)