Book List: Reading Gives You Superpowers!
Knowledge is power! Discover the power of reading at The New York Public Library with our new book list of comics, graphic novels, and more for all ages. From picture books about bravery to fantastical fiction for adults, there's so much to discover at NYPL. Grab your library card and cape and begin a new adventure today!
Plus! Scale new heights with the power of reading using NYPL's limited-edition Spider-Man library card, available in branches while supplies last—and discover a multiverse of book recommendations, free programs and events, and more for all ages.
Picture Books for Kids
Brave Every Day
by Trudy Ludwig, illustrated by Patrice Barton
Camila is filled with worry and fear, but when she hides during a class field trip to the aquarium, she finds a classmate who is also afraid and needs a friend.
El Cucuy Is Scared, Too
Donna Barba Higuera, illustrated by Juliana Perdomo
Ramón is worried about his first day at a new school, but it helps to remind El Cucuy, the monster who lives in his cactus pot, of how brave and strong they both are.
Even Superheroes Have Bad Days
by Shelly Becker, illustrated by Eda Kaban
A group of superheroes that are having a bad day learn to cope with their emotions.
I Am So Brave! A Book About Overcoming Fears
by Stephen Krensky, illustrated by Sara Gillingham
Celebrates a toddler's growing comfort with such things as hearing loud noises and being left with a babysitter.
Lucía the Luchadora
by Cynthia Leonor Garza, illustrated by Alyssa Bermudez
When the boys on the playground tell her that girls can't be superheroes, Lucía is discouraged until her abuela reveals to her the power of the luchadoras.
Milo Imagines the World
by Matt de la Peña, illustrated by Christian Robinson
While Milo and his sister travel to a detention center to visit their incarcerated mother, he observes strangers on the subway and draws what he imagines their lives to be.
Nigel and the Moon
by Antwan Eady, illustrated by Gracey Zhang
Nigel feels safe sharing his dreams with the moon but can’t find the courage to share them during career week at school in this poignant story of representation, pride, and confidence.
There's a Superhero in Your Book
by Tom Fletcher, illustrated by Greg Abbott
This book invites the reader to help Superhero save the book from the Scribbler by lifting it, concentrating, tapping pages, and more.
What's My Superpower?
by Aviaq Johnston, illustrated by Tim Mack
Nalvana thinks she must be the only kid in town without a superpower. But then her mom shows Nalvana that she is unique and special—and that her superpower was right in front of her all along.
Yasmin the Superhero
by Saadia Faruqi, illustrated by Hatem Aly
Yasmin gathers a cape and mask and sets out to find a villain to defeat with her "superpowers." However, there are no villains hiding on her block—just neighbors who need a little help.
For Middle Graders
El Deafo
by Cece Bell
A poignant graphic tale based on the creator's own experiences with hearing loss follows the adventures of young Cece, who develops "superpowers" to manage the challenges of making friends while wearing a bulky hearing aid that sometimes lets her hear things she shouldn't.
Garlic and the Vampire
by Bree Paulsen
Garlic must believe in herself to confront a bloodthirsty vampire who has moved into a nearby castle in this humorous and heartwarming story that reminds readers that strangers are not always as scary as they seem.
Katie the Catsitter
by Colleen A.F. Venable, illustrated by Stephanie Yue
Twelve-year-old Katie is dreading the boring summer ahead until she realizes the mysterious neighbor who hired her to catsit is one of the city's greatest supervillains.
The Marvellers
by Dhonielle Clayton
The first Conjuror to attend the Arcanum Training Institute along with Marvellers from around the world, 11-year-old Ella must prove her innocence, with the help of a new friend, when a dangerous criminal escapes and her mentor disappears.
Mia Mayhem (series)
by Kara West, illustrated by Leeza Hernandez
Invited to attend the after-school program for in-training superheroes upon discovering that she has superpowers, eight-year-old Mia Macarooney struggles to balance her regular everyday life with the responsibilities of her secret identity.
Shuri (series)
by Nic Stone
Shuri, T’Challa’s younger sister, is a skilled martial artist, a genius, and a master of science and technology. But, she's also a teenager. And a princess. This Black Panther story follows Shuri as she sets out on a quest to save her homeland of Wakanda.
Sidekicks
by Dan Santat
When Captain Amazing feels he is getting too old to be a reliable superhero, he tries to hire a new sidekick—but his pets have different ideas.
The Super Life of Ben Braver
by Marcus Emerson
Ben Braver is sent to a secret school where kids with super abilities learn to control their powers, even though he does not have any super abilities and no one has ever thought he could be special.
Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky
by Kwame Mbalia
Haunted by the bus accident that ended his best friend’s life, seventh-grader Tristan Strong dreads a visit to his grandparents’ Alabama farm before a bizarre living doll snatches away his friend’s notebook and draws him into a world of burning seas, iron monsters, and exhausted Black folk heroes.
Yusuf Azeem Is Not a Hero
by Saadia Faruqi
With the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks putting his family on edge, Yusuf Azeem, who wants to participate in the regional robotics competition, must stand up to the bullies with understanding, justice, and love.
For Teens
A Blade So Black
by L.L. McKinney
By day, Alice juggles a slipping GPA, a high-maintenance best friend, and an overprotective mom, but by night she heads to the dark realm known as Wonderland to battle monstrous creatures to save her mentor.
La Borinqueña
by Edgardo Miranda-Rodriguez, art by William Rosado et al.
Look! Up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's a... geology student? When Brooklyn native Marisol takes a semester abroad in Puerto Rico to study the tropical cave systems, she finds a lot more than she bargained for—a mystical object connects her to the ancient Taíno deities of Puerto Rico, and she's granted a special destiny.
Far Sector
by N.K. Jemisin, art by Jamal Campbell
For the past six months, newly chosen Green Lantern Sojourner "Jo" Mullein has been protecting the City Enduring, a massive metropolis of 20 billion people. The city has maintained peace for over 500 years by stripping its citizens of their ability to feel. As a result, violent crime is virtually unheard of, and murder is nonexistent. But that's all about to change.
The Gilded Wolves
by Roshani Chokshi
Keeping close secrets in the wake of the Exposition Universelle in 1889 Paris, a wealthy hotelier and treasure-hunter is tapped by a powerful order to lead an elite team on a quest to track down an ancient artifact of world-changing significance.
Harley Quinn: Breaking Glass—A Graphic Novel
written by Tamaki Mariko, art by Steve Pugh
With five dollars to her name, 15-year-old Harleen Quinzel is sent to live in Gotham City. But her fortunes change when Gotham's finest drag queen, Mama, takes her in—until Mama's drag cabaret becomes the next victim in the wave of gentrification taking over the neighborhood. Now Harleen is mad and faced with two choices: join Ivy, who's campaigning to make the neighborhood a better place to live, or join the Joker, who plans to take down Gotham one corporation at a time.
Legendborn
by Tracy Deonn
Wanting to escape her previous life after the accidental death of her mother, 16-year-old Bree enrolls in a program for high-school students at the local university before her witness to a magical attack reveals her undiscovered powers as well as sinister truths about her mother’s death.
Malika: Warrior Queen, Vol. 2
by Roye Okupe, art by Sunkanmi Akinboye
After years of moving in the shadows, Malika is forced out of hiding by the Olon Jin—ancient sorcerers imprisoned for centuries because of their obsession with dark magic. In their sights is the Fire and Frost stone, a relic that holds the combined power of two legendary dragons. On her journey to Egypt to retrieve the stone, Malika uncovers a sinister plot that predates her own 500-year-old legend as Warrior Queen and threatens to end humanity.
Miles Morales: Spider-Man
by Jason Reynolds
After a misunderstanding leads him to be suspended from school, Miles Morales feels conflicted about his identity as the new Spider-Man, but when his scholarship is threatened, he uncovers a plot that puts his friends and neighborhood at risk.
Ms. Marvel: No Normal
by G. Willow Wilson, art by Adrian Alphona
Kamala Khan is an ordinary girl from Jersey City until she's suddenly empowered with extraordinary gifts. When Kamala discovers the dangers of her newfound powers, she also unlocks a secret behind them. Is Kamala ready to wield these immense gifts? Or will the weight of the legacy before her prove too much to bear?
Superman Smashes the Klan
written by Gene Luen Yang, art by Gurihiru
When her family is targeted by the Ku Klux Klan after moving from Chinatown to 1946 Downtown Metropolis, misfit Roberta Lee uses her keen skills of observation to help Superman thwart a string of terrorist attacks.
For Adults
Black AF: America's Sweetheart
by Kwanza Osajyefo, designed by Tim Smith 3, cover art by Sho Murase, interior art by Jennifer Johnson, lettering by David Sharpe, edited by Sarah Litt
Eli Franklin is a 15-year-old living in rural Montana and she just happens to be the most powerful person on the planet. In the aftermath of the world learning that only Black people have superpowers, Eli makes her debut as the superhero Good Girl—but will donning a patriotic costume be enough for her to find acceptance?
Black Hammer (series)
created by Jeff Lemire, art by Dean Ormston
Banished from existence by a multiversal crisis, the old champions of Spiral City now lead simple lives in an idyllic, timeless farming village from which there is no escape. But as they employ all of their super abilities to free themselves from this strange purgatory, a mysterious stranger works to bring them back into action for one last adventure.
The City We Became
by N.K. Jemisin
Every great city has a soul. Some are ancient as myths, and others are as new and destructive as children. New York? She's got six. All across the boroughs, strange things are happening. Something is threatening to destroy the city and her six newborn avatars unless they can come together and stop it once and for all.
Daredevil: Yellow
by Jeph Loeb, art by Tim Sale
In this retelling of the early career of The Man Without Fear, Loeb and Sale have taken an inspiring action-adventure story and blended it with a romantic comedy. The result is the heartwarming and heartbreaking story of two young people in love—Matthew Murdock and Karen Page.
Deadpool Samurai: Volume 1
story by Sanshiro Kasama, art by Hikaru Uesugi, translation by Amanda Haley, touch-up art and lettering by Walden Wong
As soon as Deadpool moves to Tokyo, he runs afoul of some familiar faces. Before he knows it, he's teaming up with new heroes, battling gods, attending concerts, and being repeatedly dismembered. What could possibly go wrong when Iron Man invites Deadpool to join the Avengers' new Samurai Squad?
Icon & Rocket: Season One
by Reginald Hudlin, Leon Chills, and Greg Pak, art by Doug Braithwaite, Andrew Currie, Scott Hanna et al.
Long ago, Arnus, a stranded alien, gave up hope of returning to his home planet. Arnus was past caring… until the day Raquel Ervin crashed into his life. Soon she convinced him to put his incredible power to work again as the heroic Icon… and to transform her into his sidekick, Rocket. But an innocent question—"Why can’t we do something about the drugs on my corner?”—quickly sets a chain of events in motion leading to the pair becoming the most hunted beings on Earth.
Nubia & the Amazons
by Stephanie Williams and Vita Ayala, art by Alitha Martinez, Mark Morales et al.
After the thrilling events of Infinite Frontier, Nubia becomes queen of Themyscira, but the new title also brings challenges. With the unexpected arrival of new Amazons, our hero is forced to reckon with her past and forge a new path forward for her sisters. Little does she know, a great evil grows beneath the island and it’s up to this former guardian of Doom’s Doorway to unite her tribe before paradise is lost forever!
Rooster Fighter: Volume 1
Shu Sakuratani, translated by Jonah Mayahara-Miller
In a world where terrifying monsters walk the earth, one heroic rooster is destined for greatness. When giant demons threaten the innocent, he’s going to show them who’s boss! His opponents may be ten stories tall, but nothing is bigger than his stout heart and his fearsome battle cry—cock-a-doodle-doo!
Spider-Men: Worlds Collide
by Brian Michael Bendis, art by Sara Pichelli
In the history-making union of the Marvel and Ultimate Universes, Spider-Man comes face-to-face with... Spider-Man! But can the wall-crawlers of two worlds defeat Mysterio? What will happen when Miles encounters an older, wiser version of his inspiration Peter Parker? Then, following the Secret Wars, Miles now lives in the Marvel Universe—but where is the version of Miles Morales that was in the MU to begin with?! As the mystery deepens, our heroes find themselves targeted by the Taskmaster.
We Could Be Heroes: A Novel
by Mike Chen
Two superpowered individuals who have lost all memory of their real identities use their respective powers to commit or fight crime before teaming up together to stop the mad scientist behind a devastating medical conspiracy.
Summaries provided via NYPL’s catalog, which draws from multiple sources. Click through to each book’s title for more.
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