First Second Books is an American publisher of graphic novels. An imprint of Roaring Brook Press, part of Holtzbrinck Publishers, First Second publishes fiction, biographies, personal memoirs, history, visual essays, and comics journalism. It also publishes graphic non-fiction for young readers, including the Science Comics and History Comics collections, and for adults, including the World Citizen Comics, a line of civics graphic books, and biographical works such as The Accidental Czar. Authors and artists published by First Second include Ben Hatke, Gene Luen Yang, Jillian Tamaki, Vera Brosgol, Jen Wang, Shannon Hale, LeUyen Pham, Scott Chantler, and Japanese director Hayao Miyazaki. First Second is headed by creative director Mark Siegel.

History

First Second launched in U.S. stores and online in May 2006. It was distributed by Macmillan in the rest of the English-speaking world. After the merger in 2010, Macmillan distributes all of the books. In 2006, First Second published American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang, the first graphic novel ever nominated for a National Book Award, and the first ever to win the American Library Association's Michael L. Printz Award. In 2015, First Second published This One Summer by cousins Jillian and Mariko Tamaki, the first book in any format ever nominated as a finalist for both the American Library Association's Randolph Caldecott Award, and the American Library Association's Edward L. Printz Award.

Series

Some of First Second's biggest hits include the InvestiGators series and the Real Friends trilogy. Series published by First Second include:

Selected titles

Before 2010

2010s

2020s