September 20, 2024

Congratulations to Colleen Frakes ’07 on her new middle-grade graphic novel, KNOTS, with HarperAlley! KNOTS is available for pre-order and will be available wherever books are sold beginning 9/3.

“In this endearing graphic novel, Frakes (PRISON ISLAND) utilizes flat, saturated colors, busy backdrops, and easy-to-follow paneling to chronicle one tween’s experience navigating the intense pressures of middle school and family life.” —Publishers Weekly 

KNOTS is getting great reviews: 

“KNOTS is the rare middle-grade graphic novel that features entertaining, nuanced writing that’s thought-provoking but not moralistic—and the cartooning is perfect, too. Nothing short of brilliant.” —Hope Larson, New York Times bestselling and Eisner Award-winning author

Colleen Frakes graduated with the inaugural class of The Center for Cartoon Studies in 2007. That same year she published her first graphic novel, TRAGIC RELIEF, after winning a Xeric Grant. In 2009, Colleen’s second graphic novel, WOMAN KING, won an Ignatz award. She also launched the National Graphic Novel Writing Month Challenge based on NaNoWriMo; Colleen completed a 100-page graphic novel in 30 days two consecutive years—first in 2009 and then again in 2010. In 2015, Colleen published PRISON ISLAND, a graphic memoir that tells the story of her growing up in the Pacific Northwest on McNeil Island and living in a town near its prison. When she’s not making comics, Colleen is working in a library.

“In this semiautobiographical graphic novel from award-winning cartoonist Colleen Frakes, Norah must navigate not just her foiled dreams of blond hair but also the tangled mess her family has become.” —HarperCollins

Check out Colleen’s website for more information: tragicrelief.com

Buy a copy of KNOTS from your local bookshop!