Scribe titles in the 2024 ALIA Notable Australian Graphic Novels

Meet the ecosystem inside you …

A timid Bifidobacterium named Biffy is forced to leave their family and become part of a new community, in the gut of a newborn human baby.

Follow Your Gut is a comic that ate a biology textbook. It’s an epic adventure set over the first three years of a new life, exploring one of the most important relationships you will ever have — the one with your gut microbiome.

Created by artists, scientists, and educators, this story is for anyone who’s curious about the human–microbe symbiosis, and what all those trillions of bacteria are doing down there in your intestines!

Inspired by the latest research, Follow Your Gut includes a fascinating and detailed appendix that explains the amazing science behind the story.

‘We fell in love with Biffy, the adorable Bifidobacterium. We also learnt about the scientific process of growing up, and the not-so-secret universe that we have inside us!’ — Kira and Catherine, Year 7, University High School, Melbourne

‘A wildly entertaining science lesson that will change how you see your own body.’ — Dr Nat Bannan, high school science teacher

This is a handbook for change. Because we all know ways in which life could be better. And it can be better. We can make it better.

We don’t need to wait for a leader or saviour. We don’t need to limit ourselves to comments and clicks. In this stunningly original comic-book tour of a serious topic, Jeff Sparrow and Sam Wallman explore 12 powerful ideas distilled from the history of struggle for better lives, better working conditions, and a better world. They show how solidarity can be built across growing divisions — without compromising our values.

‘Strife’ is just another word for making yourself heard. In fun, short, shareable chapters, 12 Rules for Strife shows how together we can change everything.

The beautifully hand-drawn true story of artist Joshua Santospirito’s visit to the Aeolian Islands of Italy with his parents to seek out past connections and family roots.

Joshua and his father hope to locate the burial place of Joshua’s great-great-grandfather on the island of Salina. But it’s not always so easy to find the past you’re looking for, nor to travel with your parents.

As Joshua learns more about the sun-drenched volcanic archipelago, its people, and their history, he also explores the mysteries of family — and the magic of creating your own place in the world.

This is a tale of migration and return, of the rise to stardom of actress Ingrid Bergman, of the cheeky wind god Aeolus, of ancestry, place, and belonging, and of so much more. Told from Joshua’s unique and charming perspective, there is something here for everyone.