30 Awesome Graphic Novels for Kids

I LOVE graphic novels, and it’s a good time to love them because there are so many excellent titles being published these days. While graphic novels were once scorned by teachers and parents as glorified comic books, they are now recognized as an excellent way to engage reluctant readers – or any reader! – and they can make harder level text more accessible to kids who are eager to move to the next level. There are TONS of great graphic novels out there, but I wanted to highlight some that my kids and I really love. Maybe you will love them too!

{Age recommendations are my own. I always add a + next to the higher age range because I really do believe anyone can love these books.}

Mighty Jack and Mighty Jack and the Goblin King by Ben Hatke

An awesome twist on a cherished classic. I actually like the second one a lot more than the first; the Goblin King is not who you might expect…

{Recommended for ages 5-10+}

Zita the Spacegirl Series by Ben Hatke

Zita the Spacegirl, Legends of Zita the Spacegirl, and The Return of Zita the Spacegirl are all fantastic books. Zita is an empowered female lead and Hatke’s world building is very satisfying. One of the cool things about Ben Hatke’s books is you see characters from other series in the background (or sometimes the foreground) of scenes. One of his books ends with the suggestion of a major crossover! {Recommended for ages 5-10+}

 

The Nameless City Trilogy by Faith Erin Hicks

I really love The Nameless City trilogy (The Nameless City, The Stone Heart and The Divided Earth) which tells one story across the three books. As someone who grew up in Hong Kong and was absolutely enamored of The Forbidden City when I visited Beijing, they feel a bit like going home. The characters are compelling enough, and the story is nuanced enough, to keep even adult readers interested, while still remaining accessible to younger readers. My 8-year-old really loves these books, and so do my middle school students. The third one just came out in late September and my RTI reading class was fighting over who got to read it first. {Recommended for ages 8-12+}

Roller Girl and All’s Faire in Middle School by Victoria Jamieson

These two books by Victoria Jamiseon are like a salve on the wounds that remain from my traumatizing middle school experience. I really wish these books were around when I was a tween! Both are about young female characters trying to reconcile a fierce determination to stay true to themselves with a very real desire to make friends in the unforgiving social landscape of 6th and 7th grade. I also really love Jamieson’s Pets on the Loose series for younger (4-8yo) readers. Plus Roller Girl also came out recently in Spanish! {Recommended for ages 6-10+}

ALL THE BOOKS BY RAINA TELGEMEIER

You may argue that I love Raina Telgemeier because she’s from San Francisco and many of her books are set in the city (or in fictional towns based on areas near the city), but I promise their San Francisco settings are only an added bonus to already awesome books. Smile and Sisters are both autobiographical stories about her childhood. Ghosts is a story about family and sibling relationships told around the Day of the Dead. Finally, Drama is a book about crushes that is brave enough to explore the questions some middle schoolers are asking themselves about their burgeoning sexuality. {Recommended for ages 8-12+; Drama recommended for ages 10-14+}

Awkward, Brave, and Crush by Svetlana Chmakova

 

These three graphic novels are all set in fictional Berrybrook Middle School, and the student population remains the same throughout the three stories. The main character of Brave is a supporting character in Awkward, just like the main character of Crush plays an important role in Brave. For that reason I’d recommend reading the books in the order they were published (as listed above). Chmakova definitely has a background in manga, and her illustrations are as refreshing as the diverse student population she depicts in her books. {Recommended for ages 10-14+}

El Deafo by Cece Bell

El Deafo was the first graphic novel to win a Newbery Honor Award, and now it’s required reading in many elementary schools. El Deafo is an autobiographical account of the author’s experience navigating school with a bulky hearing aid strapped to her chest. I’ve had a few students that needed me to wear an FM to broadcast my voice directly to their hearing aid (like the character in the book), so I really appreciated learning more about what that experience was like for her. El Deafo is a great way for kids (and adults!) to better understand what it’s like for their peers who are navigating life with a physical challenge. {Recommended for ages 8-12+}

Real Friends by Shannon Hale (author) and LeUyen Pham (illustrator)

As someone who has struggled to make and keep friends, I really appreciate this book, which follows one girl through elementary school, as she attempts to navigate the complexities of cliques and friendship. I wish every girl would read it before entering middle school. I actually met LeUyen Pham (the illustrator) at a conference for children’s book authors and illustrators (back when I was writing and illustrating my children’s book), and she was very supportive. I bought her most recent book, at the time (which continues to be one of my son’s favorites) and have been thrilled to see her talents as an illustrator being utilized again and again since then. Real Friends is a well written, and illustrated book, and I recommend it to every girl in the world. {Recommended for ages 6-10+}

The Bad Guys books by Aaron Blabey

What happens when a wolf decides that he’s done being a bad guy, and drags a shark, snake, and piranha along as he tries to reinvent his image? Yes, hijinks definitely ensue. These books are silly to the max, and are sure to make you laugh. I’m always as excited for the next book to come out as my 5-year-old. {Recommended for ages 4-10+}

The Hilo series by Judd Winick

I really cannot praise this series enough. I want everyone to read it. I came across the third book one day at the comic store and immediately looked up the first two so I could buy them all. When the fourth book came out it was like Christmas in September, and I am counting the days until the fifth book comes out (in late January 2019). All the characters are so endearing, and the story is incredibly compelling. I was introduced to Judd Winick on the 2nd season of the Real World (San Francisco!) and have enjoyed the writing he’s done for DC comics, but this is truly his magnum opus. It’s such a great series. If there is one thing you check out from this list, let it be Hilo. {Recommended for ages 4-12+}

I know I never do posts like this one, but I have spent a lot of time looking for good graphic novels and I wanted to share a list of the ones I love. They are great books that both kids and adults can enjoy. I hope you find one or two you like in the list above.