Many teachers tell me that one of the most popular shelves in their school libraries is the graphics section — especially the realistic fiction graphic novels (if you “genre-fy” for your shelves). For this list, I’m focusing on graphic novels that appeal best to kids in grades 6-8. Some of these will also work for 5th graders although I’m working on another list for that grade specifically (stay tuned). I’ve chosen some classic fan favorites and many newer ones I think have star potential and will be adored by middle school readers.
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25 Wonderful Realistic Graphic Novels Middle Schoolers Love
Here are 25 great realistic graphic novels for middle school readers:
Duel
Published: November 7, 2023
Sisters Gigi and Lucy haven’t seen eye to eye since their father died. Their mother is worn out by her grief and her demanding job and doesn’t have the capacity to deal with their constant bickering. Now Lucy is a new 6th grader at the school where Gigi is the 8th grade Queen Bee and on Lucy’s first day, the girls get into an altercation that ends with Lucy challenging her sister (and school fencing champion) to a duel. What follows are chapters alternating between each girl’s first-person narration as they go between the past and present, exploring their relationship and where it went wrong and planning their fencing duel. There’s sports, friendship, sisterhood, family, grief, and even a grandparent relationship in this story, lending it some major kid and adult appeal! Grades 5+
Measuring Up
Published: October 27, 2020
12-year-old Cici moves from Taiwan to the US with her parents, leaving behind her beloved A-ma (her grandmother). She makes friends quickly, and her English is already pretty good. However, she and her parents struggle with American culture, like sleepovers and fireplaces, and she quickly stops bringing Taiwanese food to lunch, preferring instead to learn to make American food so she can blend in. Although Cici and her parents want to bring her grandmother over for a visit at least, they can’t afford to yet. So when she stumbles upon a kid cooking contest, it feels like the perfect opportunity to earn money to bring A-ma over. This is an excellent, feel-good, coming-of-age story that pays homage to the love between a granddaughter and her grandmother and is perfect for kids who like cooking. Grades 5+
Twins
Published: October 6, 2020
Twins Maureen and Francine Carter have always done everything together, but things have changed as they’re starting sixth grade. For one, they have nearly all their classes apart from each other, and Francine is dressing differently, trying to stand out from her twin Maureen. Maureen has always been the quieter, introverted one — her parents call her the thinker and Francine the talker. So she feels a bit lost when Francine joins different clubs and extra-curricular activities while she joins cadet training. The girls are still figuring out their new dynamic when Francine decides to run for student council, and by some stroke of fate, her shy, terrified-of-public-speaking sister is also running for president. Despite the ground rules laid by their parents, things get a bit messy as both girls try to establish their personal identities while fighting to reconcile their relationship as twins and sisters. This graphic novel is simply a delight with gorgeous illustrations and relatable sibling drama. Grades 5+
Four Eyes
Published: May 2, 2023
Sixth grade is off to a rocky start for Rex. His district moved most of his elementary school to another middle school, his best friend ditches him for the popular crew, and his blurry vision means he has to get clunky new glasses–the only kind his family can afford. This sweet graphic novel for fans of Telgemeier is an ode to middle school, family, and finding your people. Grades 5+
Hoops
Published: March 14, 2023
It’s the 1970s, and Judi loves to shoot hoops in the driveway with her brother and his friends. She hopes she can join a basketball team someday, but her school doesn’t have a female team. So when she gets to high school, she chooses the next best thing: cheerleading with her best friend Stacey. But one day, the school announces that they’re starting a team for the girls because of the Title IX ruling. Unfortunately, as willing as the girls who sign up are (Judi inclusive), there’s little to no funding for their team. They have to DIY their jerseys and practice only when the boys’ team isn’t using the court. Hoops is a fantastic, historical middle grade graphic novel about equality and basketball set against the backdrop of the rise of a female basketball team in the 1970s. Grades 6+
Shiny Misfits
Published: April 16, 2024
Fame-hungry Bay Ann is caught unawares when a mishap after her winning performance leads to popular boy Alyee Maqq scoring the spotlight for helping the disabled girl. Bay Ann is furious about the narrative but mostly about Aly going viral instead of her. So she embarks on a mission to outdo him in different ventures—from science fairs to debate team—and go viral with the help of her two best friends. But when her mission keeps taking her farther and farther from those who matter, Bay Ann is forced to home in on what matters most. Honestly, this book was weird, and I liked it. It was jarring at first because of the way Bay Ann and her friends speak (and really how all the characters speak like they’re in a Shakespeare play but with a dash of dry millennial wit) but also because Bay Ann is simultaneously going to be not the most likable (especially for some adults) but also irresistibly relatable for some kids. But her character truly has an entertaining true redemption arc, and she’s not afraid to poke fun at her disability and common disability tropes. Grades 6+
Blue Stars: Mission One: The Vice Principal Problem
Published: March 5, 2024
This is an entertaining graphic novel about cousins Maya and Riley (Black and Muscogee) who end up living with their grandmother when Maya’s parents are deployed and Riley’s parents move back in with her grandmother. The two girls get off to a rough start, exacerbated by their personality differences. Maya is reserved, studious, and science-focused while Riley is outgoing, friendly, and artsy. At school, the girls quickly realize that their vice principal is suspicious, slashing arts, robotics and any budgets possible in favor of increasing the number of detention classrooms. With their grandmother’s advice about using their voices firm in their mind, the girls hatch a plan to expose VP Balderdash’s schemes. I loved many things about this series starter, including the natural, subtle way both girls share about their heritage and the way they find home and community with their grandmother. This is also super short (under 200 pages), and the superhero and planning scenes feel like something out of a Spy Kids movie. Grades 5+
Smile
Published: February 1, 2010
In her graphic memoir Smile, Raina is just trying to enjoy being a sixth grader when an accident severely injures her two front teeth. Thus begins an unending series of visits to dentists and different treatment options. Throughout this process, Raina still has middle school to tackle. Her friends are sometimes insensitive toward the things that matter to her and she’s finding herself newly developing crushes on boys, even as she’s too embarrassed to smile, thanks to the braces, head gear, retainer, and other contraptions she has to wear throughout the course of this book. Smile follows Telgemeier from sixth grade until high school as each attempt to rectify the situation with her teeth is stumped and doctors are forced to try a different route. Telgemeier’s Smile isn’t my favorite graphic novel/memoir from her, but it’s still one I enjoyed reading. Grades 5+
Freestyle
Published: October 18, 2022
Cory’s dance crew is getting ready for a major competition. It’s the last one before they graduate eighth grade and go their separate ways to high schools all over New York City, so they have to make it count! The group starts to have problems as their crew captain gets increasingly intense about nailing the routine, and things go from bad to worse when Cory’s parents ground him for not taking his grades seriously. He gets stuck with a new tutor, Sunna, who he dismisses as a boring nerd… until he catches her secretly practicing cool yo-yo tricks. Cory wants to learn the art of yo-yo, and as his friendship with Sunna grows, he ends up missing practice and bailing on his crew — and they are not happy about it. With mounting pressure coming from all sides, how is Cory supposed to balance the expectations of his parents, school, dance, and his new friend? This is a fun graphic novel about dance, friendships, and balancing it all. Grades 5+
The Love Report
Published: June 13, 2023
This book is about two best friends, Grace and Lola, who begin a project to study love. Their research (if you can call it that) opens their eyes to how fickle romantic love can be (especially among infatuated teens), the negative effects of stereotypes (a goth has more to her personality than the way she dresses, an assumed “bimbo” is more than just a pretty face). But it also forces them to examine their own friendship and how well they show up for each other. It covers many (maybe too many) themes, from parental separation to sexual harassment, but I think what it does best is extol the value of female friendships through the ups and downs of life. Grades 7+
The Faint of Heart
Published: June 13, 2023
The Faint of Heart is set in a dystopian world where no one but high schooler June has a heart. When a scientist (known simply as The Scientist) discovers that removing your heart takes away negative emotions like heartbreak, sadness, and anxiety, everyone undergoes the procedure. Unfortunately, the procedure also takes away the positive feelings. As June grapples with the loneliness of being the only one with a heart, she discovers a classmate whose heart is now growing back. Both teens work together to find the scientist and get her to reverse the procedure. This is a stellar, unique teen graphic novel about embracing the full spectrum of human emotions, no matter how hard it is. Grades 7+
Art Club
Published: February 6, 2024
Dale loves drawing comics and playing video games, but everyone in his life seems to think the arts are a waste of his time. To show them the value of art, Dale decides to start an afterschool art club, but with funding issues, the club is at risk of being closed by school authorities. Can Dale make things work? This new graphic novel is a buoyant celebration of the arts and the community it can foster. Dale is a fun character that many boys and art lovers will relate to, so even though this book takes a while to get going plot-wise, I think kids will hang on for the ride. Grades 6+
New Kid
Published: February 5, 2019
Seventh grader Jordan Banks loves nothing more than drawing cartoons about his life. But instead of sending him to the art school of his dreams, his parents enroll him in a prestigious private school known for its academics, where Jordan is one of the few kids of color in his entire grade. As he makes the daily trip from his Washington Heights apartment to the upscale Riverdale Academy Day School, Jordan soon finds himself torn between two worlds—and not really fitting into either one. Can Jordan learn to navigate his new school culture while keeping his neighborhood friends and staying true to himself? This middle grade graphic novel is an excellent choice for tween readers who love graphic novels, the arts, and books about male friendship. Grades 6+
Saving Sunshine
Published: September 5, 2023
This is a solid graphic novel about two siblings who’ve grown apart and can’t stop bickering. One is a NASA nerd/space head, while the other is a budding environmental activist. After their parents become fed up with their antics on a family trip to Florida for their mother’s job, their devices are confiscated until they can get along again. What finally turns the tide for them is a sick turtle they find on the beach. I love the illustrations in this one and the balanced way the author examines the public response to hijabs and cultural differences. Although slow initially and didactic at times, this is a great pick, especially for Muslim kids who want to see themselves in graphic novels written by Muslims or readers looking for environmental activism stories. Grades 5+
We Are Big Time
Published: August 6, 2024
Aliya and her family have moved from Wisconsin to Florida, where the larger Islamic school has a not-great basketball team. Their new coach is passionate and has great tips for the sport but is clueless about being Muslim. The team captain doesn’t seem to like Aliya who has strong basketball skills. As the team works together, they actually start to win. Filled with plenty of sports action, warm family dynamics, and a rare Muslim-girls-in-sports depiction, this new book by Hena Khan is sure to win many fans. Grades 6+
Curlfriends #1
Published: October 10, 2023
Charlie is the new kid for the umpteenth time, but this time things will be different. Her dad is no longer in the military, and this is a more permanent home, so she feels more pressure to find and impress some new friends. When she meets a cool group of Black girls with varying interests, she decides to hide her “babyish” style and hobbies to befriend them. But she soon learns that with true friends, you can be your whole self. Curlfriends: New In Town is the cute first book in a new graphic novel series about Black hair, girlfriends, fashion, and adjusting to change. Grades 5+
The New Girl
Published: June 4, 2024
This is a semi-autobiographical story of Lia, who moves from Romania to Canada just as she’s getting her first (very painful) period. It seems to be the first in a series about Lia. In Montreal, she struggles at first in her French immersion school. I love the progression as she begins to understand more and more French. This is a great one if you’re looking for a slice-of-life graphic novel tackling periods and puberty, featuring crushes, and exploring the struggles and wins of immigrating. Grades 7+
Next Stop
Published: March 19, 2024
Pia heads out on a desert sightseeing road trip on which one of the stops is a famous lake which many believe has magical properties. Pia has a secret: she’s hoping that the lake will bring back her younger brother who died in a drowning accident several months ago. Along the way, she gets to know the odd group traveling together, including a candy-distributing grandma, a reluctant tween traveler, a couple with ever-bickering kids, and an elderly couple hoping for a health miracle. I liked the camaraderie of the travelers and the flashbacks in every chapter that show us Pia’s life before and just after the accident. I also really liked that the plot is sad but not too heavy. This is great for readers who enjoy sad books or stories featuring a road trip. Grades 6+
Wires Crossed
Published: April 30, 2024
13-year-old Mia feels like her social circle is changing faster than she can keep up. Her best friend Addy is now friends with a not-nice popular girl whom they were both united in not liking. In a positive twist of events, one of her good friends, Tariq, whom she knows from science camp, announces that he’s moving to her town. But when Tariq arrives, he looks different: cool haircut, contacts, and he plays sports too now? This is another slice-of-life graphic novel about finding your way through the messy process of growing up and doing it your way. The friendship miscommunications add a necessary level of tension and suspense. I also loved the friendship between these kids, their diverse interests (coding, art, etc.), and the fact that each character is portrayed in a nuanced way. Grades 6+
Swim Team
Published: May 17, 2022
After she and her dad move from Brooklyn to Florida, Bree is excited for her first day in middle school. But also, she’s super anxious about whether she’ll make friends and fit in. Thankfully, she makes a new friend in the housing complex where they live. Unfortunately, when Bree goes to choose her math club elective, it’s fully booked. As a math lover who can’t swim, she’s crushed to hear that the only elective left is swim 101. At first, Bree avoids getting in the water, but after a near-drowning in her housing complex, an elderly neighbor (who used to be part of her swim team) decides to coach Bree. Bree gets so good that she joins her swim team, but can the team get past the drama and win? Swim Team is a highly engaging graphic novel about swimming, Black history (and why many Blacks don’t swim), and friendship. Grades 5+
Frizzy
Published: October 18, 2022
Marlene hates the salon where her mom takes her to get her natural curls straightened weekly. Marlene’s mom and some in their circle/family believe that “good hair” is straight hair. Marlene’s mom wants her to focus on school and look “tidy” by having her hair straight and slick. But Marlene isn’t so sure. She sees an internet influencer and her favorite aunt, Tia Ruby rocking their curls and is eager to try. But her first attempt fails woefully. With Tia Ruby’s hair, Marlene learns to care for her natural hair better and embrace her curls. Frizzy is a delightful, thought-provoking graphic novel about natural hair, self-acceptance, and body image. Grades 5+
Alterations
Published: January 30, 2024
It’s June 1994, and Kevin Lee is having a rough go at life. His parents are recently divorced and his dad is essentially absent from their lives. They live with their mom in the apartment above her alterations shop. His mom is always busy and rarely present for the kids because she’s trying to keep up with work as a single parent. Kevin’s Popo is fresh off the boat from mainland China and is now sharing their cramped apartment along with his sister Betty, with whom he shares a room. Kevin’s main escape is his imagination and his comics which he loves to read and draw. After a stinky incident with a centuries-old egg, his Popo makes him for lunch, and everyone at school starts teasing him and calling him egg boy, much to his dismay. Determined to change his image at their school field trip to Thrill Planet, he sneaks onto the most dangerous ride in the park with surprising results. Alterations by Ray Xu is funny, albeit slow, graphic novel about being Chinese Canadian in the 1990s, taking charge of one’s identity and reputation, and the power of imagination. Grades 5+
Invisible
Published: August 2, 2022
Five different students have yet to complete their community service for a school offense and must explain why (as well as what they did) to their principal. Thus, these five seemingly socially invisible kids each share from their perspectives how they got in trouble — and readers are definitely in for a ride. There’s George, the smart kid who is Latino but can’t speak Spanish; Sara, the loner; Dayara, the tough kid, Miguel, the baseball player; and Nico, the rich kid. The story is told in Spanish and English. Invisible is a powerful, heartwarming graphic novel about immigration, homelessness, racism, and finding your tribe. Grades 6+
Stepping Stones (Peapod Farm #1)
Published: May 5, 2020
This book features young Jen, whose mother moves her from the city to a farm to live with her mother’s new boyfriend, Walter and help him care for his farm. At the farm, Jen is saddled with chores like caring for chickens and selling at the farmer’s market. Her mother’s boyfriend, Walter is infuriating and dismissive of Jen’s feelings. Things get worse when Walter’s daughters Andy and Reese come to the farm on weekends. The girls are alright, but Andy seems to be a know-it-all while Reese won’t stop whining. Can Jen make a life at Peapod Farm? Stepping Stones is an engaging, wholesome, true-to-life middle grade graphic novel about dealing with life changes. Grades 6+
Match Point
Published: September 19, 2023
Rosie’s dad wants her to play racquetball even though she says she wants no part and has no interest. He used to love it when he was a kid and he pushes Rosie to improve by constantly critiquing her game. But Rosie has a bad attitude about the sport because of the pressure he puts on her. Blair is a new student with a warm family who are all into racquetball and Rosie wants her to compete in her behalf. But as Rosie hangs out with Blair’s family away from her father’s harsh supervision, she realizes what it means to play for fun. Match Point is a delightful graphic novel about racquetball, female friendship, and the value of true sportsmanship. Grades 6+
There they are: 25 fantastic realistic middle grade graphic novels! Which of these books have you read and loved? What did I miss?
What do you think? Leave a comment