The best middle-grade graphic novels are just as good as any other good middle-grade books. I have read so many of the books on this list and have also recommended them to kids who have enjoyed them! If you have a middle-grade graphic novel lover in your life, this is the list for them. One great thing about these novels is that there are a ton of graphic novel SERIES which kids (especially reluctant readers) love.
Graphic Novel Review | The Aquanaut
The Aquanaut is Dan Santat’s latest graphic novel. Sophia has been hanging out in Aqualand, the marine theme park her late father and uncle started. Her uncle is doing his best to finish Sophia’s late father’s marine project and Sophia seems to have little or no zest for school work. Imagine her shock when a diving suit controlled by sea creatures appears in Aqualand.
Graphic Novels About Sports
Graphic novels about sports are extra special to me because it takes a lot of creativity to bring a sport to life using only pictures and speech bubbles. The writers and illustrators on this list do a phenomenal job at this. For this list, I’ve sourced a variety of sports graphic novels for kids ages 8 and up. These stories include graphic novels about hockey, swimming, rollerblading, basketball and so much more.
Graphic Novel Review | Pawcasso
Pawcasso is what 11-year-old Jo names the basket-toting dog in town when a group of kids at the library mistake her for the dog’s owner. Jo is a lonely kid bored at home during the summer holidays and missing her father who works in a different city and visits the family periodically. She’s seen the dog walking through her neighborhood several times. The dog goes grocery shopping and can find its way home through pedestrian traffic and everything in town. As the kids fall more in love with “Pawcasso,” and by extension, Jo, she begins to enjoy having friends in her life. But what happens when the lie is exposed?
Best Middle Grade Graphic Novel Series
The best middle grade graphic novel series work to keep readers engaged — like any other tween series — because they’re already oriented. They know the characters and the world in the particular series, so it’s easier to keep going. So while I already have a list of middle grade graphic novels, I thought it would be fun to keep all of the series in one post! That way, readers strictly on the hunt for series will find them without hassle.
30 Best Graphic Novels for Elementary Students (K-6)
By now, you must know how I feel about graphic novels, but this list of the best graphic novels for elementary students (or young graphic novels) has been on my mind for months. I’ve read several of the “younger” books on this list and they’re just so funny! Early graphic novels are what chapter books are for middle grade non-graphic novels. They’re shorter, easier to read and follow, and often super silly — written to make you giggle. What could be better?
Graphic Novel Review | Measuring Up
Measuring Up follows 12-year-old Cici who moves from Taiwan to the US with her parents, leaving behind her beloved A-ma (her grandmother). Thankfully, the adjustment period isn’t too hard on her. She makes friends quickly and her English is already pretty good. However, she and her parents struggle with American culture, like sleepovers, fireplaces, and she quickly stops bring 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. Cici misses her A-ma with whom she used to go to the market and cook. So when she stumbles upon a kid cooking contest, it feels like the perfect opportunity to earn $1000. The only problem is that Cici can only cook Taiwanese dishes. Fortunately, she’s paired up with an Italian-American girl, Miranda, whose father runs a restaurant (and who practically grew up working in a restaurant). Halfway through the contest though, each contestant has to compete alone.
Graphic Novel Review: Camp by Kayla Miller
Olive is excited to be going to summer camp this year, especially since her best friend Willow is also going. She’s looking forward to doing camp things and making new friends. As soon as the girls arrive, Olive jumps right into the friend-making and activities, but Willow is as adept as making friends and instead wants to follow Olive everywhere. Worse still, she tries to hold Olive back from making other friends or joining different activities, becoming sulky and giving her the silent treatment when she does.
At first, Olive handles things well, making compromises and forgoing opportunities to hang out with other campers just to keep Willow happy. Eventually, though, things start to get to her and the girls’ friendship becomes strained.
Graphic Novel Review: Real Friends by Shannon Hale
Real Friends is Shannon Hale’s graphic memoir of her middle school experience with real friends — and girls who weren’t quite friends. Shannon and Adrienne have been best friends since Shannon came out of her shell in early elementary school. She had earlier been the shy middle child who never felt like she quite fit in anywhere. But with Adrienne, it was like she could finally exhale. But when Adrienne starts hanging out with the popular girl, Jen, Shannon suddenly doesn’t know where she fits in anymore.
Graphic Novel Review: Twins
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
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.
Review | Almost American Girl
Almost American Girl is Robin Ha’s graphic memoir detailing her move from South Korea to Huntsville, Alabama. Robin is 14 when she and her mother leave for one of their regular visits to the US. Except, this time it’s not Hawaii or any other vacation hotspot — it’s Alabama. Robin’s mother has been encouraging her to learn English like she has been doing, but Robin is uninterested, preferring to enjoy her Korean comics and spending time with her friends buying stationery and Korean street food.
When they arrive in Huntsville, Robin realizes that her mother is there to visit a man she has been corresponding with. His family welcomes them, but Robin feels out of place since she can neither speak nor understand English. She dreams of returning to Korea when the vacation is over. However, Robin is in for a shocker as her mom announces that she’s marrying this man, and she and Robin are staying put in America. Her whole life changes forever, as she struggles to assimilate, while handling the ups and downs in her mother’s relationship.
Graphic Novel Review | Sisters
In Raina Telgemeier’s Sisters, Raina and her little sister’s relationship is under the microscope. Despite having always prayed for a little sister, Raina realizes as soon as her sister comes home with her parents that things may not exactly have worked out as she planned. Her sister is a fussy baby and often moody toddler who likes to play by herself. Plus, Raina herself has to learn to share space and time — and of course, she struggles in the beginning. The sisters squabble over the years until a three-week family road trip from California to Colorado changes everything.
