Graphic novels for children
Graphic novels for kids tell full stories through panels, illustrations, and speech bubbles, much like comics but with the depth of a book. They span every genre: funny slice-of-life tales, big adventures, fantasy quests, and realistic stories that feel close to home. The visual style makes them especially inviting for new or hesitant readers, supporting comprehension and building visual literacy. On top of that, the mix of words and images pulls kids into characters’ worlds fast, making reading both fun and meaningful. This list features books by Dav Pilkey, Kazu Kibuishi, Rick Riordan, Mary Pope Osborne, Erin Hunter, Noelle Stevenson, Victoria Jamieson, Jen Wang, Jerry Craft, and Kwame Alexander.
Graphic novels for children – our recommendations
Lumberjanes by Noelle Stevenson and Grace Ellis. 
InvestiGators: All Tide Up by John Patrick Green. 
Ink Girls by Marieke Nijkamp and Sylvia Bi. 
Ember and the Island of Lost Creatures by Jason Pamment. 
Afternoon on the Amazon Graphic Novel by Mary Pope Osborne, illustrated by Kelly and Nichole Matthews. 
Warriors: The Rise of Scourge by Erin Hunter. 
Bumps in the Night by Amalie Howard. 
Hilo: The Boy Who Crashed to Earth by Judd Winick. 
Arthur and the Golden Rope by Joe Todd-Stanton. 
Spy School by Stuart Gibbs. 
Wallace the Brave by Will Henry. 
Remarkably Ruby by Terri Libenson. 
Evil Spy School by Stuart Gibbs. 
Big Nate: No Worries by Lincoln Peirce. 
Stargazing by Jen Wang. 
Super Pancake and the Mini Muffin Mayhem by Megan Wagner Lloyd and Abhi Alwar. 
Poetry Comics by Grant Snider. 
Stuntboy, in the Meantime by Jason Reynolds, illustrated by Raul the Third. 
Be Prepared by Vera Brosgol. 
Barb and the Ghost Blade by Dan Abdo and Jason Patterson. 
The Stonekeeper by Kazu Kibuishi. 
The Last Kids on Earth and the Monster Dimension by Max Brallier, illustrated by Douglas Holgate. 
Hermit Hill by Mike Deas and Nancy Deas. 
Minecraft by Sfé R. Monster, illustrated by Sarah Graley. 
The Secret Garden by Hanna Luechtefeld. 
Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson. 
Warriors: A Thief in Thunderclan by Erin Hunter. 
The First Cat in Space and the Soup of Doom by Mac Barnett and Shawn Harris. 
DnDoggos: Get the Party Started by Scout Underhill, illustrated by Liana Sposto. 
The Last Kids on Earth and the Doomsday Race by Max Brallier, illustrated by Douglas Holgate. 
Ant Story by Jay Hosler. 
Narwhal: Unicorn of the Sea! by Ben Clanton. 
Kitty Quest by Phil Corbett. 
Duck Moves In! by Kirk Reedstrom. 
Geronimo Stilton Reporter by Geronimo Stilton. 
Catstronauts: Mission Moon by Drew Brockington. 
The Adventures of Invisible Boy by Doogie Horner. 
El Deafo by Cece Bell. 
Nat Enough by Maria Scrivan. 
Go to Wizard’s Wharf by Maddie Frost. Narwhal: Unicorn of the Sea! by Ben Clanton. 
Haru by Joe Latham. 
Cat on the Run in Cat of Death! by Aaron Blabey. 
Cat Kid Comic Club by Dav Pilkey. 
The Last Kids on Earth: Thrilling Tales from the Tree House by Max Brallier, illustrated by Douglas Holgate. 
Dog Man by Dav Pilkey. 
The Crossover by Kwame Alexander, illustrated by Dawud Anyabwile. 
Lightfall: Shadow of the Bird by Tim Probert. 
The Dragonet Prophecy by Tui T. Sutherland. 
Peculiar Woods: the Ancient Underwater City by Andrés J. Colmenares. 
The First Cat in Space Ate Pizza by Mac Barnett and Shawn Harris 
Max Meow: Cat Crusader by John Gallagher. Amulet: The Stonekeeper by Kazu Kibuishi. 
Mexikid by Pedro Martín. 
When Stars Are Scattered by Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed. 
Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan. 
School Trip by Jerry Craft. 
A First Time for Everything by Dan Santat. 
The Witch Boy by Molly Knox Ostertag. 
The Legend of Auntie Po by Shing Yin Khor. 
The Moth Keeper by K. O’Neill. 
The Aquanaut by Dan Santat. 
Four Eyes by Rex Ogle and Dave Valeza. 
Squire & Knight by Scott Chantler. 
Giants Beware! by Rafael Rosado and Jorge Aguirre. 
Clementine Fox and the Great Island Adventure by Leigh Luna. Click the buttons below to purchase all of the books in this children’s graphic novels list, as well as classroom sets of any of these books and many more, from Bookshop.org. Or buy the 20 most popular titles from this list from Amazon – ideal for gifts or stocking your school library. If you are ordering from outside the US, have a look at our ‘worldwide orders’ page which makes this process easy.
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Children’s graphic novels – resources for teachers
- Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum – For Educators Lesson ideas and museum-developed activities to teach panel sequencing, visual inference, and cartooning craft – ideal for series such as Hilo, Narwhal & Jelly, and Catstronauts.
- San Diego State University – Comics for K-12 Educators University guidance on integrating comics across ELA and content areas; practical strategies that transfer to titles like InvestiGators, Dog Man, and Big Nate.
- Library of Congress – Cartoon/Comics Analysis Tool (PDF) A simple observe–reflect–question organizer for visual texts; adapt for elementary panel reading with Stuntboy, Wallace the Brave, and Lumberjanes.
- Smithsonian Learning Lab – Indigenous Comic Art Collection Educator-curated materials on storytelling through comics; a thoughtful cultural lens to pair with When Stars Are Scattered and The Legend of Auntie Po.
- The Center for Cartoon Studies – Teaching Comics A deep archive (NAACE + CCS) of classroom activities, mini-lessons, and creation prompts – useful alongside Max Meow, Kitty Quest, and Super Pancake.
- National Writing Project – “Writing with Pictures” A step-by-step comic-creation lesson to develop narrative structure and pacing; perfect for extension projects after reading Amulet or The Moth Keeper.
- Library of Congress – Education (K–12) Primary-source sets, teacher guides, and workshops; pull historical images and artifacts to build background knowledge for Percy Jackson GN adaptations or The Dragonet Prophecy.
- Smithsonian Learning Lab – Comics & Cartoons Collections (Search) Ready-to-use collections and classroom activities for panel reading, symbolism, and layout – easily leveled for elementary readers across your list.
BISAC JNF062000 Children’s Graphic Novels | Thema XQA
